Blueprint for Action: Kenya Youth Employment and Empowerment Initiative (KYEEI)
SAI wrote the blueprint for action based on the KYEEI Action Planning Summit that they facilitated under the leadership of the US Embassy, the Office of the President and Africa Nazarene University in 2010 to address the issue of 65% youth unemployment. The Summit used youth leaders to facilitate small groups that produced a series of recommendations in five sectors. The blueprint recommendations were then used to guide five working groups over three years. 90 key stakeholders in government, higher education, corporate and civil society worked with youth leaders to implement the recommendations over three years.
Enhancing Trust and Legitimacy in the Kenya National Police Service: Summit Findings and Recommendations
SAI worked with the International Justice Mission (IJM) in Kenya and with the Inspector General of the National Police Service to convene a series of meetings culminating in a final action planning summit 2018 that resulted in concrete recommendations to improve policing and reduce corruption. The action planning process was led by James Copple with leadership support of Kenya civil society and law enforcement key stakeholders. The Summit Report summarizes next steps.
Council on Criminal Justice’s INDEPENDENT TASK FORCE REPORT: Next Steps – An Agenda for Federal Action on Safety and Justice
Council on Criminal Justice | May 2020
During the summer and fall of 2019, James and Colleen Copple, along with the team from SAI, were called upon by the Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ) to facilitate conversations among the members of the Independent Task Force on Federal Priorities. As Project Director, James navigated the diverse set of voices at the table and pushed the process of constructing and drafting recommendations towards consensus before the publication of their final report. Additional information found at counciloncj.org.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act Brief
SAI | April 2020
Due to the current Coronavirus Pandemic in the United States, it is important that organizations and citizens know how they can utilize the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. SAI though that it would be important to digest the 800-page legislation into something more accessible so we came up with this 15-page brief.
Less-Lethal Weaponry, Post-Traumatic Stress, and their Impact on Officer Safety and Wellness: Emerging Issues and Recommendations
COPS Office Publications | October 2019 | James Copple & Christopher Smith
In November 2018, the OSW Group continued and expanded on previous discussions of methods of supporting emotional health and organizational wellness; this meeting focused particularly on line-of-duty deaths (in felonious assaults as well as in accidents), mental health and suicide, and crisis hotlines and other programs to help address law enforcement health and safety. There is important work to be done in this area, and families, community members, and others can contribute as well by supporting officer safety and wellness, participating in conversations and programming, and working to reduce the negative stigma surrounding mental health issues.
Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Programs: Eleven Case Studies
COPS Office Publications | April 2019 | Colleen Copple, Jessica Drake, Nola Joyce, Mary-Jo Robinson, Sean Smoot, Darrel Stephens, Roberto Villasenor – SAI/COPS Office
The Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act of 2017 calls for the COPS Office to publish case studies of programs designed primarily to address officer psychological health and well-being. Aiming to focus on innovative but replicable programs in law enforcement agencies of various sizes around the country, the authors conducted 11 case studies of programs in 10 departments and one call-in crisis line. Each chapter of this publication describes agencies’ programs and their origins, focusing on elements that can be implemented elsewhere in the effort to protect the mental and emotional health of law enforcement officers, their non-sworn colleagues, and their families.
Rank and File: Reflections on Emerging Issues in Law Enforcement
COPS Office Publications | December 2018 | Mary-Jo Robinson & Christopher Smith – SAI/COPS Office
In August 2017, 40 rank-and-file officers met for a roundtable to discuss their roles in implementing their agencies’ community policing policies and operations. The officers came from departments across the country and explored a wide range of issues from the viewpoint of those who work on the ground. The meeting provided insights and recommendations for ways in which officers, law enforcement leaders, and communities can work together to reduce crime – in particular, illegal immigration, drug trafficking, and violent crime. They also discussed the need to support officer morale, safety, and wellness and explored emerging issues such as the growing opioid epidemic, providing forthright assessments of the current state of policing.
Officers’ Physical and Mental Health and Safety: Emerging Issues and Recommendations
COPS Office Publications | November 2018 | SAI/COPS Office
The OSW Group’s April 2018 meeting expanded on previous discussions of ways to support officers’ emotional health and organizational wellness. This meeting focused particularly on line-of-duty deaths in felonious assaults as well as in accidents, mental health and suicide, and crisis hotlines and other programs. Families, community members, and others can contribute to the important work that is needed in this area by supporting officer safety and wellness, participating in conversations and programming, and working to reduce the negative stigma surrounding mental health issues.
