BJA FY 14 Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation Program
Healthy, vibrant communities are places that provide the opportunities, resources, and an environment that children, youth, and adults need to maximize their life outcomes, including high-quality schools and cradle-to-career educational programs; high-quality and affordable housing; thriving commercial establishments; access to quality health care and health services; art and cultural amenities; parks and other recreational spaces; and the safety to take advantage of these opportunities. Unfortunately, millions of Americans live in distressed neighborhoods where a combination of crime, poverty, unemployment, poor health, struggling schools, inadequate housing, and disinvestment keep many residents from reaching their full potential. The complexity of these issues has led to the emergence of comprehensive place-based and community-oriented initiatives that involve service providers from multiple sectors, as well as community representatives from all types of organizations, to work together to reduce and prevent crime and to revitalize communities. In many ways, community safety and crime prevention are prerequisites to the transformation of distressed communities, including the revitalization of civic engagement. Addressing community safety is the role of criminal justice agencies, the community and its partners as a whole. To improve and revitalize communities, all relevant stakeholders should be included: law enforcement and criminal justice, education, housing, health and human services, community and faith-based non-profits, local volunteers, residents, and businesses. Given the significant needs and limited resources of some of these communities, local and tribal leaders need tools and information about crime trends in their jurisdiction and assistance in assessing, planning, and implementing the most effective use of criminal justice resources to address these issues. Research suggests that crime clustered in small areas, or “crime hot spots,” accounts for a disproportionate amount of crime and disorder in many communities. As a result, the criminal justice field has been creating new evidence-based strategies designed to prevent and deter future crime in hot spots. Many communities need assistance to implement data-driven problem solving strategies that target crime and safety concerns. The Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation (BCJI) Program is part of the Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative (NRI), which provides neighborhoods with coordinated federal support in the implementation of place-based strategies as part of larger comprehensive neighborhood revitalization efforts. NRI includes programs within agencies such as the Departments of Education, Justice, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, and Treasury.
Office: Office of Justice Programs
