Public Defender Grants Center (Archived)

The Promise Neighborhoods program is newly authorized under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by the Every Succeeds Act (ESSA). The purpose of the Promise Neighborhoods program is to significantly improve the academic and developmental outcomes of children living in the most distressed communities of the United States, including ensuring school readiness, high school graduation, and access to a community-based continuum of high-quality services. The program serves neighborhoods with high concentrations of low-income individuals; multiple signs of distress, which may include high rates of poverty, childhood obesity, academic failure, and juvenile delinquency, adjudication, or incarceration; and schools implementing comprehensive support and improvement activities or targeted support and improvement activities under section 1111(d) of the ESEA. All strategies in the continuum of solutions must be accessible to children with disabilities and English learners. 

This Request for Proposals (RFP) aims to fulfill three primary objectives:

1. Rigorously evaluate through RCTs the impact of established, manualized frequentutilizer interventions that have been implemented in real-world settings with fidelity to documented models;
2. Provide an evaluation mechanism for communities that are rapidly expanding their efforts to divert frequent utilizers; and
3. Build the evidence base, support rigorous research in this growing field, and better inform the work of jurisdictions committed to data-driven government by widely disseminating lessons and final results from this project.

We are particularly interested in proposals to test commonly deployed frequent-utilizer interventions, including crisis intervention teams, therapeutic communities, forensic assertive community treatment (or other adapted versions of assertive community treatment), critical time intervention, cognitive-behavioral therapy, short-term mental health crisis stabilization programs, law enforcement and general health or behavioral health co-responder programs, or programs incorporating a Housing First approach.2 Proposals should target interventions that address some or all of the following outcomes of interest: reduction in arrest and recidivism rates; reduction in the use of medical services such as emergency room visits and hospitalizations; improved health outcomes; housing stability; and economic well-being. We also strongly encourage proposals to evaluate other promising frequent-utilizer interventions that have been implemented in real-world settings with fidelity. We seek a balanced set of research projects that build on the evidence base and generate results applicable to jurisdictions that range in size and capacity.

Utilizing information and data specific to LaCrosse, County WI, develop a “model approach" to data analysis to determine arrest trends and provide tracking measures for criminal justice stakeholder review. Additionally, a corresponding curriculum framework will be developed allowing for teaching and learning around data accessibility, accuracy and consistency for the purposes of informing and monitoring data driven practices. The development of this model and framework will allow other localities to develop the capacity to understand and improve their current arrest data collection and analysis practices.

The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) invites eligible entities to submit competitive grant applications for the Refugee Career Pathways (RCP) Program. Through the RCP Program ORR will provide funding to implement projects assisting refugees to qualify for licenses and certifications necessary to attain employment and improve self-sufficiency. Allowable activities will include case management, training and technical assistance, specialized English language training, and mentoring. Grantees may also provide refugee participants with financial assistance for costs related to the establishment or re-establishment of credentials, such as obtaining educational credits or enrollment in required certification programs. Grantees are encouraged to collaborate with professional associations, universities, and others with expertise in this area to facilitate career opportunities in ways that supplement, rather than supplant, existing services.

Purpose of Program: The Promise Neighborhoods program is newly authorized under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by the Every Succeeds Act (ESSA). The purpose of the Promise Neighborhoods program is to significantly improve the academic and developmental outcomes of children living in the most distressed communities of the United States, including ensuring school readiness, high school graduation, and access to a community-based continuum of high-quality services. The program serves neighborhoods with high concentrations of low-income individuals; multiple signs of distress, which may include high rates of poverty, childhood obesity, academic failure, and juvenile delinquency, adjudication, or incarceration; and schools implementing comprehensive support and improvement activities or targeted support and improvement activities under section 1111(d) of the ESEA. All strategies in the continuum of solutions must be accessible to children with disabilities and English learners. Applications for grants under this competition must be submitted electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov). You must search for the downloadable application package for this competition by the CFDA number. Do not include the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search (e.g., search for 84.215, not 84.215N).

