OVW Fiscal Year 2024 Restorative Practices Pilot Sites Program

As people harmed by domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking seek expanded options to address the harm they have experienced, communities have continued to strengthen and improve their responses, approaches, and services. One such approach is restorative practices. Restorative practices incorporate an understanding of trauma and are intended to repair and address the harm experienced while providing meaningful accountability for the harm-doer. An effective restorative practices program is completely voluntary for the person harmed, promotes their autonomy, and prioritizes their safety, while promoting meaningful justice, accountability, and community safety. The Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022, 34 U.S.C. 12514, authorizes funding to eligible entities to develop and implement a program, or to assess best practices for: 1) restorative practices to prevent or address domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking; 2) training by eligible entities, or for eligible entities, courts or prosecutors, on restorative practices and program implementation; and 3) evaluations of a restorative practice, as defined within the statute. Accordingly, OVW is launching the Restorative Practices Pilot Program in three (3) phases: 1) Training and Technical Assistance; 2) Evaluation; and 3) Pilot Sites. Phase 1: Training and Technical Assistance OVW issued the FY 2023 Restorative Practices Technical Assistance Pilot Program Call for Concept Papers in March 2023 to identify organizations with the requisite experience and capacity to provide Training and Technical Assistance (TTA) to recipients, subrecipients, and potential recipients and subrecipients of this program. Following an intensive review of responses to the Call for Concept Papers, OVW invited five entities to submit full applications. OVW issued awards to three of those applicants in March 2024 for five-year TTA projects that will run from April 2024 through March 2029 and will involve a planning phase. In addition to providing TTA to the pilot sites, the TTA providers will participate in evaluation efforts funded through the FY 2024 Restorative Practices Pilot Program Evaluation Solicitation. The TTA providers are funded under a separate funding announcement. This solicitation is exclusively intended to fund pilot sites of the Restorative Practices Pilot Sites Program. Phase 2: Evaluation In March 2024, OVW released the Restorative Practices Pilot Program Evaluation Solicitation to invite applications to conduct research and evaluation on restorative practices in collaboration with TTA providers and pilot sites. While pilot sites funded through this Restorative Practices Pilot Sites Program Solicitation will be required to provide funding for and designate an on-site Evaluation Liaison to work with evaluator(s) and participate in the community-tailored evaluation, the comprehensive evaluation will be funded under that separate funding announcement. This solicitation is exclusively intended to fund pilot sites of the Restorative Practices Pilot Sites Program. Phase 3: Pilot Sites (this solicitation) This Restorative Practices Pilot Sites Program is a 60-month funding opportunity seeking to support, strengthen, enhance, and expand existing restorative practice programs that prevent or address domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking, in accordance with the restorative practices definition at 34 U.S.C. 12514(a)(3), and build evidence for victim-centered, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive restorative practices addressing these harms. OVW will award cooperative agreements to eligible entities that form a partnership of two or more entities that have (1) a demonstrated history of comprehensive training and experience in working with victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking; and (2) demonstrated experience in implementing restorative practices. OVW is interested in supporting communities to enhance or expand current efforts, including an evaluation of the intersection of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking and restorative practices. In addition, OVW seeks to fund a range of pilot sites, including sites in various geographic locations with different demographic characteristics; culturally specific, and/or underserved populations; and different VAWA subject areas to be addressed (i.e., domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and/or stalking). OVW is interested in supporting projects that implement a diverse range of restorative practices, including projects that may have a connection to the criminal justice system, as long as the program is not housed within or administered by a court, prosecutors office, law enforcement agency, or any other component of the civil or criminal justice system. Recipients under this program will receive TTA for the duration of their awards that is tailored to the recipients distinct approach to restorative practices in domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking cases. Recipients will be required to collaborate with the evaluator(s) to help develop an understanding of establishing, implementing, and using restorative practices to redress the harm caused by domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. The terms used throughout this solicitation may vary from people harmed, people who caused harm, harm-doers, victim, survivor, and offender, which reflects terminology used by practitioners and the statutory language that authorizes this program, 34 U.S.C. 12514.