Project Safe Neighborhoods: Strategic Interventions - Offender Notification Meetings (Case Study 2)

• NCJ Number: 240866
• Date Published: May 2006
• Length: 28 pages
• Agencies: BJA
• Award: PSN Academy: Proposal to Provide Technical Assistance

Annotation

This report presents a case study on a specific strategic intervention, offender notification meetings, developed by Project Safe Neighborhood to reduce gun crime.

Abstract

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is an initiative developed by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat gun crime. PSN consists of a network of local partnerships coordinated through the Nation's 94 U.S. Attorneys' Offices and supported by a strategy that provides them with the resources they need to be successful in reducing gun crime. The PSN initiative integrates five essential elements from successful gun crime reduction programs: partnerships, strategic planning, training, outreach, and accountability. This report presents an overview of the PSN initiative and focuses specific discussion on one of the strategic interventions that is part of the PSN initiative: offender notification meetings. Offender notification meetings are used by law enforcement personnel to send a specific, focused deterrence message to a group of high-risk individuals that gun violence will not be tolerated in their jurisdictions. The meetings are also used to spread the message that local area community programs are available to provide services to help offenders lead a more productive and better life. The idea behind offender notification meetings was first used by the Boston Police Department in 1996 under a program called Operation Ceasefire. This report presents information on the goals of offender notification meeting and the partners involved in offender notification meetings, a description of the steps involved in implementing an offender notification program, information on how to identify participants for the program, information on how to get the message out to offenders and the public, and information on the follow-up needed to ensure success of the program. Additional information is also presented on how this program connects to other strategies, assessment of outcomes, and keys to successful implementation of the program. Figure, references, and endnotes