BJA seeks applications for a Technical Assistance Provider to assist in the establishment and facilitation of national-level technical assistance to approximately 20 to 25 demonstration sites in furtherance of the Sentinel Events Initiative (SEI). SEI is an effort led by the National Institute of Justice, the US Department of Justice's research, development, and evaluation agency, to explore whether an all-stakeholder, forward-looking, non-blaming review of unanticipated events that signal an underlying system weakness in criminal justice can be used to understand areas of system risk and weaknesses, reduce the occurrence of these outcomes, increase safety, and augment the criminal justice system's ability to fulfill its mission. Drawing heavily from similar successful efforts in the fields of medicine and transportation, this scientific inquiry aims to determine a) whether sentinel event reviews (SERs) can be implemented and routinized in a criminal justice context, b) whether these reviews can inform policy and practice improvements to mitigate the risk of analogous errors or weaknesses in the future, c) whether changes in policy and practice maximize the criminal justice system's ability to meet its mission of reducing crime, protecting the public, and advancing the administration of justice, and d) whether these reviews are sustainable over time.

This announcement solicits applications for the Rural Health Opioid Program (RHOP). The purpose of RHOP is to promote rural health care services outreach by expanding the delivery of opioid related health care services to rural communities.  The program will reduce the morbidity and mortality related to opioid overdoses in rural communities through the development of broad community consortiums to prepare individuals with opioid-use disorder (OUD) to start treatment, implement care coordination practices to organize patient care activities,[1] and support individuals in recovery through the enhancement of behavioral counselling[2] and peer support activities.[3] This program will bring together health care providers (i.e. local health departments, hospitals, primary care practices, and substance abuse treatment providers) and entities such as social service and faith-based organizations, law enforcement, and other community-based groups to respond multifaceted to the opioid epidemic in a rural community.  The consortium must include at least three (3) health care providers. The program supports three (3) years of funding. This program incorporates a range of objectives to respond comprehensively to the opioid crisis within rural communities.  Consortiums will work towards identifying individuals at-risk of overdose and guide them towards recovery by providing outreach and education on locally available treatment options and support services.  Educating community members on OUD is also a critical component of responding to the opioid epidemic, which incorporates education on OUD, treatment options, methods for preparing individuals with OUD for treatment, referring individuals with OUD to treatment, and how to best support individuals in recovery.  Consortiums are encouraged to implement care coordination practices to organize patient care activities.  Finally, consortiums are further encouraged to support individuals in recovery by establishing new or enhancing existing behavioral counselling and peer support activities. [1] SAMHSA’s Working Definition of Recovery provides guiding principles and is available at http://store.samhsa.gov/product/SAMHSA-s-Working-Definition-of-Recovery/.... [2] https://www.samhsa.gov/treatment/substance-use-disorders [3] What Are Peer Recovery Support Services? http://store.samhsa.gov/shin/content//SMA09-4454/SMA09-4454.pdf

One pressing challenge facing our criminal justice system today is the recruitment and retention of qualified prosecutors and public defenders, who serve everyday to ensure that our communities are protected, the rule of law is upheld, and the rights of the citizenry are safeguarded. Both prosecutor and public defender offices consistently find it difficult to attract and retain talented attorneys. Driven by educational debt, attorneys interested in public interest law often forego opportunities to work in these offices in order to seek more lucrative private sector positions. Attorney shortages in these offices can result in overworked attorneys handling unmanageable case loads, potentially affecting public safety, the administration of justice, and ultimately the public's confidence in our justice system. Student loan debt is consistently cited as the overwhelming reason why many attorneys decline or leave positions as prosecutors and public defenders. The vast majority of law students borrow to finance their legal education and the rising costs have imposed staggering debt. Furthermore, public defender and prosecutor salaries have failed to keep pace with the escalating cost of education. As a result, talented lawyers who would otherwise consider a career in this critical public service are often unwilling to accept or remain in attorney positions as prosecutors or public defenders, creating real challenges for those offices in their quest to hire and retain capable attorneys. For each state and territory that is eligible for funding under the JRJ Grant Program, BJA will make awards to agencies designated by the Governor of those states or territories (or in the case of the District of Columbia, by the Mayor) to administer the JRJ Grant Program within the state or territory. These Governor designated agencies shall establish and maintain a statewide JRJ Grant Program consistent with the guidance contained in this document and the Act.

The Statewide Recidivism Reduction Strategic Planning Program will provide $100,000 awards to State Departments of Correction to develop Planning & Implementation guides to serve as the basis for an application for funds to implement a comprehensive reentry program to effect a reasonable reduction in the documented statewide recidivism rate.

