Item 449 of the 1998 Budget Bill directed the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services to "review the impact" of the Commonwealth’s Weed and Seed programs funded to date (see Appendix A). As directed by Item 449, interim and final evaluation reports were delivered to the Chairs of the Senate Finance and House Appropriations Committees in October 1998 and July 1999, respectively. This report serves as a follow-up to the 1999 report.

Overall, the evaluation project reviewed the implementation and impact of Weed and Seed programs developed through Virginia’s Weed and Seed Initiative. This report describes the Virginia initiative and its implementation in each program site, as well as the evaluation methodology, findings, and recommendations. A specific review of program activities during the third year of program operations is also included. Programs initiated through the federal Weed and Seed initiative, which are located in the Virginia cities of Richmond and Charlottesville, are not included in the scope of this study.

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