Deadline: 29-Jun-21
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) are seeking applications for its Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Training and Technical Assistance Program to support national training and technical assistance to build the capacities of the state, local, and tribal law enforcement and prosecution agencies to work closely with victims and community- and school-based partners to conduct outreach on hate crimes, offer training on them, and to investigate and prosecute hate crimes.
The Department of Justice is committed to advancing work that promotes civil rights, increases access to justice, supports crime victims, protects the public from crime and evolving threats, and builds trust between law enforcement and the community.
Goal
To enhance the capacities of state, local, and tribal jurisdictions to collaborate to increase public awareness and reporting of hate crimes and to enhance law enforcement and prosecution strategies to prevent and respond to hate crimes, thereby bringing justice for victims and stakeholders impacted by these hate crimes and building trust with community partners and victims.
Objectives
- Build the capacity of jurisdictions to form strong collaborations between law enforcement and prosecution and community-based organizations including schools, colleges, and universities to conduct outreach and educate persons and groups at risk for hate crimes.
- Expand and enhance strategies including tools, policies, and procedures to increase the reporting, identification, and charging of hate crimes, including victim reporting.
- Enhance the capacity of law enforcement and prosecutors to prevent and address hate crimes through education, training, and tools for the field to investigate and prosecute hate crime cases.
- Support BJA as it enhances collaboration between federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and prosecution agencies in their investigation and prosecution of hate crimes.
Funding Information
- Anticipated Number of Awards: 1
- Anticipated Maximum Dollar Amount of Awards: $650,000.00
- Period of Performance Duration (Months): 24
- Anticipated Total Amount to be awarded under Solicitation: $650,000.00
Deliverables
The TTA provider will work with BJA to provide knowledge, resources, and project management guidance to all Shepard/Byrd grantees and other hate crimes-related grantees. For FY 2021, this will include about 16–18 grantees and potentially another cohort in FY 2022. The TTA will assist grantees to meet the objectives and deliverables of their projects. Specifically, the TTA provider will be expected to deliver the following:
- Identify and maintain a list of TTA consultants/subject matter experts, and their qualifications, whose subject matter expertise and experience can best meet the needs of the grantees and the field.
- Following approval from BJA, assign a subject matter expert/consultant to each grantee to help it complete its proposed grant activities and align its operations with best and evidence-based practices relevant to those activities.
- Build a community of practice (COP) to support dialogue and coaching.
- Host webinars related to the site-based grantees, including an orientation webinar to onboard new grantees within 60 days of their receiving awards and field wide webinars to translate key knowledge, opportunities, and resources.
- Assist grantees during the initial 6 months of the project period to assess their needs and develop individualized TTA plans for each grantee.
- Assess grantee performance and provide coaching through COP and periodic calls to:
- Review grantees’ progress toward their goals and deliverables in accordance with the project task timeline.
- Spot issues and provide feedback to site-based grantees.
- Discuss and review draft deliverables and other grant-related materials.
- Determine emerging trends to inform overall training and capacity-building strategies for the field and promote innovation.
- Assess grantee capacity for data collection reporting during technical assistance visits and phone calls, and make recommendations for improvement.
- From the grantees, collect and document lessons learned and other useful examples for the field at large, then disseminate this information via web content, publications, and conference presentations. Assist grantees in disseminating information and updates about their projects within their departments or agencies throughout the life of their projects.
- Create and maintain a website to share information with the field and assess technical assistance needs. Create program site summaries and at least two publications relevant to the field.
- Provide subject matter expertise to and collaborate with BJA and federal partners such as DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, CRS, FBI, COPS Office, and other OJP offices.
- Participate in BJA-led grant performance reviews that track grantee or program performance along several key indicators.
- Convene at least two focus groups, listening sessions, or advisory panels to better understand the needs of the field to inform education and program strategies, and disseminate resulting products, including marketing and communication.
- Coordinate with BJA to support the continuation of two COPS Office-funded trainings currently in development. The first is a training currently being piloted through the COPS Office Collaborative Reform Initiative Technical Assistance Center entitled “Hate Crimes: Recognition and reporting training.” The course’s purpose is to enhance law enforcement’s response and a uniform patrol officer’s ability to recognize and report a hate crime. This includes addressing victim needs, reporting incidents, and building community trust. The second is under development and will focus on law enforcement investigations of hate crimes.
- Develop a training strategy and initial content and tools related to hate crimes outreach and education, and on prosecuting cases.
Eligibility Criteria
- For profit organizations other than small businesses
- Others
- For-profit (commercial) organizations, nonprofit organizations (including tribal organizations), faith-based and community organizations, and institutions of higher education (including tribal institutions of higher education) with demonstrated expertise in assisting communities to develop and implement hate crime investigations, as well as conducting educational outreach and training on hate crimes.
For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=333546
