The federal Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program (Byrne SCIP), supported by the 2022 Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, provides funding for the creation and/or implementation of extreme risk protection order (ERPO) programs, state crisis intervention court proceedings, and related gun violence reduction programs/initiatives.
Taking into account current Wisconsin laws and pre-existing programs, the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) has developed a strategic SCIP plan focusing on a variety of community-based programming, anchored in a three-tiered priority framework. This framework, informed by research from the Bureau of Justice Programs (BJP), as well as input from external stakeholders and the Wisconsin Crisis Intervention Advisory Board (CIAB), prioritizes initiatives based on their potential for implementation within existing structures. By delineating these priorities, Wisconsin’s SCIP plan aims to address the multifaceted challenges of firearm-related violence and suicides through targeted prevention, response, and research efforts, paving the way for a safer Wisconsin.
Priority 1: Suicide Prevention
Suicide prevention is at the forefront of Wisconsin’s SCIP plan, reflecting the critical issue of firearm-related suicides, especially in rural communities. Key initiatives include:
- Enhancing training and awareness: Expanding access to existing programs, such as those offered by the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs and UW Health, focused on mental health discussions and reducing access to lethal means.
- Expanding Wisconsin’s Gun Shop Project: Building on the success of the Gun Shop Program, which allows for voluntary, temporary safe storage of firearms during mental health crises, to further suicide prevention efforts, particularly among veterans.
- Addressing farmer suicides: Investigating the rising trend of farmer suicides by collaborating with stakeholders interested in researching the contributing factors, including firearm access and mental health stigma.
Priority 2: Community-Based Prevention, Response Facilitation, and Harm Reduction
Wisconsin’s plan recognizes the critical need for effective mental health crisis response, which varies significantly across Wisconsin’s counties. Many counties’ mental health support services operate entirely on volunteer staff, have little/no operational funding, or rely on contracted response teams that do not respond physically to crises. BJP intends to help counties and tribes meet their highest needs by creating a list of eligible expenses allowed under SCIP, assisting each participating county to have the greatest impact on their communities. This approach will also allow for the funding, and potential creation, of community-based violence intervention programs which could include diversion models for individuals with minor firearms offenses; violence interruption models for areas with high response demand; postvention models for victims and families of gun violence or suicide; or proactive educational approaches. Key areas of focus for these potential opportunities include:
- Enhancing county-level resources: Assisting counties/tribes in enhancing their crisis response capabilities, tailored to specific county needs.
- Expanding violence intervention programs: Beyond self-harm, the SCIP plan addresses community harm by utilizing and developing preventative community-based violence interruption models or diversion models specifically designed for individuals with non-violent firearms offenses. Funds could also be used to support proactive educational initiatives on the risks of firearm use in conflicts.
Priority 3: Research and Data Collection
Acknowledging the data deficit in firearm-related issues, BJP’s third priority supports research in areas critical to understanding and mitigating gun violence. This will assist how BJP plans for future SCIP funding opportunities as the program continues over the next few years.
If you would like to read more about Wisconsin’s SCIP plan for the 2022-23 fiscal year, you can view the full plan submitted to the federal Bureau of Justice Assistance below under the Related Documents section. BJP is currently working on the SCIP plan for the 2024 fiscal year, and the initial plan will be submitted by July 24, 2024.
Wisconsin’s CIAB is made up of members of the Treatment, Alternatives, and Diversion (TAD) subcommittee of Wisconsin’s Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC), as dictated in Governor Evers’ Executive Order #218.
If you would like to listen in on public meetings of the TAD subcommittee, the upcoming quarterly meetings are posted on the CJCC Events page of the CJCC website.
Current grant announcements posted by BJP can be found on the WI DOJ Grants page of the WI DOJ website.
