Public Defender Grants Center (Archived)

Strategic Planning, Evaluation Services and Systems Issues (updated October 2, 2020) 

BJA is pleased to offer additional, free training and technical assistance through its 2017 National Initiatives Adjudications: TTA to Support the Protection of Constitutional Rights Under the Sixth Amendment awards.

In order to receive TTA, the requesting entity must complete and submit the corresponding application form. BJA and its TTA partners (the Center for Court Innovation and the National Legal Aid & Defender Association) will follow up with the applicant to conduct an interview. Applications will be taken on a rolling and ongoing basis until resources are no longer available for assistance.

Two types of TTA remain available:

The first type of TTA available is for strategic planning around use of video/remote court proceedings. In late 2020, the American Bar Association passed revised resolution 117 on virtual and remote court proceedings, which urges the creation of local committees to establish or review the use of video technology in courtrooms and make recommendations. BJA’s TTA providers will provide collaborative strategic planning services to state and local jurisdictions and their agents seeking to form such committees or otherwise address issues related to the use of video technology in criminal courtrooms as it relates to Sixth Amendment rights.

To apply for strategic planning TTA, please complete this application form and submit to [email protected].

The second type of TTA available is for "on demand services." State and local governments and their agents (i.e., court leaders and administrators, defender agencies, and other criminal justice stakeholders) may request research and technical assistance on a variety of issues, such as systemic indigent defense best practices and information on defender services in comparable jurisdictions. BJA envisions some requests under this category to be brief in duration (less than two days’ time), including speaker bureau requests, experts for Task Forces or in the legislative arena, comparative research, and help desk calls. Other requests will require more intensive effort, including on-site assistance with remote follow up.

To apply for on demand TTA, please complete this application form and submit to [email protected].

**This solicitation may be a good fit for defender programs who have existing work related to reentry, mental health, and/or substance abuse.**

The Improving Reentry for Adults with Co-occurring Substance Abuse and Mental Illness Program improves provision of services to offenders with co-occurring substance abuse and mental illness (CSAMI) when they leave incarceration to reenter the community, which in turn will help to reduce recidivism and promote public safety. Specifically, its goal is to improve access to and delivery of standardized screening and assessment, collaborative comprehensive case management, and pre- and post-release programming for returning inmates that address criminogenic risk and needs, including treatment and services that address mental illness and substance abuse.

The program prioritizes coordination among corrections, substance abuse, and mental health treatment providers, as well as correctional health, and parole or probation services, which enables the development of collaborative comprehensive case plans that address criminogenic risk, substance abuse, and mental health needs. Past grant cohorts have struggled with standardized CSAMI screening and assessment, case management, fidelity to evidence-based practices for cognitive behavioral therapy and CSAMI, information sharing, and data collection. Within data collection there has been specific issues defining successful completion, and the development of comprehensive evaluations. Applicants, whether correctional agencies or human service departments, should consider sustaining the program and system policy changes after the grant period ends.

Second Chance Act Program for Improving Reentry for Adults with Co-occurring Substance Abuse and Mental Illness improves access to and delivery of services to offenders with co-occurring substance abuse and mental illness when they leave incarceration to reenter the community. The focus of the Program is to provide standardized screening and assessment; collaborative comprehensive case management; and pre- and post-release programming that address criminogenic risk and needs, including mental illness and substance abuse. The expectation is that jail or prison systems will develop or refine a standardized screening process for all people in the correctional facility. Further, community-based treatment providers must coordinate with corrections, correctional health, parole, and probation, as applicable, to develop collaborative comprehensive case plans to aid in the reentry process. Eligibility is limited to States, units of local government, and federally recognized Indian tribes (as determined by the Secretary of the Interior).

