Please describe how your agency is structured. 

The Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy (GOCPP) is a cabinet-level agency within the Governor’s Coordinating Offices. GOCPP is the State Administering Agency (SAA) for public safety and reports directly to the Governor. The agency advises the Governor on criminal justice strategies, serves as the coordinating entity for law enforcement, victim services policy, and justice-involved youth, and allocates funding to support public safety.

Please list the federal and state grants your agency administers.

GOCPP State-Funded Grant Programs

●      Body Armor for Local Law Enforcement (BARM)

●      Child Advocacy Center Services (CACS)

●      Community Grant Program Fund (CGPF)

●      Maryland Domestic Violence Program (DOMV)

●      Adult Day Reporting Center Program (DRCE)

●      Domestic Violence Unit Pilot Program (DVUP)

●      Maryland’s Entertainment District Security Grant (EDSG)

●      Gun Violence Reduction Grant (GVRG)

●      Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC)

●      Law Enforcement Training Scholarship Program (LETS)

●      Legal Services for Crime Victims Fund (LSCV)

●      Maryland Criminal Intelligence Network (MCIN)

●      Maryland Victims of Crime Fund (MVOC)

●      Police Accountability, Community, and Transparency Grant (PACT)

●      Protecting Against Hate Crimes (PAHC)

●      Performance Incentive Grant Fund (PIGF)

●      Police Recruitment & Retention (PRAR)

●      Child Sex Trafficking Screening and Services Act Regional Navigator Program (RNPG)

●      State’s Attorney’s Office Case Automation System Enhancement Grant Program (SACM)

●      Sexual Assault Kit Testing Grant Program (SAKT)

●      State Aid for Police Protection Fund (SAPP)

●      Sexual Assault/Rape Crisis Grant Program (SARC)

●      Sex Offender and Compliance Enforcement in Maryland (SOCM)

●      Survivors of Homicide Victims Grant Program (SOHG)

●      Student Peer Mediation Grant Program (SPMP)

●      Violence Intervention and Prevention Program (VIPP)

●      Maryland Victims of Crime Act State General Funds (VOCG)

●      Local Warrant Apprehension & Absconding Grant Program (WAAG)

●      Markell Hendricks Youth Crime Prevention and Diversion Parole Grant Program (YCPD)

GOCPP Federal Funded Grant Programs

●      Edward J. Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (BJAG)

●      Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program (Byrne SCIP/BSCI)

●      Paul Coverdell National Forensic Sciences Improvement Program (CFSI)

●      Children’s Justice Act Committee (CJAC)

●      Comprehensive Opioid Use Site-based Program (COAP)

●      Family Violence Prevention Services (FVPS)

●      Title II Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Formula Grant (JJAC)

●      Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSNM)

●      Residential Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT)

●      Sexual Assault Services Program (SASP)

●      STOP (Services Training Officers * Prosecutors) Violence Against Women Formula Grant Program (STOP VAWA)

●      Victims of Crime Act (VOCA)

Please list your top three current priority or focus areas.

Parole Reform: Despite recent reforms in Maryland aimed at reducing the State’s incarcerated population, decades of policies imposing long sentences and an overburdened and understaffed prison and parole system result in low parole grant rates and an aging prison population. Incarceration is expensive, especially for elderly and sick individuals, and reduces the resources available to address the underlying causes of crime and recidivism. GOCPP is working on legislation to amend the geriatric and medical parole process and safely increase the number of parole grants.

Behavioral Health and Criminal Justice: Recognizing that a significant portion of justice-involved individuals have behavioral health needs, we're focused on diverting individuals with mental health conditions, substance use disorders, and developmental disabilities away from the criminal justice system. Housed within GOCPP, the Crisis Intervention Team Center of Excellence and the the Maryland Behavioral Health and Public Safety Center of Excellence facilitate county- and state-level efforts to identify and fill gaps in behavioral health resources using the *Sequential Intercept Model; partner with local and state agencies to improve behavioral health policies; and provide technical assistance to crisis intervention coordinators and law enforcement agencies involved in other behavioral health efforts. We aim to enhance community-based resources and improve treatment options within the criminal justice system.

Our near-term goals include establishing crisis response teams in all counties and ensuring a continuum of substance use disorder treatment from incarceration to community reintegration.

*The Sequential Intercept Model (SIM) identifies and maps key intervention points to divert individuals with mental health issues from the justice system into treatment.

Firearm Violence Reduction: We are committed to reducing gun violence through a multi-faceted approach. We oversee the Violence Intervention and Prevention Program (VIPP), which provides funding and evaluation support for community-led and public health-oriented gun violence prevention initiatives, and the Maryland Criminal Intelligence Network (MCIN), which enhances information sharing and collaboration among law enforcement agencies to target criminal organizations. We rely on prevention, intervention, investigative, and enforcement strategies and are focused on improving interagency collaboration and information sharing.

What is the main thing you would like other NCJA members to know about your agency?

The Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy (GOCPP) is Maryland's Public Safety State Administering Agency (SAA). Think of us as the central hub for all state and federal public safety funding in Maryland. We support law enforcement, local governments, nonprofits, victim services, and youth programs across the state.

More than just funding, GOCPP coordinates public safety policy statewide. We bring together diverse voices – law enforcement, community groups, and policymakers – to craft effective strategies that address Maryland's unique needs.

We also stress transparency. Our Maryland Statistical Analysis Center offers easy-to-understand data dashboards on crime trends. Plus, our interactive grant map shows exactly where public safety dollars are going, connecting communities with vital resources.

Most importantly, we're accessible and responsive. Whether you're a grantee, advocate, or just curious about our work, we encourage anyone with an interest in our work to reach out! We’re constantly working to expand awareness of our grant opportunities, diversify our grantee pool, and improve how we distribute resources. We are equally committed to raising awareness about our victim services and criminal justice programs.