Risk Management in Law Enforcement: Discussions on Identifying and Mitigating Risk for Officers, Departments, and the Public
COPS Office Publications | October 2018 | Colleen K. Copple & James E. Copple
In the course of executing their duties, law enforcement agencies are vulnerable to costly lawsuits by officers and community members for claims of misconduct, harm, or violation of rights – lawsuits that can undermine not only the financial security of the agencies but also the well-being of the officers and the public they serve. To help law enforcement identify and minimize these risks, the COPS Office and Strategic Applications International (SAI) convened a forum that included representatives of labor unions, local government, law enforcement agencies, and the community. This report, which details the discussions of that forum, covers all aspects of this critical subject, including departmental leadership’s role, recruitment policies, and police-community relations. Readers will also find tools for sharing risk management and a description of the roles and responsibilities of government, risk managers, insurers, unions, and the community in this effort. The appendices provide a summary of the forum’s recommendations and a list of resources for risk management.
Below Ten: Combating Drugs, Guns, and Human Trafficking at the U.S. Southwest Border
COPS Office Publications | September 2018 | SAI/COPS Office
The Below Ten project focused on three cities located on or below Interstate 10 – (1) Nogales, Arizona; (2) Pharr, Texas; and (3) San Diego, California – and their efforts to respond to a wide range of problems related to guns, drugs, and human trafficking. A key component of the project was the series of summits held to develop stakeholder-led plans to respond to the wide range of humanitarian, commercial, and enforcement issues. This publication describes the outcomes of these summits, which brought community members together with local, state, federal, and tribal law enforcement; public health providers; social services; and other groups to identify problems, challenges, and solutions. It also provides detailed information on the approach adopted by each community and the activities that have been sustained since the project ended.
Officer Safety & Wellness Group Meeting Summary: Officer Health & Organizational Wellness
COPS Office Publications | July 2018 | SAI/COPS Office
Law enforcement officers face many hazards in the line of duty. Though injuries from assaults and vehicular accidents are the most obvious, stress, cardiovascular disease, depression, and suicide are also serious job-related risks. What’s more, these problems are even more common than assaults and vehicular accidents and can have fatal consequences as well. In October 2017, the Officer Safety and Wellness Group met to address these concerns, focusing on three main topics: (1) emotional health and organizational wellness, (2) officer suicide, and (3) felonious assaults on officers. In addition to discussing current priorities, participants recommended a wide variety of steps to improve officer safety and wellness. Among them were changes in organizational culture to lessen the stigma surrounding emotional distress, event response protocols for suicides, strategies to strengthen emotional resilience, and improved data collection related to felonious assaults.
Heroin & Opioid Addiction: Emerging Threats to your Community & What you Can Do
FaithWatch | May 2017 | James E. Copple
The new opioid epidemic, in large part due to heroin abuse, kills more people than traffic accidents and gun violence combined, and it is eroding life for Americans in both cities and rural communities. If this issue hasn’t already found its way into your pews, it will unfortunately make an appearance soon.
The new opioid epidemic is rooted in America’s preoccupation with prescription-drug use. We have changed prescribing practices, and first-responders are trained to use the overdose-antidote Naloxone, but this epidemic is costing the nation lives and millions of dollars.
Gender, Sexuality, and 21st Century Policing: Protecting the Rights of the LGBTQ+ Community
COPS Office Publications | January 19, 2017 | SAI/COPS Office
Nearly 20 percent of hate crimes reported to the FBI in 2015 were based on a victim’s sexual orientation, gender, or gender identity. In addition to being frequent victims of hate crimes, the LGBTQ+ community has a long history of experiencing harassment and discrimination by law enforcement. As a result, many lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals feel that they are not provided with the same degree of respect and protection that other Americans enjoy and are often reluctant to report crimes or ask for help. To address this problem and explore ways to repair relations with LGBTQ+ communities, the COPS Office, in partnership with Strategic Applications International, hosted a forum on gender, sexuality, and 21st-century policing. This report documents the discussions and recommendations of the forum’s participants, who came together from police departments and LGBTQ+ advocacy groups to explore ways to reshape policies; improve hiring, training, and communications; and identify strategies for eliminating bias against the LGBTQ+ community. In doing so, participants acknowledged police departments making progress in these efforts, and the report includes descriptions of those programs.