With this solicitation, NIJ seeks to build knowledge on best practices in offender reentry initiatives. Specifically, NIJ requests proposals for rigorous research to examine reentry initiatives that incorporate promising practices, strategies, or programs. For this solicitation, NIJ is interested in supporting evaluations of innovative reentry initiatives that focus on juveniles, young adults (aged 18-24), and adults with a moderate-to-high risk of reoffending. A particular focus on the risk of reoffending with a violent crime is encouraged. These initiatives may be applicable to juvenile residential facilities, institutional and/or community corrections.

The primary goal of this solicitation is to support the rigorous examination of innovative reentry initiatives, including those in rural communities. Proposals that seek to evaluate reentry initiatives funded by the Second Chance Act or other reentry initiatives will be considered. Preference in award decisions will be given to applications that propose to use a randomized controlled trial (RCT).

NIJ seeks applications for funding of rigorous applied research on evidence-based tools, protocols, and policies for State, tribal, and local law enforcement and other criminal justice agencies that address drug trafficking, drug markets, and drug-related violence. The research focus of this solicitation is criminal investigation, prosecution, drug intelligence, and community surveillance relevant to narcotics law enforcement, forensic science, and/or medicolegal death investigation.

DOJ has identified the FY2019 solicitation drug priorities as: 1) fentanyl and its illicit analogues, 2) methamphetamine, and 3) illegal marijuana markets.

This solicitation is competitive; therefore, NIJ staff cannot have individual conversations with prospective applicants. Any questions concerning the solicitation should be submitted to the National Criminal Justice Reference Service: 1-800-851-3420; TTY at 301-240-6310 (for hearing impaired only); email; fax 301-240-5830; or web chat. See also NIJ.gov's solicitation FAQ page.

**This grant solicitation may be an opportunity for defender organizations who have a partnership with existing alternative courts to build a stronger, more impactful program.**

The purpose of the Adult Drug Court TTA Program is to assist operational adult drug treatment court programs in the development and implementation of improved program practices for increased program effectiveness and long-term participant success. BJA envisions a collaborative model of cooperating partners to assist operational courts with their individual goals of building and maximizing capacity; ensuring potential drug court participants are identified and assessed for risk and need; ensuring drug court participants receive targeted research-based services; enhancing the provision of recovery support services; ensuring the provision of community reintegration services to achieve long term recovery; and assisting in collecting and reporting on performance measures and identify and explain trends.

With this solicitation, NIJ seeks proposals for basic or applied research and development projects. An NIJ forensic science research and development grant supports a discrete, specified, circumscribed project that will: (1) increase the body of knowledge to guide and inform forensic science policy and practice, or (2) lead to the production of useful material(s), device(s), system(s), or method(s) that have the potential for forensic application. The intent of this program is to direct the findings of basic scientific research; research and development in broader scientific fields applicable to forensic science; and ongoing forensic science research toward the development of highly-discriminating, accurate, reliable, cost-effective, and rapid methods for the identification, analysis, and interpretation of physical evidence for criminal justice purposes. Projects should address the challenges and needs of the forensic science community. The operational needs discussed at NIJ's FY 2016 Forensic Science TWG meeting may be found on NIJ.gov. Additional research needs of the forensic science community can be found at the Organization of Scientific Area Committees website. While the goals and deliverables of proposed projects do not necessarily need to result in immediate solutions to the posted challenges or needs, they should speak to them and produce knowledge that adds to work towards eventual resolutions.

**This opportunity is expressly for Native American tribal governments. If your office is not part of a federally recongnized tribal govenment but has a strong relationship with one there may be an opportunity to partner with that government for the purposes of this grant.**

Through this grant program, Indian tribes receive support and technical assistance for planning and implementing changes in their criminal justice systems necessary to exercise special domestic violence criminal jurisdiction (SDVCJ) and funds to exercise the jurisdiction. The program encourages collaborations among tribal leadership, courts, prosecutors, attorneys, defenders, law enforcement, probation, victim services providers, and other partners to ensure that victims find safety and justice and that non-Indians who commit crimes of domestic violence, dating violence, and violations of protection orders in the Indian country of the tribe are held accountable.

