§ 636 — Community violence intervention act

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