USAID is helping to reduce crime by building the quality of education in schools, increasing economic opportunities for youth, and working with Dominican government institutions to transform the law enforcement and justice sector into one that is efficient, effective, and transparent.

USAID works with youth who are at risk of becoming involved in criminal activity by helping them stay  in school, helping those who have dropped out go back to school, partnering with the public and private sectors to help youth find gainful employment, providing market-demanded technical-vocational training, and helping young people get necessary identity documentation and health services. 

USAID also focuses on improving the quality of education by strengthening the ability of students in the early grades to read and perform other basic skills so that these students will be able to command higher wages and will be more likely to choose legal employment over criminal activity. USAID also works with the Ministry of Education and other donors to strengthen school governance and safety, as well as to increase learning opportunities for children with disabilities.

To strengthen the Dominican justice system, USAID assists entities such as the National Police, the National Prosecutor’s Office, judges, and civil society organizations, to improve law enforcement’s responsiveness and resolution of criminal matters.  Specifically, USAID provides training and technical assistance to strengthen the transparency, accountability, and professionalism, and the overall institutional capacity of the Attorney General’s Office, the courts, and the National Police. By working with these diverse government institutions, USAID is improving case coordination between the police, prosecutors, and judges, and is improving processing and prosecution of gender-based violence (GBV) cases.  In addition, USAID is increasing access to justice for the poor through community justice houses, where prosecutors and public defenders partner with civil society, municipal officials, and private sector representatives to mediate and offer alternative dispute resolution. 

Our Projects:

• At-Risk Youth Project
• Read Project
• Criminal Justice System Strengthened Project
• Global Partnership for Social Accountability Project
• Civil Society Action for Accountable Justice and Security Project
• Institutional Capacity and Transparency Strengthening for Police Reform Project
• Procurement Transparency Activity Project