This program is authorized by the Indian Civil Rights Act of 1968, as amended, 25 U.S.C. § 1304(f). Through this grant program, Indian tribes receive support and technical assistance for planning and implementing changes in their criminal justice systems necessary to exercise special domestic violence criminal jurisdiction (SDVCJ) and funds to exercise the jurisdiction. The program encourages collaborations among tribal leadership, courts, prosecutors, attorneys, defenders, law enforcement, probation, victim services providers, and other partners to ensure that victims find safety and justice and that non-Indians who commit crimes of domestic violence, dating violence, and violations of protection orders in the Indian Country of the tribe are held accountable.

Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. § 1304(f), funds under this program must be used for one or more of the following purposes:

1. to strengthen tribal criminal justice systems to assist Indian tribes in exercising SDVCJ, including:

A. law enforcement (including the capacity of law enforcement or court personnel to enter information into and obtain information from national crime information databases);

B. prosecution;

C. trial and appellate courts;

D. probation systems;

E. detention and correctional facilities; 

F. alternative rehabilitation centers;

G. culturally appropriate services and assistance for victims and their families; and

H. criminal codes and rules of criminal procedure, appellate procedure, and evidence;

2. to provide indigent criminal defendants with the effective assistance of licensed defense counsel, at no cost to the defendant, in criminal proceedings in which a participating tribe prosecutes a crime of domestic violence or dating violence or a criminal violation of a protection order;

3. to ensure that, in criminal proceedings in which a participating tribe exercises SDVCJ, jurors are summoned, selected, and instructed in a manner consistent with all applicable requirements; and

4. to accord victims of domestic violence, dating violence, and violations of protection orders rights that are similar to the rights of a crime victim described in section 3771(a) of Title 18, consistent with tribal law and custom.

In 2002, NIC developed the resource guide: “Guidelines for Developing a Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee” to help the criminal justice field establish or strengthen local criminal justice policymaking forums. This resource is still available to the field and contains relevant information to guide users in today’s environment however, some of the content is outdated as well as exhibits, resources and practitioner quotes. In addition, there is a companion NIC resource: "Guidelines for Staffing a Local Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee" that will be incorporated into the resource guide.

Many local jurisdictions recognize the value and benefits of having some level of structured decision making to enhance the coordination of criminal justice policy making and implementation to address crime and criminal justice problems. As noted in the “Guidelines for Developing a Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee” resource guide; localities provide forums, informally or formally, where key justice systems stakeholders and local government officials can identify and discuss justice system issues. A common forum structure is Criminal Justice Coordinating Councils (CJCC) where justice system collaboration and planning activities can be undertaken to improve decision making and obtain better outcomes.

The goal of this project is to update and revise the 2002 NIC “Guidelines for Developing a Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee” that will serve as a resource guide for localities who want to develop a systems approach. In addition, the companion NIC resource publication: “Staffing a Local Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee” will be edited and incorporated into the resource guide. A proposal response to this solicitation should, at a minimum: identify a plan to address the scope and timeframe of the project, determine the methodology and resources necessary to deliver the work products; identify a team that includes members with subject matter expertise in the publication content, project management expertise and subject matter expertise in publication writing and editing.

The qualified applicant team will be able to:

• Consult with the NIC Project management staff to gain understanding of the history, purpose and objectives of the resource. Conduct a comprehensive audit of the current guide and identify any new or emerging research which would improve the effectiveness of the guide.
• Consult with the NIC Project management staff on the recommended content from the “ Staffing a Local Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee” publication to incorporate into the resource guide.
• Present the recommended revisions, updates and draft a plan for work to be completed for the resource guide to the NIC project manager for review and approval.
• Complete all work identified in the revision and update plan for resource guide.
• Complete any additional edits and/or revisions to draft materials as necessary and submit the final draft.

