Equal Justice Usa Inc

EQUAL JUSTICE USA (EJUSA) PROPOSES TO IMPLEMENT BUILDING COMMUNITY SAFETY IN LOUISIANA PROJECT. THE PURPOSE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO FOSTER COMMUNITY SAFETY IN LOUISIANIAN JURISDICTIONS EXPERIENCING HIGH RATES OF VIOLENCE BY PROVIDING COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS (CBOS) FOCUSED ON VIOLENCE PREVENTION, INTERVENTION, AND HEALING WITH THE FUNDING, RESOURCES, PEOPLE POWER, CAPACITY BUILDING SUPPORT, AND TTA NEEDED TO INCREASE CBOS CAPACITY TO CONTINUE LIFESAVING PROGRAMMING. PROJECT ACTIVITIES INCLUDE CODESIGNING A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) WITH OJP, DISPERSING MAXIMUM SUBAWARD FUNDING ($250,000) TO FIVE LOUISIANA-BASED CBOS, PROVIDING SELECTED SUBRECIPIENTS WITH THE RESOURCES AND TRAININGS NEEDED TO BOLSTER THEIR CAPACITY, AND COMPLETING A FINAL REPORT THAT WILL SUMMARIZE THE ACTIVITIES AND OUTCOMES OF CBOS VIOLENCE REDUCTION STRATEGIES. CAPACITY BUILDING ACTIVITIES WILL INCLUDE CONDUCTING COMPREHENSIVE NEEDS ASSESSMENTS WITH EACH SUBRECIPIENT; CREATING ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLANS; ONE-ON-ONE COACHING FROM BOTH GRASSROOTS CAPACITY BUILDING AND EVALUATION SPECIALISTS; FACILITATING RELEVANT MEETINGS TO ADDRESS SHARED NEEDS ACROSS CBOS; DEVELOPING AND MAINTAINING A CAPACITY BUILDING ONLINE LIBRARY WITH PERTINENT RESOURCES, TRAININGS, AND TOOLKITS; AND DEPLOYING CAPACITY BUILDING FELLOWS TO SUPPORT CBOS AS THEY ACHIEVE THEIR FUNDRAISING AND OPERATIONAL GOALS. EXPECTED OUTCOMES WILL BE THE INCREASED ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY AND SUSTAINABILITY OF CBOS, WHICH WILL BE DETERMINED BY THE LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT SUBRECIPIENTS WILL HAVE WITH PROVIDED TRAININGS AND SUPPORT, INCLUDING MEETING, TRAINING, AND RETREAT ATTENDANCE; PRE- AND POST-TRAINING SURVEYS AND ASSESSMENTS; AND UTILIZATION OF CAPACITY BUILDING RESOURCES. EJUSA IS A BLACK-LED, CULTURALLY SPECIFIC ORGANIZATION FOCUSED ON ADVANCING RACIAL EQUITY AND COMMUNITY-CENTERED PUBLIC SAFETY STRATEGIES IN BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES AND WILL PRIORITIZE PROVIDING SUBAWARDS TO CBOS THAT ARE BLACK- OR BROWN-LED AND/OR FOCUS ON REDUCING VIOLENCE IN BLACK OR BROWN COMMUNITIES. ALTHOUGH SUBRECIPIENTS WILL BE DETERMINED THROUGH THE COMPLETION OF THE RFP PROCESS, EJUSA WILL GIVE PRECEDENCE TO CBOS THAT EMPLOY EVIDENCE-INFORMED VIOLENCE PREVENTION, INTERVENTION, AND HEALING STRATEGIES IN LOUISIANIAN COMMUNITIES WITH DOCUMENTED HIGH OR INCREASING RATES OF VIOLENT CRIME.

EQUAL JUSTICE USAS (EJUSA) PROJECT A NEW APPROACH TO TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE DELIVERY FOR RESTORATIVE JUSTICE DIVERSION WILL DELIVER AND EVALUATE A NEW TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE (TTA) STRATEGY FOR PRE-PROSECUTION RESTORATIVE JUSTICE DIVERSION (RJD) PROGRAMS FOCUSED ON YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS. THIS PROJECT WILL BUILD CAPACITY AND READINESS AMONG COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS LED BY PEOPLE OF COLOR, ALONG WITH LOCAL SYSTEMS PARTNERS, TO LAUNCH RESTORATIVE JUSTICE DIVERSION PROGRAMS IN THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES. THE MAIN OBJECTIVES ARE TO DOCUMENT AND DISSEMINATE LESSONS LEARNED ABOUT RJD FROM AN EXISTING GROUP OF RJD PARTNERS, EXPAND VIRTUAL TTA OPPORTUNITIES FOR NEW SITES EXPLORING PRE-PROSECUTION RJD FOR YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS, ANDEVALUATE THE RJD TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE DELIVERY METHOD. PRIMARY GRANT ACTIVITIES INCLUDE EXPLORING THE LESSONS LEARNED FROM OTHER SITES WHO HAVE IMPLEMENTED RJD; DEVELOPING A ROBUST ONLINE TTA WORKSHOP CURRICULUM; DELIVERING TWO NINE-MONTH ONLINE TTA PILOT WORKSHOPS TO EIGHT NEW PARTNER SITES; PLANNING AND FACILITATING TWO IN-PERSON CONVENINGS FOR PARTICIPATING SITES; AND EVALUATING THIS NEW BLENDED STRATEGY IN COMPARISON TO A ONE-TO-ONE, IN-PERSON APPROACH TO RJD TTA. THIS GRANT PROJECT WILL ADDRESS A PRECIPITOUS INCREASE IN CRIME AND/OR TYPE OF CRIME BY USING PRE-PROSECUTION RJD TO TARGET AND REDUCE FELONY AND/OR OTHER HIGH-LEVEL TYPES OF SERIOUS CRIMES COMMITTED BY YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS. THERE IS GROWING EVIDENCE THAT SHOWS THIS APPROACH IS ASSOCIATED WITH MUCH LOWER RATES OF RECIDIVISM, PROVIDES ACCOUNTABILITY, AND PROMOTES HEALING AMONG SURVIVORS. EJUSAS PRE-PROSECUTION RJD MODEL ALSO RESPONDS TO PERSISTENT RACIAL INJUSTICE IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM BY PRIORITIZING SITES LED BY PEOPLE OF COLOR AND FORMERLY SYSTEMS-IMPACT PEOPLE AND TAILORING THE PROGRAM DESIGN TO PROMOTE RACIAL EQUITY. EJUSA SEEKS PRIORITY CONSIDERATION 1(A); DOCUMENTATION OF PLANS TO RESPOND TO PRIORITY CONSIDERATION CAN BE FOUND ON PAGES 8-9 OF EJUSAS PROPOSAL NARRATIVE. THE PROJECT WILL ADDRESS THE FOLLOWING ALLOWABLE USES/ACTIVITIES: ACCELERATING JUSTICE THROUGH THE CREATION OF APPROACHES AND TOOLS THAT BUILD THE CAPACITY TO GATHER AND ANALYZE INFORMATION TO UNDERSTAND KEY DECISION POINTS AND LEVERS FOR CHANGE (50% OF BUDGET) AND BUILDING ALTERNATIVE STRATEGIES AND SYSTEMS SUCH AS RESTORATIVE JUSTICE APPROACHES AND DIVERSION TO ENHANCE BETTER OUTCOMES FOR THOSE IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM (50% OF BUDGET). THIS AWARD IS FUNDED AS AN ADMINISTRATIVE FUNDING ADJUSTMENT OF 15PBJA-22-GK-04590-MUMU.