Weekly News Brief

Attorney General Discusses 'School to Prison Pipeline' with Education Secretary Duncan - "Ensuring that our educational system is a doorway to opportunity ? and not a point of entry to our criminal justice system ? is a critical, and achievable, goal," said Attorney General Holder. "By bringing together government, law enforcement, academic, and community leaders, I'm confident we can make certain that school discipline policies are enforced fairly and do not become obstacles to future growth, progress, and achievement." Attorney General Eric Holder and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced the launch of the Supportive School Discipline Initiative, a collaborative project between the Departments of Justice and Education, to address the "school-to-prison pipeline" and disciplinary policies and practices that can push students out of school and into the justice system. The initiative aims to support good discipline practices to foster safe and productive learning environments in every classroom. More information about the initiative is available at: http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2011/July/11-ag-951.html.

Nomination Period for Medal of Valor Closes July 31st at 8:00 p.m. (ET) - Public safety officers risk their lives to protect America's citizens and communities. To honor that sacrifice, Congress passed The Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor Act of 2001, creating the Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor, the highest national award for valor by a public safety officer. The medal is awarded by the President to public safety officers who are cited by the Attorney General and recommended by the Medal of Valor Review Board. All applications are limited to acts of valor that occurred between June 1, 2010 and May 31, 2011. Nominations must be submitted through the online Medal of Valor Application System. The nomination period for the 2010 - 2011 Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor will close at 8:00 p.m. (ET) on Sunday, July 31. More information, including frequently asked questions, eligibility, and how to nominate someone is available at: https://www.medalofvalor.gov/.

NamUs Selected for Vollmer Forensic Science Award - The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs), administered by the National Institute of Justice, has been selected by the International Association of Chiefs of Police to receive the 2011 August Vollmer Excellence in Forensic Science Award. The award recognizes NamUs as an Innovation in Forensic Science, honoring August Vollmer and his contributions to forensic science and law enforcement. The Vollmer award is annually given to projects and entities for outstanding achievements on behalf of the law enforcement profession and the communities served. More information on NamUs is available at www.NamUs.gov.

Upcoming Events: The Department of Justice's 2011 National Intertribal Youth Summit, Sunday, July 24, through Thursday, July 28, in Santa Fe, N.M., is open to the media. The Summit is an opportunity for tribal youth participants to meet other American Indian and Alaska Native youth through special sessions targeting leadership development and critical youth issues such as teen dating violence, substance abuse, suicide, delinquency and gang involvement.

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