**This solicitation may be a good fit for programs that have existing relationships with academic or technical researchers. If you have current programs to reduce failure to appear rates and support clients in compliance with pretrial monitoring please read the solicitation to learn more.**

**There will be an optional informational call on December 5th, see below for details.**

The Laura and John Arnold Foundation (LJAF) is committed to leveraging the power of data, research, and innovation to improve community safety by reducing crime, increasing police effectiveness, and working to ensure that laws are enforced in a fair and equitable way. 

As an increasing number of jurisdictions across the United States engage in pretrial justice reform, the demand for cost-effective practices that improve court appearance rates is higher than ever. However, much remains unknown about what pretrial release conditions are the most effective in getting defendants to return to court, for whom they are most effective, and how to adequately implement and measure interventions. More methodologically rigorous research on pretrial release conditions would help the nation’s pretrial justice systems more effectively promote public safety and accountability, as well as become more transparent, fair, and just.

LJAF remains committed to helping criminal justice professionals improve their knowledge of “what works” to increase community safety, equity, and fairness in the justice system. Through this Request for Proposals (RFP), LJAF will provide funding to selected researchers to conduct rigorously designed research studies that answer lingering questions about improving court appearance alongside other outcomes for justice-involved individuals.

With guidance from research in the field and national pretrial experts, LJAF compiled a preliminary list of possible research objectives and questions for this solicitation. The list includes:

1. Defining and assessing failure to appear in court
2. Defining and improving the accuracy of non-appearance measurements
3. Assessing the impact of court date notifications/reminders
4. Assessing the impact of pretrial monitoring/supervision/case management
5. Assessing the impact of supportive enhancements for appearance
6. Incentivizing court appearance
7. Responding to non-appearance
8. Assessing procedural or structural enhancements for appearance
9. Understanding the collateral effects of appearance

The list is not exhaustive, and the RFP is not limited to research answering these questions. In their proposals, respondents are encouraged to offer additional research questions that fall inside or outside of the listed research objectives. Respondents can express interest in conducting studies that address more than one objective and/or that answer multiple questions. For all research questions, respondents need to provide an explanation of how the questions can be addressed by specific study designs, whether quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods.

LJAF will answer questions related to this RFP during an optional call on December 5 at 3:00 p.m. ET. Potential respondents are encouraged to prepare for this conference call in advance by reviewing the research objectives and proposal requirements. To join the call, please dial (877) 594-8353 and use the code: 25475242#. Respondents are welcome to submit questions in advance by emailing [email protected] with “COURT APPEARANCE RFP CALL” in the subject line. Following the call, all questions and responses will be posted on LJAF’s website on or about December 12. Respondents are encouraged to check the site and adhere to any changes made to the RFP.

**This funding opportunity may be a good fit for offices and jurisdictions who provide services to a large number of justice involved veterans and who are interested in piloting cutting edge training to justice professionals so that they gain a more informed approach to working with veterans.**

As a center of learning, innovation and leadership that shapes and advances correctional practice and public policy, the National Instituteof Corrections (NIC) devotes a portion of its focus to the critical needs of justice-involved veterans. NIC has developed a training programon the responsivity issues related to working with veterans in the local criminal justice system that will build skills for those who work directly with justice-involved veterans. The intent of this training program is to train criminal justice professionals to better understand the justice-involved veteran and their issues related to military service, in order to more effectively work with this population in the justice system - and by doing so, increase public safety and reduce recidivism.  This training program will provide criminal justice professionals with a more informed approach to working with veterans and ultimately improve outcomes for both the jurisdiction utilizing the training program and the veterans in that local system.

In addition to the strategy and content of the program design, the successful applicant must complete the following deliverables during the project period. The program narrative should reflect how the applicant will accomplish these activities.

1. Participate in an initial virtual meeting with the NIC program manager to discuss the cooperative agreement, scope of work, and all related aspects of the cooperative agreement within 30 days of award.
2. Deliver one (1), 3.5 day instructor led VICTOR training program.

