Federal Resources

The theme of 2015 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week is “Engaging Communities, Empowering Victims.” The 2015 NCVRW theme video highlights the importance of building partnerships throughout communities to better address all victims’ needs. 

“A Circle of Healing for Native Children Endangered by Drugs” is a seven-part video series that highlights best practices for meeting the needs of drug-endangered youth in tribal communities. Produced in collaboration with tribal and federal partners, the videos feature testimonials and examples of cultural practices that tribal communities can use to help traumatized children who are healing from drug endangerment.

“AMBER Alert Best Practices,” published by the Department of Justice, discusses the most effective strategies that AMBER (America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response) partners have provided for recovering missing children. It explains the history of the system, the role each partner plays in child recovery and how to use the resources provided as best as possible. 

The Bureau of Justice Assistance’s Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force Initiative includes training for law enforcement and communities to identify trafficking in persons and rescue victims by working with federal law enforcement and victims service providers and offering support and funding to task forces (in coordination with the Office for Victims of Crime and the Department of Health and Human Services) based on a sound strategy of collaboration among state and local enforcement, trafficking victim services providers, federal law enforcement, and U.S. Attorney Offices.

“Campus Law Enforcement, 2011-12” presents findings from a survey of campus law enforcement agencies during the 2011-12 academic year and includes data on employees, agency functionings, arrest jurisdiction, patrol coverage, and more. 

CrimeSolutions.gov uses rigorous research to inform practitioners and policy makers about what works in criminal justice, juvenile justice, and crime victim services

This report describes the describes the annual activity, workloads, and outcomes associated with the federal criminal justice system from arrest to imprisonment, using data from the U.S. Marshals Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. 

This resource is particularly useful for new applicants in navigating the challenges of a highly competitive application and grant award process. The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) has posted a number of current solicitations on OJJDP's Funding Opportunities Web page. Additional funding opportunities from other OJP components may be found on OJP's Open Solicitations Web page.

New data released by NCES show that the nation’s high school graduation rate hit 81 percent in 2012-13, the highest rate seen since states adopted a new common metric for tracking graduation rates five years ago. See graduation rates listed by state.

The National Criminal Justice Reference Service provides information, publications, resources, and answers to frequently asked questions on trafficking in persons. 

OVCTTAC has developed three new modules for its online Sexual Assault Advocate/Counselor Training. This training is designed to teach advocates how to provide competent, effective crisis intervention services to victims and survivors of sexual assault. 

OVC’s Victim Assistance Training (VAT) Online offers service providers online training opportunities to better assist victims of crime. Five new modules can now be found on VAT Online addressing sexual assault, LGBTQ populations, victims with substance abuse issues, financial crimes, and identity theft.

OJJDP has released a fact sheet on delinquency cases derived from data presented in the report, Juvenile Court Statistics 2011:

• Delinquency Cases in Juvenile Court, 2011 (PDF, 4 pages): presents statistics on delinquency cases that courts with juvenile jurisdiction processed for public order, person, and property offenses and drug law violations between 1985 and 2011

OJJDP has released a fact sheet on delinquency cases derived from data presented in the report, Juvenile Court Statistics 2011:

• Delinquency Cases Waived to Criminal Court, 2011 (PDF, 4 pages): presents statistics on petitioned delinquency cases waived to criminal court between 1985 and 2011

Bulletins from OJJDP’s Pathways to Desistance series are now available in EPUB and MOBI formats. The bulletins present findings from a study of more than 1,300 adolescent offenders over seven years. 

OJP’s Program Plan for 2015 is now available online. This searchable online document contains current funding opportunities for initiatives within the OJP. The plan includes funding opportunities for juvenile justice programs on juvenile re-entry, tribal and other minority youth, children’s exposure to violence, juvenile drug courts, at-risk or system-involved girls, cross-over/dual-system youth, and youth violence prevention.

This report compares the characteristics of rape and sexual assault victimization of 18-24 year old females enrolled and not enrolled in college. The report examines the relationship of victim and offender, involvement of a weapon, location of victimization, reporting to the police, perceived offender characteristics, and victim demographics. 

This resource, developed by the National Institute of Justice, provides process and outcome evaluation results and a discussion of anti-gang and anti-gun-violence programs.

This online guide from DOJ's Office for Victims of Crime offers victim service providers, first responders, and health care providers tools to promote the understanding of, support for, and responses to transgender victims of sexual assault.

The NCJRS has developed a Special Feature on youth violence, which contains publications and resources on topics related to youth violence and youth violence prevention, including gun violence, school violence, and gangs. 

The National Criminal Justice Reference Service created special feature on topics related to campus safety, which includes publications and resources about crime, safety, violence prevention, and substance abuse. 

This brief (PDF, 24 pages) draws on NIJ-funded research, as well as broader literature, to illustrate the ways teens shape each other’s relationship experiences and decisions to enter and leave romantic relationships that turn violent. 

This brief from the Bureau of Justice Statistics discusses national crime rates, violent assaults, and the percentage in which a gang or gang member was identified as the perpetrator. Rates of gang violence are given by gender, race, and age.

In this interview, Dr. Peggy Giordano of Bowling Green State University describes her research on teen dating violence and how it changes over time. Dr. Giordana conducted a longitudinal study following 1,200 youth from age 13 into young adulthood and found conflict in key areas of a relationship can increase the risk of violence. 

The site features the latest announcements, press releases, speeches and information regarding Department of Justice initiatives in tribal communities. It also provides comprehensive resources available through the Office of Tribal Justice and the Department's grant-making divisions: the Office of Justice Programs, Community Oriented Policing Services and the Office on Violence Against Women. Access to the Department's Combined Tribal Assistance Solicitation (CTAS) is also available on the Web site.