On January 30, 2008, OVC will host a Web Forum Guest Host Session on best practices for developing relationships between victim service providers and the media. Join Greg Luft and Anne Seymour, contributors to OVC's video, "The News Media's Coverage of Crime and Victimization," at 2 p.m. ET for the live discussion. (OVC)

In recognition of National Stalking Awareness Month (January), NCJRS has created a Stalking Awareness Special Feature. This special feature contains links to publications and Web sites that provide information about stalking for law enforcement and for those who have been victimized. It also includes links to funding resources related to stalking awareness. (NCJRS)

Calling on "all Americans to recognize the importance of mentoring [and] to look for opportunities to serve as mentors in their communities," President George W. Bush has proclaimed January 2008 as National Mentoring Month. (OJJDP)

If your organization sponsors conferences, workshops, or other training events focusing on juvenile or criminal justice, victim assistance, or drug abuse, promote it on the NCJRS Justice Events Calendar. The calendar is accessed by researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and others who may be interested in attending or exhibiting at your event. (NCJRS)

Application deadline: January 22, 2008
OVC will award a nonprofit organization or public agency a $225,000 grant to develop the 2009 NCVRW Resource Guide. The guide will be used by the victims field to heighten the public's awareness of crime victim issues. (OVC)

Application deadline: February 7, 2008
The Enhanced Training and Services to End Violence Against and Abuse of Women Later in Life Program will fund projects addressing elder abuse in their communities. This comprehensive approach includes providing training to criminal justice professionals, governmental agencies, and victim assistants to enhance their ability to address elder abuse. (OVW)

Application deadline: February 20, 2008
Funding is available for Social Science Research in Forensic Science. NIJ is interested in research to improve the use of forensic evidence in violent crime investigations, to improve the practice and processing of impression evidence, and to improve the use and understanding of forensic evidence in the courtroom. (NIJ)

Grants.gov registration deadline: January 30, 2008
Application deadline: February 6, 2008
OVW is accepting applications for the FY 2008 Grants to Indian Tribal Governments Program. This program provides funding to Indian tribal governments to help them respond to American Indian and Alaska Native victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. (OVW)

Application deadline: February 14, 2008
BJA is accepting applications to enhance the capacity of regulatory and law enforcement agencies to collect and analyze data on controlled-substance prescriptions. The program focuses on providing help for states that want to establish a prescription drug monitoring program. (BJA)

Application deadline: February 4, 2008
Applications are being accepted for NIJ's Forensic Science Training Development and Delivery Program to develop and/or deliver knowledge-based forensic science curricula at the state or local level. Applicants are encouraged to propose enhancements or modifications to existing training programs for computer-based or Web-based delivery. Dissemination of the product and sustainability of these initiatives are NIJ priorities. (NIJ)

Application deadline: January 23, 2008
FY 08 Grants to Encourage Arrest Policies and Enforcement of Protection Orders will help the criminal justice system respond effectively to domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking crimes. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city governments and Native American tribal governments. This grant program will foster the sharing of ideas that will ensure victim safety and offender accountability. (OVW)

Application deadline: February 19, 2008.
The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools is seeking applicants for its Grants To Reduce Alcohol Abuse Program. The program provides grants to local educational agencies to develop and implement innovative and effective programs to reduce alcohol abuse in secondary schools. (OJJDP)

Application deadline: February 14, 2008
The grant for the Indian Alcohol and Substance Abuse Program provides funding and technical assistance to federally recognized tribal governments to plan, implement, or enhance tribal justice strategies to address crime issues related to alcohol and substance abuse. (BJA)

Application deadline: February 20, 2008
NIJ seeks applications for Research and Evaluation on Justice System Responses to Violence Against Women. The purpose of this solicitation is to increase women's safety and improve the justice system and related responses to intimate partner violence, sexual assault, stalking, and teen dating violence perpetrated against women. (NIJ)

To address backlog challenges, some laboratories have begun implementing managerial advances such as process mapping, an efficiency forum, and business process management. The NIJ In Short "Increasing Efficiency in Crime Laboratories" (NCJ 220336, 4 pp.) describes how laboratories across the country have successfully used these techniques to reduce backlogs. (NIJ)

"Test Results for Digital Data Acquisition Tool: DCCIdd" (Version 2.0, June 1 2007) (NCJ 220223,127 pp.) provides results of the comparison between DCCIdd (Version 2.0, June 1 2007) and Digital Data Acquisition Tool Assertions and Test Plan Version 1.0. Results provide necessary information for developers to improve tools, users to make informed choices, and the legal community and others to understand the tools' capabilities. (NIJ)

This series of reports presents test assertions, environments, and results on various Hardware Write Block Devices and other alternatives: "ACES Software Write Block Tool Test Report: Writeblocker Windows 2000 V5.02.00" (NCJ 220221, 151 pp.) and "ACES Software Write Block Tool Test Report: Writeblocker XP V6.10.0" (NCJ 220222, 156 pp.). (NIJ)

January is National Stalking Awareness Month and OVC invites you to add your commemorative event to the OVC National Calendar of Crime Victim Assistance-Related Events. The National Calendar helps you locate, plan, and promote victim assistance-related events nationwide, allowing you to connect with a larger victim service audience and gain national exposure. (OVC)

OVC invites you to plan your observance for National Crime Victims' Rights Week (NCVRW) April 13-19, 2008. The online NCVRW Resource Guide is now available. Developed to help communities promote awareness of victim issues, this online guide includes camera-ready art files, public awareness posters, the 2008 theme DVD, and more. (OVC)

The National Judicial College has published two new resources that provide judges with an introductory overview of the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 (PREA). The resources include a CD that provides an introductory overview of the PREA and a model curriculum designed for use in a 1- to 3-hour period. (BJA)

Web-based resources are available to help practitioners broaden the scope of problem-solving courts by testing relevant approaches with wider defendant populations and applying key problem-solving principles (e.g., links to social services, rigorous judicial monitoring, aggressive community outreach) outside of the specialized court context. (BJA)

The NIJ Conference 2008 will be held July 21-23, 2008, in Arlington, Virginia. It will showcase what works, what doesn’t, and what research shows as promising. New developments in technology that increase public safety will be featured. The conference emphasizes benefits to researchers and practitioners who work together to develop effective evidence-based policies and practices. (NIJ)

Register now for OVC's upcoming training workshops, including Compassion Fatigue/Vicarious Trauma, January 29-30, 2008, in St. Louis, Missouri, and Identity Theft, February 20-21, 2008, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. To view course descriptions, learning objectives, or to register, visit the OVC TTAC Web site. (OVC)

The 2008 National Victim Assistance Academy will be held May 4-9, 2008, in St. Louis, Missouri. Visit OVC's Training Center for more information and to be added to the mailing list. (OVC)

BJA invites you to join colleagues from your region to learn about the latest information on key issues in law enforcement and criminal justice at BJA's 2008 Regional Conference Series. Locations and dates vary by region. The meetings will offer best practices and solutions to emerging and chronic crime concerns. (BJA)