The full solicitation is attached online under "Related Documents."

**This funding opportunity (Category 1) may be a good opportunity for jurisdictions who are equipped to partner with researchers and system stakeholders to address a specific challenge within the system and identify opportunities to improve or address it.**

Every justice agency has a role to play in simultaneously preventing crime, apprehending and prosecuting perpetrators, facilitating appropriate sentencing and treatment, and preserving communities’ security. BJA offers this grant program, Justice Reinvestment Initiative: Reducing Violent Crime by Improving Justice System Performance, for sites to apply and expand the Justice Reinvestment approach to identify and respond to crime and other public safety problems, explore innovative and cost-saving strategies, and to reinvest in strategies that can decrease crime and reduce recidivism. This approach will help build the capacity of state and local jurisdictions to analyze, identify, and respond to drivers of both violent crime and high costs (Category 1) and to test innovative tools to facilitate coordinated information sharing and analysis among justice partners (Category 2). The Justice Reinvestment approach involves five steps to build capacity and implement sustainable change: 1) engage stakeholders, 2) analyze data and drivers of crime problems, 3) develop innovative or research-based responses, 4) implement responses, and 5) measure outcomes. 3 Through this program, applicants may address a challenge directly or remove impediments to addressing a challenge (e.g., improve homicide clearance rates or revise spending so that resources may be redirected to directly reducing violent crime and break down information silos so that information is shared seamlessly across systems and intelligence gathering efforts are not duplicated). Award recipients will receive technical assistance from subject experts. 

Category 1: State, Local, and Tribal Justice Systems. Competition ID: BJA-2018-14883

BJA seeks applicants to address persistent or emerging crime and public safety problems, or to remove impediments to directly addressing them.6 Applicants should review the entire criminal justice system spectrum – from event to reentry – to identify opportunities for improvement that align with holding violent offenders accountable, addressing the opioid epidemic, supporting law enforcement and correctional institutions, and supporting victims of violent crime.

Objectives and Deliverables

BJA will make awards for sites to pursue the following objectives:

• Collect and analyze data, and identify and respond to crime and cost drivers, including crime and costs associated with investigating, prosecuting, and detaining individuals who have committed crimes and are in the U.S. without legal immigration status. For example, by reducing gang violence and time to deportation.
• Engage stakeholders across the justice system (e.g., law enforcement, jails, treatment providers) to diagnose and develop coordinated responses. For example, improve data collection and training about types of victimization, trauma, and related needs in order to develop policies and procedures to maximize benefits (e.g., accessing federal resources to aid victims of violent crime, use of databases to track restitution orders and collection, increasing the amount inmates pay toward victim restitution), and to reduce the collateral effects of violence.
• Test, establish, and/or expand innovative ideas and evidence-based strategies to prevent and respond to crime. For example, assess the correctional population to ensure appropriate bed space usage and, if needed, seek strategies to correct the inmate mix to prioritize bed space for serious, chronic, violent offenders. Focus state probation and parole agency resources on identifying offenders’ risks for general and violent recidivism, and related substance use and mental health needs, and mitigating their risk for engaging in violent behavior or being the victims of violent crime.
• Foster effective and consistent collaboration with justice system agencies to improve strategic and tactical system operations. For example, implement and test approaches to consistently gather and validate intelligence collected in jails and prisons (e.g., about security threat groups); and develop and implement plans to respond to intelligence behind and outside the walls.
• Use data, technology, and intelligence to focus resources on the problems, people, and places associated with concentrations of crime and cost drivers. For example, review existing violent crime and opiate reduction strategies to determine whether they are having the intended effects, and improve performance if they are not. Develop analytic capacity to inform more targeted and effective strategies to address specific crime problems.