Law Enforcement Recruitment in the 21st Century: Forum Proceedings
COPS Office Publications | January 11, 2017 | SAI/COPS Office
The President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing identified recruitment, training, and retention as priorities for the future of law enforcement. Because of their importance to advancing community and police relations, the task force included them in the first pillar – Trust and Legitimacy – of their final report. And in a follow-up meeting with task force members, the President asked the COPS Office to continue to explore new hiring and policies and practices. In response, the COPS Office hosted the Law Enforcement Recruitment in the 21st Century forum with Strategic Applications International. This report covers the discussions of the forum’s participants, drawn from law enforcement, civil rights, and other stakeholder groups. The forum’s goals were to identify ways to improve recruitment programs, practices, and strategies with a special emphasis on diversity; to better understand how the image of law enforcement impacts recruiting efforts; and to provide action steps for developing and enhancing recruitment strategies.
21 Rules of Engagement in the Age of Trump
Seeker Blog | November 22, 2016 | James E. Copple
Donald Trump’s election to the presidency has generated heat, light and for many, perplexing grief. We have entered into a new time and a new place in our history. People are trying to figure out the most appropriate response. People are demonstrating, acquiescing to the reality that he is now “our” president and others are figuring out what the “loyal” opposition looks and how do we behave.
While coming to terms with my new reality, numerous (mostly young) people have asked for advice about responding to a Trump presidency. Most know my history of faith-driven civil-disobedience, as well as my experience navigating an opposing party in power. I have worked in, or for, every administration since Ronald Reagan.
At the heart of these inquiries: How do I get involved? How do I speak out and speak into the process to advance my agenda or stop another’s agenda? Most of these inquiries are genuine expressions of “I can’t sit on the sidelines and do nothing.” There’s a sense of “I must do something, but how do I go about it?”
An Analysis of Attempts to Minimize Abortions: Defunding Planned Parenthood, State-level Restrictions, and LARCs
Lit Review | November 7, 2016 | Brad Crafford
Overall, the US’ abortion rate is already relatively low. Increasing access to and provider education about more effective forms of contraception (like LARCs) provides a better, evidence-driven approach to reducing abortions. Unfortunately, it is likely to be unacceptable to some conservative, pro-life groups that have non-abortion-related concerns, like teenage sexuality; facilitating access to contraception might come across to some as promoting or facilitating promiscuity. Regardless, attempts to defund organizations like Planned Parenthood are likely to result in an unintentional increase in abortions, and attempts to erect barriers to abortion (as Texas did) might increase self-induction of abortion. An approach focused on family planning is thus the best means to reduce abortion without jeopardizing the safety of women.
Rank and File: Leaders in Building Trust and Community Policing
COPS Office Publications | August 3, 2016 | SAI/COPS Office
In May 2016, the COPS Office hosted a meeting that brought rank-and-file officers together with officials from the U.S. Department of Justice to share their experiences and contribute their expertise to addressing the challenges that law enforcement faces today. The men and women who participated vigorously debated strategies for changing or adopting new policies and procedures, challenging assumptions, critiquing strategies, and recommending ways to implement reform in the criminal justice system. The forthright input of these men and women who serve on the front lines of law enforcement is critical to understanding the problems they face and developing workable solutions. This report, which summarizes their discussions, can serve not only as a guide to new ideas and recommendations of the task force report but also as a means of engaging the rank and file in implementing change.
The President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing: One-Year Progress Report
COPS Office Publications | May 23, 2016 | SAI/COPS Office
President Barack Obama established the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing in December 2014 to identify best practices and offer recommendations on how policing practices can promote effective crime reduction while building public trust. The task force submitted its final report to the President in May 2015 with specific recommendations and action items informed by experts and practitioners in the field. A subsequent implementation guide was also released in October 2015 as a companion to the task force report to provide guidance on implementing the task force’s 59 recommendations and 92 action items. This progress report, issued one year from the task force’s submission of the final report, provides highlights of how jurisdictions across the country have implemented the recommendations and action items and describes the Administration’s efforts to support implementation in the field.
