You are here: American University School of Public Affairs Justice Initiatives State Administering Agencies Technical Assistance

Back to top

Research and Practice Briefs

As part of the Bureau of Justice Assistance State Administering Agencies Technical Assistance Project, the Justice Programs Office at American University is pleased to release a series, Research and Practice Briefs. By partnering with national stakeholder organizations, these briefs are meant to provide state administering agencies (SAAs) and state and local policymakers with key information about critical issues with which these organizations' respective constituencies are grappling, relevant evidence based and other promising strategies being utilized, and commentary regarding the nuances of these issues and application of promising strategies in different local contexts within a state as well as make known to their constituencies the role of the SAAs in their respective states. Please read below to find out what issues the following stakeholder organizations face.

Check back for more issue briefs to come!

Maintaining Momentum Keynote Speaker: Glenn E. Martin

On March 30, 2017, the Justice Programs Office at American University hosted an event, Maintaining Momentum: Redefining the Purpose of Incarceration in the Ongoing Conversations about Criminal Justice Reform. The keynote speech was given by JustLeadershipUSA's Glenn E. Martin, with introductions by Dean Romzek and JPO Director Kim Ball. View Glenn's speech and other recordings of panels and sessions from the event here.

Current Work

Violent Crime Reduction Strategic Development State and Local Government Working Group Meeting

On August 2, 2017, staff from the Justice Programs Office (JPO), in partnership with the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), the National Criminal Justice Association (NCJA), the National Governors Association (NGA), and the Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center will host a working group meeting with key state leaders, policymakers, and local stakeholders representing nine states and ten cities participating in the U.S. Department of Justice's, National Public Safety Partnership (PSP) in Long Beach, California. This partnership focuses on violent crime reduction strategies with state and local jurisdictions. This working group meeting will provide an opportunity for participants to share current crime reduction strategies and explore opportunities to leverage and coordinate resources.

JPO will be participating in this partnership by providing follow up training and technical assistance to jurisdictions that signed up for this opportunity at the working group meeting. JPO staff and subject matter experts will conduct conference calls and site visits with strategic site liaisons, PSP team members, a representative from the state administering agency, criminal justice policy advisor from the Governor's Office, and a representative from corrections to check in on the progress sites are making in implementing their action plans devised from the working group meeting in Long Beach.

For more information, please read the Training and Technical Assistance Brief.

Project Description

The Justice Programs Office (JPO) of the School of Public Affairs at American University is awarded BJA's FY2014 National Initiatives: State Administering Agencies (SAA) Training and Technical Assistance Project to (1) provide SAAs with an overview of critical issues key sectors of the state and local justice systems are currently addressing, and the evidenced based practices and promising strategies that are being used to respond;(2) enhance the capacity of the SAAs to provide technical assistance to address a wide range of justice needs within their respective states; and (3) collect the information needed to promote meaningful interchange between BJA and the SAA's regarding the activities the SAA's are conducting, the promising practices being supported, the outcomes resulting and the lessons being learned that can benefit BJA and the SAAs as well as the field generally.

American University has been providing technical assistance to state and local justice system agencies for over 30 years under the direction of core staff working with experienced consultant-practitioners representing a wide range of disciplines -- judges, prosecutors, defense, law enforcement, probation, substance abuse and mental health treatment specialists, and others. A principle goal of AU's TA services has been to promote systemic approaches to justice system agency policy and operations, drawing upon practices that are evidence-based and address current and emerging needs of the various constituencies that make up state and local justice systems and the pubic served. It has always been our view that the SAA's are in a pivotal position to give true import and practical application to national initiatives that are relevant to addressing justice system needs in their respective states and we look forward to working with the SAA's to support these efforts.

AU will work in coordination with the National Criminal Justice Association and seven national partners, listed below, to provide SAAs with both an overview of the critical issues with which their respective constituencies are grappling as well as make known to the constituencies of these partners the role of the SAAs in their respective states.