New York § 636 - 636Community violence intervention act

§ 636. 636Community violence intervention act

§ 636. Community violence intervention act. 1. Legislative findings. The legislature hereby finds and declares that gun violence and other forms of violence constitute a crisis that poses a serious threat to the health and quality of life of all residents of the state of New York. An epidemic of violence is tearing at the fabric of life in many urban areas. The legislature further finds that funds from the Victims of Crime Act should be used to support hospital based violence intervention programs and community based violence intervention programs. 2. Community violence intervention grants. The office shall dedicate ten percent or more of the total funding received per award cycle pursuant to the federal Victims of Crime Act of 1984 to support: (a) "community-based violence intervention programs" which shall mean a violence intervention program that is: (i) a nonprofit organization; and (ii) provides intensive counseling, case management, and social services to individuals who are recovering from injuries resulting from violence or who were witness to acts of violence; (b) "hospital-based violence intervention programs" which shall mean a violence intervention program that is: (i) operated by: (A) a public hospital; or (B) a nonprofit or government entity in collaboration with a public or not-for-profit hospital; and (ii) provides intensive counseling, case management, and social services to individuals who are recovering from injuries resulting from violence or who were witness to acts of violence. 3. The office shall promulgate guidance relating to community violence intervention for hospital-based violence intervention programs and community-based violence intervention programs. (a) This guidance shall be designed to promote: (i) alternative funding sources other than the state, including local government and private sources as well as funding from the federal Victims of Crime Act of 1984; (ii) coordination of public and private efforts to aid individuals who are recovering from injuries resulting from violence or who were witnesses to acts of violence; and (iii) long range development of services to victims of violent crimes in the community. (b) This guidance shall also provide for: (i) clearly defined and measurable objectives intended to demonstrate that a program is developed and evaluated through scientific research and data collection with measurable evidence of positive outcomes related to violence intervention; (ii) a description of how the nonprofit organization proposes to use the funding to: (A) establish or enhance community-based violence intervention programs; (B) enhance coordination of existing violence intervention programs, if any, to minimize duplication of services; and (C) plan for the collection of relevant data; and (iii) outreach to the community and education and training of law enforcement and other criminal justice officials to the needs of victims of violent crimes in the community, to perpetrators of violent crimes and to witnesses of violent crimes involved in criminal prosecutions. 4. To the extent practicable, the office shall make efforts to inform community-based violence intervention programs and hospital-based intervention programs about anticipated awards.