NDAA is expanding; adding training programs.

• Author: Reams, James M.
• Position: National District Attorneys Ass'n - President's page

THERE IS PROGRESS TO REPORT on a number of fronts for NDAA. The Department of Justice is in the process of making its annual grant awards and it appears that NDAA is going to be expanding and adding training programs, which it will be offering to prosecutors around the nation. Watch for announcements about new training opportunities soon.

The NDAA staff is working its way through the DOJ Office of Inspector General (OIG) program audit. Many of the OIG recommendations concerning the formalization of policies and procedures have been accomplished. The remaining ones are in the process of being completed either by the staff or by outside consultants where necessary.

Our goal is to have all OIG audit responses finished and submitted to DOJ by the end of the year. The energy demonstrated by the staff has been nothing short of inspiring. They have toiled long and hard to complete the OIG responses in addition to their regular daily responsibilities. All of our hats should go off to them.

The response to the OIG requests by NDAA was originally hampered because we changed computer systems after a computer failure cost us valuable financial and program data. Spurred by that loss and computer failure and the OIG findings, NDAA has new backup procedures and plans in place to ensure that any future failures are not catastrophic.

The National Advocacy Center (NAC) has been the source of prosecution training for state and local prosecutors since it opened. In addition, the instructors at the NAC have inspired the prosecutors of this nation to reach higher and work harder for the victims of crime. Recently, NDAA was informed that a prosecutor who was inspired by Jim Dedman, our "professor emeritus" (my designation, not Jim's) at the NAC, is providing through the settlement of litigation, a $200,000 gift to the NAC. Needless to say, we are extremely proud of Jim.

However, there are challenges on the horizon.

Congress has continued to support funding at the NAC in Columbia, SC, but there is lots of work to do. NDAA submitted letters...