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crime and who purchase or sell guns illegally. This includes ensuring that persons prohibited from
<br /> purchasing firearms(see e.g.,18 U.S.C. §922(g))are deterred from doing so by enhancing complete,
<br /> accurate, and timely access to the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System(NICS)and
<br /> the submission of all necessary records to the FBI databases in a timely fashion,thereby helping to prevent
<br /> illegal transfers of firearms to those who are prohibited from owning firearms under current law.
<br /> In addition, in June 2021, DOJ issued guidance regarding threats against election workers and a task force
<br /> to address the rise in such threats. BJA also sent a letter to SAA Directors to address the rise in such
<br /> threats. BJA also sent a letter to SAA Directors clarifying that JAG funds can be used to deter,detect,and
<br /> protect against threats of violence against election workers, administrators, officials,and others associated
<br /> with the electoral process. BJA encourages JAG recipients to utilize funds to prevent and respond to violent
<br /> threats of this kind.
<br /> Community Violence Interventions: In April 2021, the Biden-Harris Administration announced historic
<br /> investments in community violence intervention (CVI) efforts to combat the gun violence epidemic. CVI is
<br /> an approach that uses evidence-informed strategies to reduce violence through tailored, community-
<br /> centered initiatives. These multidisciplinary strategies engage individuals and groups to prevent and disrupt
<br /> cycles of violence and retaliation and establish relationships between individuals and community assets to
<br /> deliver services that save lives, address trauma, provide opportunity, and improve the physical, social, and
<br /> economic conditions that drive violence. CVI strategies typically focus on high risk individuals and gang and
<br /> gun violence, as well as the historical and structural challenges that often contribute to community violence.
<br /> CVI strategies should involve holistic, coordinated interventions attending to the multiple needs of
<br /> individuals at high risk of gang and gun violence. For example, hospital-based violence intervention
<br /> programs use credible messengers to connect with victims of gun violence while they are still in the
<br /> hospital, and then wraparound services are typically deployed such as behavioral health supports,
<br /> employment access, housing advocacy,and family supports.visit https://bia.oip.gov/program/community-
<br /> violence-intervention/overview. BJA encourages JAG recipients to invest JAG funds to tailor programs and
<br /> responses to CVI in an effort to build strong, sustained partnerships with community residents and
<br /> organizations to support CVI work in communities most impacted by violent crime. CVI strategies will be
<br /> highlighted on BJA's National Training and Technical Assistance Center(NTTAC)website, and jurisdictions
<br /> looking to implement those strategies can request training and technical assistance(TTA)on the NTTAC
<br /> website.
<br /> Addressing COVID-19 Criminal Justice Challenges and Sustaining Innovations:As a result of the
<br /> COVID-19 pandemic, SLTT criminal justice agencies implemented various community mitigation policies to
<br /> prevent and reduce the spread of COVID-19. Courts at every level were forced to cancel or significantly
<br /> scale back proceedings,which commonly included suspending in-person hearings,granting extensions of
<br /> court deadlines and waivers of speedy trials, restricting access to court buildings, and postponing jury trials.
<br /> This created a backlog of cases,which impacted criminal court operations and court staff,victims, and
<br /> witnesses, as well as defendants. To address backlogs and other consequences of the necessary
<br /> mitigation policies, SLTT agencies created innovative ways to administer justice.While many of these
<br /> innovations had an up-front cost,they hold significant potential to be cost saving and efficient over time. For
<br /> example, correctional facilities have enabled virtual programming, education, medical appointments, and
<br /> family visits,as well as efforts to reduce incarcerated populations. Police departments have hosted virtual
<br /> community engagement events and opportunities,and courts and community corrections have increased
<br /> the use of virtual staffing,status hearings, client visits, and access to treatment and support services. In
<br /> addition, resources have supported the purchase of technology like headsets and Wi-Fi hotspots to ensure
<br /> confidentiality of defense counsel with clients, as well as partnerships with community partners to host
<br /> outdoor events like drug court graduations. It is important for SLTT agencies to sustain innovations that
<br /> improved both the efficiency and effectiveness of justice system operations, and BJA encourages JAG
<br /> recipients to utilize funds for continued innovation sustainment activities and to continue to address the
<br /> backlog of cases.This could include the purchase of technology to enhance the use of virtual tools to
<br /> conduct outreach to witnesses and defendants,as well as for hearings and status conferences,staffing,
<br /> and enhancing access to services; resources to assist the jurisdiction to develop or enhance its case
<br /> management system to assess and work to eliminate the backlog of cases; building tools to support
<br /> diversion and alternatives to incarceration as part of the review of backlogged cases; and technology and
<br /> equipment to retrofit court houses and staff to mitigate risks to staff and those coming to court. In addition to
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