ENT OF M JU U.S. Department of Justice T S R T A I P C E E D B O J Office of Justice Programs C S F A V M F O I N A C I J S R E BJ G O OJJ DP O F PR Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention JUSTICE Promising Strategies To Reduce Gun Violence Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) was established by the President and Con- gress through the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (JJDP) Act of 1974, Public Law 93–415, as amended. Located within the Office of Justice Programs of the U.S. Department of Justice, OJJDP’s goal is to provide national leadership in addressing the issues of juvenile delinquency and improving juvenile justice. OJJDP sponsors a broad array of research, program, and training initiatives to improve the juvenile justice system as a whole, as well as to benefit individual youth-serving agencies. These initiatives are carried out by seven components within OJJDP, described below. Research and Program Development Division Information Dissemination Unit informs individuals develops knowledge on national trends in juvenile and organizations of OJJDP initiatives; disseminates delinquency; supports a program for data collection information on juvenile justice, delinquency preven- and information sharing that incorporates elements tion, and missing children; and coordinates program of statistical and systems development; identifies planning efforts within OJJDP. The unit’s activities how delinquency develops and the best methods include publishing research and statistical reports, for its prevention, intervention, and treatment; and bulletins, and other documents, as well as overseeing analyzes practices and trends in the juvenile justice the operations of the Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse. system. Concentration of Federal Efforts Program pro- Training and Technical Assistance Division pro- motes interagency cooperation and coordination vides juvenile justice training and technical assist- among Federal agencies with responsibilities in the ance to Federal, State, and local governments; law area of juvenile justice. The program primarily carries enforcement, judiciary, and corrections personnel; out this responsibility through the Coordinating Coun- and private agencies, educational institutions, and cil on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, an community organizations. independent body within the executive branch that was established by Congress through the JJDP Act. Special Emphasis Division provides discretionary funds to public and private agencies, organizations, Missing and Exploited Children’s Program seeks to and individuals to replicate tested approaches to promote effective policies and procedures for address- delinquency prevention, treatment, and control in ing the problem of missing and exploited children. such pertinent areas as chronic juvenile offenders, Established by the Missing Children’s Assistance Act community-based sanctions, and the disproportionate of 1984, the program provides funds for a variety of representation of minorities in the juvenile justice activities to support and coordinate a network of re- system. sources such as the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children; training and technical assistance State Relations and Assistance Division supports to a network of 47 State clearinghouses, nonprofit collaborative efforts by States to carry out the man- organizations, law enforcement personnel, and attor- dates of the JJDP Act by providing formula grant neys; and research and demonstration programs. funds to States; furnishing technical assistance to States, local governments, and private agencies; and monitoring State compliance with the JJDP Act. The mission of OJJDP is to provide national leadership, coordination, and resources to prevent juvenile victimization and respond appropriately to juvenile delinquency. This is accomplished through developing and implementing pre- vention programs and a juvenile justice system that protects the public safety, holds juvenile offenders accountable, and provides treatment and rehabilitative services based on the needs of each individual juvenile. Promising Strategies d To Reduce Gun Violence Report Shay Bilchik, Administrator Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention February 1999 i U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention 810 Seventh Street NW. Washington, DC 20531 Janet Reno Attorney General Raymond C. Fisher Associate Attorney General Laurie Robinson Assistant Attorney General Shay Bilchik Administrator Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Cover photographs clockwise from top left: copyright © 1995 PhotoDisc, Inc.; copyright © 1997 PhotoDisc, Inc.; copyright © 1997 Digital Stock Corporation; copyright © 1998 Digital Stock Corporation. The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Assistance, the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, and the Office for Victims of Crime. ii Promising Strategies To Reduce Gun Violence Foreword All of us should be able to feel safe and secure on streets, in our schools, at work, and in our homes. Yet too many Americans are threatened by violence every day. Gun-related violence, in particular, represents a major threat to the health and safety of all Americans. Every day in America, 93 people die from gunshot wounds, and approximately 240 sustain gunshot injuries. In addi- tion to the human suffering caused by these injuries and fatalities, gunshot wounds cost approximately $40 billion in medical care, public service, and work-loss costs each year. Reducing the number of gun-related injuries and deaths must become a national priority. At the Federal level, and especially at the State and local level, we must implement comprehensive strategies that address not just the consequences of violence, but also its underlying causes. Since 1993, as I have traveled the country as Attorney General, I have had the privilege of observing many innovative, local responses to gun violence that have been developed by police, prosecutors, judges, probation officers, mayors, school officials, and other leaders who recognized a problem, devised a solution in collabora- tion with other members of their community, and worked to see it implemented. At the same time, many other communities are still looking for effective solutions to their own gun violence problems. It is my hope that this Report, Promising Strategies To Reduce Gun Violence, will provide useful answers and solutions for these communities by profiling the successful approaches that some cities and towns have already implemented. Promising Strategies To Reduce Gun Violence is designed as a “toolbox” to provide law enforcement, State and local elected officials, prosecutors, judges, community organizations, and other policymakers with practical informa- tion about a range of strategies to reduce gun violence. Although particular programs and strategies will need to be tailored to suit local needs, I hope that the programs profiled here will provide inspiration and guidance as communities take action to create safe and healthy neighborhoods. Ending the tragedy of gun violence will require a sustained effort at all levels of our government and society. Together, however, we will make a difference, and bring greater security and peace to America’s communities. Janet Reno Attorney General U.S. Department of Justice iii Acknowledgments In the spring of 1998, Attorney General Reno asked that a U.S. Department of Justice Work Group review existing efforts to reduce gun violence to identify key programs and strategies. This Work Group—consisting of representatives of the Offices of the Attorney General, Deputy Attorney General, and Associate Attorney General, the Executive Office of United States Attorneys; the Criminal Division; the Office of Policy Develop- ment; the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs; the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services; the Office of Justice Programs; the Bureau of Justice Assistance; the National Institute of Justice; and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)—has worked with COSMOS Corporation to iden- tify, review, and describe promising and demonstrated strategies to reduce gun violence. Under a grant from OJJDP, COSMOS Corporation, a research firm specializing in criminal justice policy issues, was tasked with building on an initial assessment of youth gun programs OJJDP published in 1996 and surveying the country to identify additional promising practices and strategies to reduce gun violence. This Report is the culmination of this survey and followup site visits to several communities. It could not have been completed without the dedication of COSMOS Corporation staff who worked tirelessly on this Report. A special thanks to David Sheppard, the primary author and project director at COSMOS. Others at COS- MOS assisting Dr. Sheppard include Darci Terrell, the Project Coordinator, Michael Cannon, Elizabeth Earl, Heath Grant, Patricia Kelly, Joe Randolph, Ann Reese, Wendy Rowe, Pamela Schaal, Pat Thibeaux, Emily Warner, Alicia Williams, and Patricia Zangrillo. A special note of appreciation is offered to Paul Kingery and Lisa Murphy from Hamilton Fish National Institute on School and Community Violence, The George Washington University; Glenn Pierce from the Center of