**This solicitation may be a good fit for programs that have existing relationships with crisis stabilization, response, and diversion facilities. If you have current programs to support clients experiencing crisis related to mental illness, substance use, or homelessness in addition please read the solicitation to learn more.**

The Laura and John Arnold Foundation (LJAF) is committed to leveraging the power of data, research, and innovation to improve community safety by reducing crime, increasing police effectiveness, and working to ensure that laws are enforced in a fair and equitable way. 

Individuals experiencing mental illness, substance use disorders, or homelessness require evidence based, preventive treatment to achieve improved outcomes. Too often, the needs of these vulnerable populations are not only unmet, but inadvertently worsened by emergency response systems. With police having to act as the primary responders to a crisis, individuals often end up in situations that lead to the use of force, arrest, and/or incarceration. These approaches fail to address individuals’ underlying health, societal, and financial struggles; are cost-inefficient; and cause significant harm to both the individual and the community.

The Laura and John Arnold Foundation are working to identify and help implement evidence-based policies and programs that can reduce the use of force, arrest, and/or incarceration, and instead connect vulnerable populations to evidence-based treatment programs and services for improved outcomes. To support this goal, LJAF seeks proposals for evaluations of (1) emergency response programs for individuals in moments of crisis, (2) post-crisis stabilization facilities, and/or (3) treatment programs and services funded by governments or other entities. Evaluations should focus on outcomes for individuals whose vulnerabilities include mental illness, substance use disorders, and/or homelessness.

LJAF will host a Q&A webinar on the RFP on October 5, 2018 at 3:00 PM EST. Prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to attend. Attendees should sign up for the webinar using this form.

**We see potential for Public Defenders to connect to this funding stream in several areas. Primarily, through the Charles Koch Foundation's focus on sentencing and research gaps we see opportunities for proposal success that demonstrates the value of investigators and mitigation experts in reducing over incarceration, collateral consequences, and in reducing the jurisdictions overall budget bottom line, as well as proposals that support reentry programs and client support programs. Should you be interested in connecting with NLADA directly to discuss proposal ideas or seek support, please email Emily Flanagan at [email protected].**

The Charles Koch Institute and Charles Koch Foundation work on five areas of criminal justice and policing reform in order to improve public safety, reduce costs, and respect the dignity of each individual:

• Sentencing: Too many people go to prison - often for far too long - for low-level, nonviolent crimes. People who break the law should be held accountable, but the punishment should fit the crime.
• Second Chances: Thousands of laws erect barriers for those with a criminal record to getting jobs and rejoining their communities with dignity, increasing the likelihood of recidivism.
• Overcriminalization: Thousands of seemingly ordinary activities are classified as crimes. We shouldn't criminalize so many things, and jail should be reserved for people who are truly dangerous.
• Civil Asset Forfeiture: Law enforcement officers can take your property if they suspect it relates to a crime, even if you're innocent. Getting your property back is difficult, and the seized assets may go directly to a law enforcement agency's budget. Policing should be about public safety, not profit.
• Policing Practices: Many law enforcement departments are using equipment and tactics from the battlefield. When police are seen as peace officers rather than an occupying force, community trust can grow. This trust and collaboration is important to solving crime and protecting the public.

The Charles Koch Foundation requests proposals for research related to criminal justice and policing reform. We are especially interested in research that:

• Analyzes the possible personal/non-economic and economic (including employment) effects of various sentencing reform ideas on individuals, families, and communities.
• Examines the causes, costs, and consequences of police militarization and civil asset forfeiture, including public perception of these topics.
• Collects or creates data sets to fill scholarly gaps related to criminal justice and policing reform issues.
• Determines the causes, costs, and consequences of over criminalization and the proliferation of laws that carry criminal penalties.
• Assesses the effectiveness of various penalties imposed for crimes.
• Examines the incentives that lead to growing prison populations.

