Enhanced Supervision and Communtiy Reintegration

The Recovery Act Edward Byrne Memorial Competitive Grant Program (Byrne Competitive Program) will help communities improve the capacity of state and local justice systems and provide for national support efforts including training and technical assistance programs strategically targeted to address local needs. This competitive grant announcement focuses on initiatives in eight areas: 1) preventing and reducing violent crime through community-based data-driven approaches; 2) providing funding for neighborhood-based probation and parole officers; 3) reducing mortgage fraud and crime related to vacant properties; 4) hiring of civilian support personnel in law enforcement (training staff, analysts, dispatchers, etc.); 5) enhancing forensic and crime scene investigations; 6) improving resources and services for victims of crime; 7) supporting problem-solving courts; and 8) national training and technical assistance partnerships.

Under category 2, New York City Department of Probation (DOP) will use the FY 2009 Recovery Act Byrne Competitive funds to develop a project for enhanced supervision and community reintegration. The grant funds will be used by DOP to hire 51 additional probation officers, 9 supervising probation officers, 2 branch chiefs, and 6 support staff. The goal is to bring agency staffing to parity and to ensure that public safety is not compromised by increased reliance on probation services. The project will enhance juvenile intake and weekend case processing capacity and establish specialized caseload supervision of adult sex offenders at ratios of 35:1. It will create a forensic mental health unit to promote community-based treatment and enhance effective case management.

CA/NCF