Break the Cycle: Methamphetamine and Community Policing in Indian Country
COPS Office Publications | May 1, 2016 | Colleen K. Copple & James E. Copple
Methamphetamine has a disproportionate negative effect on tribal communities. In response to this compelling need, the COPS Office awarded Tribal Methamphetamine Initiative grants to 40 tribes and provided those grantees with training and technical assistance. This guide for tribal law enforcement and community stakeholders reflects the priorities and key information resulting from on-site assessments conducted with each tribe; input from eight tribal fellows; technical assistance provided to each of the grantees; and the ideas, discussions, and data that emerged from a national strategic planning summit. The guide addresses the importance and value of tradition and culture in community ownership, prevention, and treatment; identifies innovations and best practices specific to meth production, distribution, and use in Indian country; and provides a series of recommendations for law enforcement and other key stakeholders.
The President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing Implementation Guide: Moving from Recommendations to Action
COPS Office Publications | October 2015 | SAI/COPS Office
The Policing Task Force Implementation Guide highlights specific actions for local elected and appointed government officials, law enforcement agencies, communities and other stakeholders to support a comprehensive approach to reduce crime and build trust and legitimacy. Download your copy and let us know your successes and challenges.
No more free passes – Step up, Congress!
Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly | June 15, 2015 | James E. Copple
It’s time for Congress to step up to the plate and fund the programs that will bring us closer to a healthier nation that fights substance abuse with every weapon in its arsenal — including appropriations.
The President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing – Final Report
COPS Office Publication | May 2015 | SAI/COPS Office
Trust between law enforcement agencies and the people they protect and serve is essential in a democracy. It is key to the stability of our communities, the integrity of our criminal justice system, and the safe and effective delivery of policing services.
In light of recent events that have exposed rifts in the relationships between local police and the communities they protect and serve, on December 18, 2014, President Barack Obama signed an executive order establishing the Task Force on 21st Century Policing. The President charged the task force with identifying best practices and offering recommendations on how policing practices can promote effective crime reduction while building public trust.
Breaking Free – How small gestures helped one girl escape the terror of human trafficking.
NCM Magazine | Winter 2014 | James E. Copple
Abebech is a survivor, and by whatever way you want to describe it, she is a miracle. … In each of the survival cases, there is a story. There was someone who noticed, someone who cared, someone who took action.
Children International: Placing Children & Youth at the Center of Community
A narrative by Civic Enterprises in association with Strategic Applications International
Organization Review | August 2014 | Civic Enterprises
As Children International continues to expand the number of communities, children and youth served, the priority continues to be ensuring the health, education and self-reliance of all young people.
Building on a strong financial foundation provided through child sponsorship, Children International will continue to provide more comprehensive supports for children and youth. Through a growing network of partnerships in each community, with foundations, businesses, non-governmental organizations and the international donor community, Children International is in a position to help even more young people thrive as they reach adulthood.
Most importantly, Children International will continue to support the remarkable transformation that communities are driving every day. With children and youth at the center, Children International can help these communities break free of the traps of poverty.
The Kenya Gender Based Violence Newsletter Vol. 2
Program Newsletter| June 2014 | James E. Copple
The Kenya Gender-Based Violence Partnership continues to develop and evolve. The transition from planning to program has brought both challenges and opportunities. New partners have joined us, and our strategy has expanded to a more comprehensive approach with a heavy emphasis in Turkana. We continue to need financial support, and we need to mobilize more churches and donors to see this project to completion. Every contribution, large or small, is important; makes a difference; and is life-saving.
Financial Cliff Related to Charitable Deductions
Lit Review | December 2012 | Andrew Kessler and James E. Copple
Both political parties have finally agreed that revenues need to be raised, and the budget cannot be balanced by cuts alone. However, there are two sticking points: The Democrats want to see an even balance between increased revenue and deductions in spending, while the Republicans want to see less increases in revenue and greater cuts in spending. On the revenue front alone, Republicans are also still insisting that tax rates on the wealthy need not increase. So, the only way for revenue to increase- and for the rates to stay the same- is to limit the amount of deductions one can claim. The three major categories of deductions are: mortgage payments and interest, state & local deductions, and charitable contributions. Deductions for charitable contributions are the focal point of this debate.
Disaster Diplomacy: A Brief Review
Lit Review | December 2012 | Christa Maciver
In this literature review, Christa Maciver seeks to review the current field of literature surrounding disaster diplomacy and to assess its efficacy in promoting peace and reducing conflict.