**We see potential for Public Defenders to connect to this funding stream in several areas. Primarily, through the Charles Koch Foundation's focus on sentencing and research gaps we see opportunities for proposal success that demonstrates the value of investigators and mitigation experts in reducing over incarceration, collateral consequences, and in reducing the jurisdictions overall budget bottom line, as well as proposals that support reentry programs and client support programs. Should you be interested in connecting with NLADA directly to discuss proposal ideas or seek support, please email Emily Flanagan at [email protected].**

The Charles Koch Institute and Charles Koch Foundation work on five areas of criminal justice and policing reform in order to improve public safety, reduce costs, and respect the dignity of each individual:

• Sentencing: Too many people go to prison - often for far too long - for low-level, nonviolent crimes. People who break the law should be held accountable, but the punishment should fit the crime.
• Second Chances: Thousands of laws erect barriers for those with a criminal record to getting jobs and rejoining their communities with dignity, increasing the likelihood of recidivism.
• Overcriminalization: Thousands of seemingly ordinary activities are classified as crimes. We shouldn't criminalize so many things, and jail should be reserved for people who are truly dangerous.
• Civil Asset Forfeiture: Law enforcement officers can take your property if they suspect it relates to a crime, even if you're innocent. Getting your property back is difficult, and the seized assets may go directly to a law enforcement agency's budget. Policing should be about public safety, not profit.
• Policing Practices: Many law enforcement departments are using equipment and tactics from the battlefield. When police are seen as peace officers rather than an occupying force, community trust can grow. This trust and collaboration is important to solving crime and protecting the public.

The Charles Koch Foundation requests proposals for research related to criminal justice and policing reform. We are especially interested in research that:

• Analyzes the possible personal/non-economic and economic (including employment) effects of various sentencing reform ideas on individuals, families, and communities.
• Examines the causes, costs, and consequences of police militarization and civil asset forfeiture, including public perception of these topics.
• Collects or creates data sets to fill scholarly gaps related to criminal justice and policing reform issues.
• Determines the causes, costs, and consequences of over criminalization and the proliferation of laws that carry criminal penalties.
• Assesses the effectiveness of various penalties imposed for crimes.
• Examines the incentives that lead to growing prison populations.

**Although this solicitation does not explicitly name Public Defenders as a possible source of partnerships, we feel that a Public Defender office working in reentry or in client and community based defense may be an excellent candidate as a primary or secondary grantee. This is a fantastic opportunity to reach out to "unlikely" partners to form fundable relationships to support your work and your communities.**

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is designed to create and foster safer neighborhoods through a sustained reduction in violent crime, including but not limited to, criminal gang violence and the felonious possession and use of firearms. The program's effectiveness is based on the cooperation and partnering of local, state, tribal, and federal agencies engaged in a unified approach led by the United States Attorney (USA) in each district.

Led by the USA, the PSN task force typically includes both federal and local prosecutors, federal law enforcement agencies (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives [ATF], Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI], and U.S. Marshals Service), local and state law enforcement agencies, probation and parole offices, and the certified fiscal agent. The inclusion of local government leaders, social service providers, neighborhood leaders, members of the faith community, and business leaders, is also essential.

**This solicitation applies only to applicants in Alaska, Utah, Louisiana, Delaware, and the District of Columbia.**

**This solicitation may be an excellent opportunty for Public Defenders with active, inactive, or defunded reentry programs to revitilize and expand their work.**

The purpose of the FY 2018 Second Chance Act Statewide Adult Recidivism Reduction Strategic Plan Implementation Program (SRR Implementation Program) is to provide state agencies with resources and technical assistance to implement previously developed strategic plans that will result in improved reentry systems and reduced recidivism among populations released from incarceration. Funds can be used to support capacity-building activities, including staff training to meet the rehabilitative and supervision needs of the supervision population; assessing and addressing gaps and/or quality of service provision; standardizing new or existing strategies to promote replication and scaling; and developing and implementing performance metrics.

