Title II — Promise Grants

S. 1307 · 113th Congress · Jul 16, 2013 · Lineage

II Promise Grants

Sec. 201 Purposes

The purposes of the grant programs established under this title are to—

(1)

enable local and tribal communities to assess the unmet needs of youth who are involved in, or are at risk of involvement in, juvenile delinquency or criminal street gangs;

(2)

develop plans appropriate for a community to address those unmet needs with juvenile delinquency and gang prevention and intervention practices; and

(3)

implement and evaluate such plans in a manner consistent with this Act.

A PROMISE Assessment and Planning Grants

Sec. 202 PROMISE Assessment and Planning grants authorized

(a)

Grants authorized— The Administrator is authorized to award grants to units of local government and Indian tribes to assist PROMISE Coordinating Councils with planning and assessing evidence-based and promising practices relating to juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity prevention and intervention, especially for youth who are involved in, or who are at risk of involvement in, juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity. Such PROMISE Coordinating Councils shall—

(1)

conduct an objective needs and strengths assessment in accordance with section 203; and

(2)

develop a PROMISE Plan in accordance with section 204, based on the assessment conducted in accordance with section 203.

(b)

Grant duration—

(1)

Duration— A grant awarded under this section shall be for a period not to exceed one year.

(2)

Maximum grant amount— A grant awarded under this section shall not exceed $300,000.

Sec. 203 PROMISE Coordinating Councils

To be eligible to receive a grant under this subtitle, a unit of local government or an Indian tribe shall establish a PROMISE Coordinating Council for each community of such unit or tribe, respectively, for which such unit or tribe is applying for a grant under this subtitle. Each such community shall include one or more designated geographic areas identified on the list required under section 102(a)(2). The members of such a PROMISE Coordinating Council shall be representatives of public and private sector entities and individuals that—

(1)

should include at least one representative from each of the following:

(A)

the local chief executive’s office;

(B)

a local educational agency;

(C)

a local health agency or provider;

(D)

a local mental health agency or provider, unless the representative under subparagraph (C) also meets the requirements of this subparagraph;

(E)

a local public housing agency;

(F)

a local law enforcement agency;

(G)

a local child welfare agency;

(H)

a local juvenile court;

(I)

a local juvenile prosecutor’s office;

(J)

a private juvenile residential care entity;

(K)

a local juvenile public defender’s office;

(L)

a State juvenile correctional entity;

(M)

a local business community representative; and

(N)

a local faith-based community representative;

(2)

shall include two representatives from each of the following:

(A)

parents who have minor children, and who have an interest in the local juvenile or criminal justice systems;

(B)

youth between the ages of 15 and 24 who reside in the jurisdiction of the unit or tribe; and

(C)

members from nonprofit community-based organizations that provide effective delinquency prevention and intervention to youth in the jurisdiction of the unit or tribe; and

(3)

may include other members, as the unit or tribe determines to be appropriate.

Sec. 204 Needs and strengths assessment

(a)

Assessment— Each PROMISE Coordinating Council receiving funds from a unit of local government or Indian tribe under this subtitle shall conduct an objective strengths and needs assessment of the resources of the community for which such PROMISE Coordinating Council was established, to identify the unmet needs of youth in the community with respect to evidence-based and promising practices related to juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity prevention and intervention. The PROMISE Coordinating Council shall consult with a research partner receiving a grant under section 302 for assistance with such assessment. Such assessment shall include, with respect to the community for which such PROMISE Coordinating Council was established—

(1)

the number of youth who are at-risk of involvement in juvenile delinquency or street gang activity;

(2)

the number of youth who are involved in juvenile delinquency or criminal street gang activity, including the number of such youth who are at high risk of continued involvement;

(3)

youth unemployment rates during the summer;

(4)

the number of individuals on public financial assistance (including a breakdown of the numbers of men, women, and children on such assistance);

(5)

the estimated number of youth who are chronically truant;

(6)

the number of youth who have dropped out of school in the previous year;

