Building Victim-Centered, Trauma-Informed Criminal Justice System Capacities in Slovakia

Description

1) Objective

The Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs of the U.S. Department of State announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to carry out a project to deliver capacity building to Slovakia’s law enforcement officials, prosecutors, and judges to better detect, investigate, prosecute, and adjudicate crimes related to Russia’s full- scale invasion of Ukraine, including those linked to transnational organized crime, human trafficking, and corruption. The trainings will guide Slovak officials to employ a victim-centered, trauma-informed approach when tackling these crimes and engaging with victims and witnesses.

The project’s goal is to provide Slovak criminal justice system personnel with the skills needed to detect, investigate, prosecute, and adjudicate transnational crimes, including those related to corruption and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, while utilizing a victim-centered, trauma-informed approach that also focuses on respecting and protecting human rights. Throughout the project and after it concludes, Slovak criminal justice personnel will increase their utilization of victim-centered, trauma-informed approaches so they may better serve all victims of crime; increase their capacities to address transnational organized crime, including trafficking in persons (with particular focus on forced labor and commercial sexual exploitation); and increase their cooperation with civil society and international partners.

By utilizing this approach, criminal justice personnel will be better able to identify potential victim-witnesses and collect their testimonies and evidence in a manner suitable for court while protecting victim-witnesses’ human rights, with the goal of increasing prosecutions and convictions of individuals who engaged in transnational crimes and corruption.

2) Eligibility

Eligible are: U.S.-based non-profit/non-governmental organizations (NGOs); Foreign-based non-profits/non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

3) Location

Actions must take place in Slovak Republic.

4) Budget

Awards may range from a minimum of $200,000 to a maximum of $300,000.

5) Application

Applications are due no later than 18 December 2023.