Interested in Participating in the Defending Childhood Task Force Public Hearing in Miami?
Calling all community members and professionals working with children and families who have experienced violence:
The Attorney General's National Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence is holding its third public hearing in Miami on March 19 - 21, 2012. The hearing will focus on children's exposure to violence in their communities and at school. The Taskforce is interested in hearing from community members and professionals who work with children and families who have experienced violence. They would also like to hear from individuals directly impacted by violence. Members of the public are invited to attend and testify. Those outside of Miami are invited to submit testimoy now through April 24, 2012.
To register for the hearing or to provide oral testimony, click here.
To submit written testimony, click here.
Laurie Robinson stepping down as head of DOJ's Office of Justice Programs
Assistant Attorney General Laurie Robsinson, who has headed the Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs longer than anyone else, announced last week that she will step down at the end of February.
"Laurie Robinson has helped transform OJP's role in the criminal and juvenile justice field, bringing scientific rigor, a true sense of partnership, transparency and accountability to the agency," said Attorney General Eric Holder. Created 44 years ago, the OJP assists federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies in devising and putting into effect crime-fighting strategies.
Robinson was confirmed by the Senate in November 2009. Since she served as head of OJP for nearly seven years in the 1990's, she has led the agency longer than anyone else. After her first stint at OJP, Robinson was director of the Master of Science program at the University of Pennsylvania's Department of Criminology.
"One of the reasons I can think about leaving now is that we have made substantial progress towards goals I set in 2009," Robinson said. "With the attorney general's support, we have made real progress in building strong partnerships with law enforcement and other parts of the state, local and tribal criminal and juvenile justice fields. We have put science front and center and focused on evidence-based approaches. And we've made it a priority to ensure OJP's grant process is fair, accessible to our stakeholders, and accountable to Congress and the public in terms of managing scarce federal dollars."
Attorney General Holder's new blog post: Our continuing efforts to prevent youth violence
Attorney general Eric Holder has published a new blog post about youth violence prevention, highlighting the efforts of cities participating in the National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention.
Here's an excerpt:
Throughout my career, I have seen the devastating effects of youth violence far too often. As a prosecutor and a judge; as a U.S. Attorney, as Deputy Attorney General – and, above all, as the father of three teenage children – I’ve been determined to make the progress that our nation’s young people deserve.
In September of 2009, this country was shocked by a video depicting the brutal beating and murder of a 16-year-old Chicago honor student. That savage attack was seared into our collective memory, and it left an indelible mark on the community where it took place. But, tragically, it is just one horrifying example of the violence that many young people face every day, in cities and towns across this country.
In response to this crisis, last year, President Obama directed the Departments of Justice and Education to partner with other federal agencies – and with representatives from six cities – to launch the National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention, a network of committed stakeholders dedicated to stopping the brutality and bloodshed that devastates too many of the youngest members of our society. The six cities participating in the Forum — Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Memphis, Salinas, Calif. and San Jose, Calif. — have made great strides toward developing and implementing comprehensive crime prevention strategies tailored to eradicating the violence that has ravaged their communities and stolen so many promising futures.