(7)

for the year before such assessment, the estimated total amount expended (by the community and other entities) for the incarceration of offenders who were convicted or adjudicated delinquent for an offense that was committed in such community, including amounts expended for the incarceration of offenders in prisons, jails, and juvenile facilities that are located in the United States but are not located in such community;

(8)

a comparison of the amount under paragraph (5) with an estimation of the amount that would be expended for the incarceration of offenders described in such paragraph if the number of offenders described in such paragraph was equal to the national average incarceration rate per 100,000 population;

(9)

a description of evidence-based and promising practices related to juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity prevention available for youth in the community, including school-based programs, after school programs (particularly programs that have activities available for youth between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. in the afternoon), weekend activities and programs, youth mentoring programs, faith and community-based programs, summer activities, and summer jobs, if any; and

(10)

a description of evidence-based and promising intervention practices available for youth in the community.

(b)

Limitation on use of assessment information— Information gathered pursuant to this section may be used for the sole purpose of developing a PROMISE Plan in accordance with this subtitle.

Sec. 205 PROMISE Plan components

(a)

In general— Each PROMISE Coordinating Council receiving funds from a unit of local government or Indian tribe under this subtitle shall develop a PROMISE Plan to provide for the coordination of, and, as appropriate, to support the delivery of, evidence-based and promising practices related to juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity prevention and intervention to youth and families who reside in the community for which such PROMISE Coordinating Council was established. Such a PROMISE Plan shall—

(1)

include the strategy by which the PROMISE Coordinating Council plans to prioritize and allocate resources and services toward the unmet needs of youth in the community, consistent with the needs and available resources of communities with the greatest need for assistance, as determined pursuant to section 102;

(2)

include a combination of evidence-based and promising prevention and intervention practices that are responsive to the needs of the community; and

(3)

ensure that cultural and linguistic needs of the community are met.

(b)

Mandatory components— Each PROMISE Plan shall—

(1)

include a plan to connect youth identified in paragraphs (1) and (2) of section 203(a) to evidence-based and promising practices related to juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity prevention and intervention;

(2)

identify the amount or percentage of local funds that are available to the PROMISE Coordinating Council to carry out the PROMISE Plan;

(3)

provide strategies to improve indigent defense delivery systems, with particular attention given to groups of children who are disproportionately represented in the State delinquency system and Federal criminal justice system, as compared to the representation of such groups in the general population of the State;

(4)

provide for training (which complies with the American Bar Association Juvenile Justice Standards for the representation and care of youth in the juvenile justice system) of prosecutors, defenders, probation officers, judges and other court personnel related to issues concerning the developmental needs, challenges, and potential of youth in the juvenile justice system, (including training related to adolescent development and mental health issues, and the expected impact of evidence-based practices and cost reduction strategies);

(5)

ensure that the number of youth involved in the juvenile delinquency and criminal justice systems does not increase as a result of the activities undertaken with the funds provided under this subtitle;

(6)

describe the coordinated strategy that will be used by the PROMISE Coordinating Council to provide at-risk youth with evidence-based and promising practices related to juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity prevention and intervention;

(7)

propose the performance evaluation process to be used to carry out section 211(d), which shall include performance measures to assess efforts to address the unmet needs of youth in the community with evidence-based and promising practices related to juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity prevention and intervention; and

(8)

identify the research partner the PROMISE Coordinating Council will use to obtain information on evidence-based and promising practices related to juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity prevention and intervention, and for the evaluation under section 211(d) of the results of the activities carried out with funds under this subtitle.

(c)

Voluntary components— In addition to the components under subsection (b), a PROMISE Plan may include evidence-based or promising practices related to juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity prevention and intervention in the following categories:

(1)

Early childhood development services (such as pre-natal and neo-natal health services), early childhood prevention, voluntary home visiting programs, nurse-family partnership programs, parenting and healthy relationship skills training, child abuse prevention programs, Early Head Start, and Head Start.