Gender-Based Violence: Focus on Africa
Lit Review | June 2012 | Angela Baldasare, Ph.D.
Experienced by an estimated one third of women worldwide (UNICEF, 2009), gender-based violence (GBV) is a global affront to human rights, a public health crisis, and a major barrier to development. Violence can happen to anyone, but some groups, such as minority women, indigenous women, refugee women, and children are especially vulnerable throughout the world to a range of violence. This literature review presents an introduction to the factors associated with GBV, its prevalence, consequences, and implications for program, policy, and practice, with a specific focus on Africa.
Policy Brief – The Federal Drug Budget Under Sequestration
Brief | December 2011 | Carnevale Associates, LLC
The Research and Policy Analysis Group of Carnevale Associates, LLC has released its latest Policy Brief examining the effects of a $1.2 trillion sequestration (automatic cut) on the federal drug control budget.
U.S. Drug Policy Fact Sheet
Article | November 2011 | SAI
Decades of research have shown that a comprehensive approach, focused on reducing both supply and demand, can achieve safe and healthy outcomes for individuals and communities. This fact sheet provides information on US spending on illicit drugs and treatment, drug use prevalence, treatment and incarceration data, and a discussion of the U.S. proportion of global drug consumption.
The Methamphetamine Summit: A Process in Collaboration and Decision Making
Article | May 2011 | SAI – Heidi Deutsch
The Methamphetamine Summit: A Process in Collaboration and Decision Making brings together the history of an innovative process and an overview of the lessons learned by James and Colleen Copple over a decade of work building state and local collaborations to address the problems of meth. With an emphasis on cross-disciplinary collaboration and participatory research, the Summit Approach is a case study for improved solutions to complex drug problems and holds promise for addressing a wider range of drugs in communities across the country.
Bullied Girls Prone to the Risk of Substance Exploitation
Article | January 20, 2011 | TopNews
According to Dan Olweus, the creator of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, a person is bullied when he or she is wide-open, constantly and over time …
Rescue Restoration and Reclamation The Three Rs in Protecting our Children
Webinar | January 17, 2011 | By James E. Copple
The presence of drugs, alcohol, guns and pornography are the four most common threats to a child in a drug exposed and endangered family. Choices and decisions made by parents and caregivers under the influence or in possession of any of these items potentially threaten the lives and safety of our community’s children. We can act now by mobilizing the community systems that exist to rescue, restore and reclaim the lives of families.
This webinar will look at the threat of drugs, alcohol, guns and pornography and how community interventions and can save a child, restore a caregiver to a healthy lifestyle and how the community can reclaim lives through treatment and recovery. We will review policies and procedures for enhancing enforcement and intervention around, emphasizing comprehensive environmental and policy strategies.
The Cost of Prescription Drug Abuse: A Literature Review
White Paper | January 6, 2011 | By Angela Baldasare, Ph.D.
To gather information on the cost to society of prescription drug abuse, a literature review was conducted of online informational sources, including federal agencies, and numerous electronic databases for scholarly articles (PubMed, EconLit, PsychInfo, JSTOR, CINAHL) published between 2000 and 2010. Categorical search terms employed included prescription drugs, psychotherapeutics, analgesics or opioids, economics or costs, epidemiology, and others.
While some estimates of the overall cost to society of illicit drug use have been published, there is very little research separately accounting for the cost of prescription drug abuse. A handful of studies have estimated health care costs related specifically to the abuse of prescription opioid analgesics (pain relievers), only one category of prescription drugs. Of these studies on prescription opioid abuse, only one study addressed the overall cost to society of this form of drug abuse. There are currently no published studies that estimate the cost of all prescription drug abuse, going beyond opioids to also include tranquilizers, stimulants, and sedatives. Other important limitations, which are presented in this review, must be taken into account when considering current cost estimates.
Proceedings of the New England Methamphetamine Summit and Listening Post
Document | July 24, 2009
Proceedings document following the New England Methamphetamine Summit and Listening Post. This document both identifies the nature of the methamphetamine problem for law enforcement, prevention, and treatment in the New England states; and examines promising strategies to stem the tide of this emerging drug abuse threat. The meeting was a “listening post” for federal agencies and an opportunity to provide current data profiles and trends of methamphetamine use in the region. Participants received tools and resources to enhance and support their capacity to respond in a comprehensive and strategic manner.