This solicitation presents competitive awards to create multidisciplinary teams to assess and address areas of risk for wrongful conviction and to review and assess post conviction claims of innocence. Applicants will lead collaborative teams of prosecutors, conviction integrity units and innocence programs to complete the work. The solicitation will also seek a training and technical assistance provider to provide support to selected projects through training and hands on technical assistance.

The URLPWC Program supports partnerships between conviction integrity or review units (“Units”) and entities that represent individuals with post-conviction claims of innocence (“Entities”), to review cases of legitimate post-conviction and appeals claims of innocence and to enact measures to ensure justice. Where possible, the URLPWC Program seeks to identify actual perpetrators of crimes, and to bring justice to victim(s), thereby enhancing public safety.

By advancing methodologies and policies that address the underlying causes of wrongful convictions, URLPWC funding will help prosecutors, law enforcement, defense counsel, and courts to identify actual perpetrators, and to develop training tools, policies, and procedures that can prevent wrongful convictions. In addition, Unit reviews may also result in the identification of systemic issues related to prior practices and errors, as well as new forensic practices that can contribute to preventing wrongful convictions. URLPWC will thereby support prosecutorial efforts to address violent crime and improve criminal prosecution, resulting in safer neighborhoods.

Public Defender programs are encouraged to apply under Category 1:

Category 1: Eligible applicants are limited to state and local governments with authority over prosecutors’ offices that work to prevent, identify, and correct false or wrongful convictions, state and local public defender’s offices, nonprofit organizations (including tribal nonprofit or for-profit organizations) dedicated to judicial verdicts that comport to the rule of law, and institutions of higher education (including tribal institutions of higher education). Applications must include a partnership between a state or local prosecutor’s office and an organization or entity dedicated to ensuring just convictions and/or acquittals.

Signed into law on July 22, 2016, the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) is the first major federal substance abuse treatment and recovery legislation in 40 years and the most comprehensive legislative effort to address the opioid epidemic. CARA establishes a comprehensive, coordinated, and balanced strategy through enhanced grant programs that encompass prevention and education efforts, effective responses to those affected by substance abuse, and services for treatment and recovery from addiction. The Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Site-based Program (COAP) was developed as part of the CARA legislation. COAP’s purpose is to provide financial and technical assistance to states, units of local government, and Indian tribal governments to plan, develop, and implement comprehensive efforts to identify, respond to, treat, and support those impacted by the opioid epidemic.

This solicitation will award funding in six categories, several of which may be relevant to a Public Defender program working in this space:

• Category 1: First Responder Partnerships
• Category 2: Technology-assisted Treatment Projects
• Category 3: System-level Diversion Projects
• Category 4: Statewide Planning, Coordination, and Implementation Projects
• Category 5: Harold Rogers Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) Implementation and Enhancement Projects
• Category 6: Public Safety, Behavioral Health, and Public Health Information-sharing Partnerships

**This solicitation may be a good fit for Public Defender offices with existing or future programs and partnerships around reentry work. Reentry programming can and should be connected to reductions in community violence and increases in public safety.**

The purpose of this solicitation is to support research to produce sustainable community-level reductions in violence. NIJ seeks to develop scientific evidence and build practical knowledge of the factors that contribute to achieving enduring violence reductions in communities. NIJ is interested in receiving proposals for research with both empirical and theory-building elements that will lead to practical and generalizable recommendations. These recommendations should inform community-focused efforts to produce substantial and lasting violence reductions in communities that have suffered from persistently high levels of violence.

**This grant opportunity explicitly seeks applicants who are involved in diversion and pretrial protocols.**

NIJ seeks applications for funding investigator-initiated, interdisciplinary research and evaluation projects related to the administration of justice in three priority areas: (1) eyewitness evidence; (2) front-end intervention strategies (diversion and deflection, pretrial notification protocols and court appearance compliance, and justice system-led strategies aimed at young-adult offenders); and (3) enhancing investigation and prosecution (body worn cameras, and jury nullification). Strong applications that address the administration of justice in the U.S. but fall outside these areas may also be considered.