(2)

Child protection and safety services (such as foster care and adoption assistance programs), family stabilization programs, child welfare services, and family violence intervention programs.

(3)

Youth and adolescent development services, including job training and apprenticeship programs, job placement and retention training, education and after school programs (such as school programs with shared governance by students, teachers, and parents, and activities for youth between the hours of 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. in the afternoon), mentoring programs, conflict resolution skills training, sports, arts, life skills, employment and recreation programs, summer jobs, and summer recreation programs, and alternative school resources for youth who have dropped out of school or demonstrate chronic truancy.

(4)

Health and mental health services, including cognitive behavioral therapy, play therapy, and peer mentoring and counseling.

(5)

Substance abuse counseling and treatment services, including harm-reduction strategies.

(6)

Emergency, transitional, and permanent housing assistance (such as safe shelter and housing for runaway and homeless youth).

(7)

Targeted gang prevention, intervention, and exit services such as tattoo removal, successful models of anti-gang crime outreach programs (such as street worker programs), and other criminal street gang truce or peacemaking activities.

(8)

Training and education programs for pregnant teens and teen parents.

(9)

Alternatives to detention and confinement programs (such as mandated participation in community service, restitution, counseling, and intensive individual and family therapeutic approaches).

(10)

Pre-release, post-release, and reentry services to assist detained and incarcerated youth with transitioning back into and reentering the community.

B PROMISE Implementation Grants

Sec. 211 PROMISE Implementation grants authorized

(a)

PROMISE Implementation grants authorized— The Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention is authorized to award grants to units of local government and Indian tribes to assist PROMISE Coordinating Councils with implementing PROMISE Plans developed pursuant to subtitle A.

(b)

Grant duration— A grant awarded under this subtitle shall be for a 3-year period.

(c)

Non-Federal funds required— For each fiscal year during the 3-year grant period for a grant under this subtitle, each unit of local government or Indian tribe receiving such a grant for a PROMISE Coordinating Council shall provide, from non-Federal funds, in cash or in-kind, 25 percent of the costs of the activities carried out with such grant.

(d)

Evaluation— Of any funds provided to a unit of local government or an Indian tribe for a grant under this subtitle, not more than $100,000 shall be used to provide a contract to a competitively selected organization to assess the progress of the unit or tribe in addressing the unmet needs of youth in the community, in accordance with the performance measures under section 204(a).

Sec. 212 PROMISE Implementation grant application requirements

(a)

Application required— To be eligible to receive a PROMISE Implementation grant under this subtitle, a unit of local government or Indian tribe that received a PROMISE Assessment and Planning grant under subtitle A shall submit an application to the Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention not later than one year after the date such unit of local government or Indian tribe was awarded such grant under subtitle A, in such manner, and accompanied by such information, as the Administrator, after consultation with the organization under section 223(f)(1) of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5633(f)(1)), may require.

(b)

Contents of application— Each application submitted under subsection (a) shall—

(1)

identify potential savings from criminal justice costs, public assistance costs, and other costs avoided by utilizing evidence-based and promising practices related to juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity prevention and intervention;

(2)

document—

(A)

investment in evidence-based and promising practices related to juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity prevention and intervention to be provided by the unit of local government or Indian tribe;

(B)

the activities to be undertaken with the grants funds;

(C)

any expected efficiencies in the juvenile justice or other local systems to be attained as a result of implementation of the programs funded by the grant; and

(D)

outcomes from such activities, in terms of the expected numbers related to reduced criminal activity;

(3)

describe how savings sustained from investment in prevention and intervention practices will be reinvested in the continuing implementation of the PROMISE Plan; and

(4)

provide an assurance that the local fiscal contribution with respect to evidence-based and promising practices related to juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity prevention and intervention in the community for which the PROMISE Coordinating Council was established for each year of the grant period will not be less than the local fiscal contribution with respect to such practices in the community for the year preceding the first year of the grant period.

Sec. 213 Grant award guidelines

(a)

Selection and distribution— Grants awarded under this subtitle shall be awarded on a competitive basis. The Administrator shall—

(1)

take such steps as may be necessary to ensure that grants are awarded to units of local governments and Indian tribes in areas with the highest concentrations of youth who are—

(A)

at-risk of involvement in juvenile delinquency or criminal street gang activity; and

(B)

involved in juvenile delinquency or street gang activity and who are at high risk of continued involvement; and

(2)

give consideration to the need for grants to be awarded to units of local governments and Indian tribes in each region of the United States, and among urban, suburban, and rural areas.

(b)

Extension of grant award— The Administrator may extend the grant period under section 211(b)(1) for a PROMISE Implementation grant to a unit of local government or an Indian tribe, in accordance with regulations issued by the Administrator.

(c)

Renewal of grant award— The Administrator may renew a PROMISE Implementation grant to a unit of local government or an Indian tribe to provide such unit or tribe with additional funds to continue implementation of a PROMISE Plan. Such a renewal—

(1)

shall be initiated by an application for renewal from a unit of local government or an Indian tribe;

(2)

shall be carried out in accordance with regulations issued by the Administrator; and

(3)

shall not be granted unless the Administrator determines such a renewal to be appropriate based on the results of the evaluation conducted under section 223(a) with respect to the community of such unit or tribe for which a PROMISE Coordinating Council was established, and for which such unit or tribe is applying for renewal.

Sec. 214 Reports

Not later than one year after the end of the grant period for which a unit of local government or an Indian tribe receives a PROMISE Implementation grant, and annually thereafter for as long as such unit or tribe continues to receive Federal funding for a PROMISE Coordinating Council, such unit or tribe shall report to the Administrator regarding the use of Federal funds to implement the PROMISE Plan developed under subtitle A.

C General PROMISE Grant Provisions

Sec. 221 Nonsupplanting clause

A unit of local government or Indian tribe receiving a grant under this title shall use such grant only to supplement, and not supplant, the amount of funds that, in the absence of such grant, would be available to address the needs of youth in the community with respect to evidence-based and promising practices related to juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity prevention and intervention.

Sec. 222 Grant application review panel

The Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, in conjunction with the PROMISE Advisory Panel, shall establish and utilize a transparent, reliable, and valid system for evaluating applications for PROMISE Assessment and Planning grants and for PROMISE Implementation grants, and shall determine which applicants meet the criteria for funding, based primarily on a determination of greatest need (in accordance with section 102), with due consideration to other enumerated factors and the indicated ability of the applicant to successfully implement the program described in the application.

Sec. 223 Evaluation of PROMISE grant programs

(a)

Evaluation required— The Administrator shall, in consultation with the organization provided assistance under section 223(f)(1) of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5633(f)(1)), provide for an evaluation of the programs and activities carried out with grants under this title. In carrying out this section, the Administrator shall—

(1)

award grants to institutions of higher education (including institutions that are eligible to receive funds under part F of title III of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1067q et seq.), to facilitate the evaluation process and measurement of achieved outcomes;

(2)

identify evidence-based and promising practices used by PROMISE Coordinating Councils under PROMISE Implementation grants that have proven to be effective in preventing involvement in, or diverting further involvement in, juvenile delinquency or criminal street gang activity; and

(3)

ensure—

(A)

that such evaluation is based on the performance standards that are developed by the PROMISE Advisory Panel in accordance with section 223(g) of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 (as added by section 101(b) of this Act);

(B)

the development of longitudinal and clinical trial evaluation and performance measurements with regard to the evidence-based and promising practices funded under this title; and

(C)

the dissemination of the practices identified in paragraph (2) to the National Research Center for Proven Juvenile Justice Practices (established under section 301), units of local government, and Indian tribes to promote the use of such practices by such units and tribes to prevent involvement in, or to divert further involvement in, juvenile delinquency or criminal street gang activity.

(b)

Results to the national research center for proven juvenile justice practices— The Administrator shall provide the results of the evaluation under subsection (a) to the National Research Center for Proven Juvenile Justice Practices established under section 301.