Pursuant to Section 223(d) of the JJDP Act, if a state fails to submit a plan or submits a plan that does not meet the requirements of the JJDP Act, the OJJDP Administrator shall endeavor to make the Formula Grants program fund allocation available to public or private nonprofit agencies within the state. The recipient agency must use the funds to carry out activities that support compliance with the requirements of sections 223(a)(11), (12), (13), and (22) (the core requirements).

The Second Chance Act of 2007 (Pub. L. 110-199) provides a comprehensive response to the increasing number of incarcerated adults and juveniles who are released from prison, jail, and juvenile residential facilities and returning to communities. There are currently over 2.2 million individuals serving time in our federal and state prisons, and millions of people cycling through tribal and local jails every year . Ninety-five percent of all people incarcerated today will eventually be released and will return to communities. The coordination of reentry of members of Native American tribes is even more complex given that they can return from federal, Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), state, local, and tribal facilities. The Second Chance Act helps to ensure that the transition individuals make from prison, jail, or juvenile residential facilities to the community is successful and promotes public safety.

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Deliquency Prevention has issued a solicitation requesting applications to further the Department’s mission to implement systemwide policy, practice, and resource allocation changes that will reduce recidivism and improve outcomes for youth in contact with the juvenile justice system. The goal of this program is for selected counties and states to (1) implement an existing plan for systemwide improvement to reduce juvenile recidivism rates and (2) improve other outcomes for youth countywide or statewide.Successful applicants will use OJJDP funding to implement existing countywide or statewide planning strategies to reduce recidivism and improve outcomes for youth. These plans must have been formalized through legislation, appropriations, and/or administrative policy and/or have resulted from two or more state or county agencies collaborating on key policy and practice changes.

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Deliquency Prevention  is seeking applications for funding under the fiscal year (FY) 2017 Smart on Juvenile Justice: Systemwide Reform and Reinvestment Initiative.

The overarching goals of the Smart on Juvenile Justice Initiatives are as follows:

1. Identify drivers of secure confinement/out-of-home placement and costs.
2. Prevent unnecessary confinement/out-of-home placement and reduce reoffending while improving youth outcomes.
3. Ensure equitable treatment of all justice-involved youth.
4. Improve allocation of resources to yield more cost-beneficial impacts on public safety. 

For applicants who are currently engaged in juvenile justice system reform activities (i.e., community supervision, juvenile defense systems), the program narrative should discuss how the state’s current reform activities will be coordinated with proposed activities under this solicitation.

BJA has issued a solicitation requesting applications to perform work that will ensure that state and local governments are provided with capacity and tools needed to meet obligations established by the Sixth Amendment. The solicitation offers awards in three categories of activities: 1) working to increase strategic planning around Sixth Amendment issues; 2) enhancing defense systems and right to counsel training; and 3) serving as a Sixth Amendment Fellow. Applications are due on May 16, 2017. Technical assistance with grant submission may be obtained via email to [email protected]. BJA will host a solicitation webinar on April 4 at 2pm EDT.

The Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program (JMHCP) supports innovative crosssystem collaboration to improve responses and outcomes for individuals with mental illnesses or co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders who come into contact with the justice system. BJA is seeking applications that demonstrate a collaborative project between criminal justice and mental health partners from eligible applicants to plan and implement justice and mental health strategies collectively designed between justice and mental health.

This solicitation specifically seeks to increase early identification and front-end diversion of people with mental health and co-occurring substance use disorders identified at early intercept points within the justice system. This program seeks to increase the number of justice, mental health, and community partnerships; increase evidence-based practices and treatment responses to people with behavioral health disorders in the justice system; and increase the collection of health and justice data to accurately respond to the prevalence of justice-involved people with mental health and co-occurring substance use disorders.

The W.E.B. Du Bois Program supports quantitative and qualitative research on the intersections of race, offending, victimization, and the fair administration of justice for both juveniles and adults. It furthers the Department's mission by advancing knowledge regarding the confluence of crime, justice, and culture in various societal contexts. This funding opportunity seeks investigator-initiated proposals to conduct research on topics linked to race and crime in the context of violence and victimization, crime and crime prevention, and justice systems.

In FY2017, NIJ will give priority consideration to proposals for research on:

• Homicide and other violence in minority communities
• Criminal courts (including but not limited to screening and assessment, legal defense systems, and sentencing reform)

NIJ seeks applications for funding research and/or evaluation projects to examine the impacts of policing strategies and practices using outcome measures that consider crime reduction as well as other possible positive and negative impacts on individuals, neighborhoods, communities, and the policing organizations. NIJ will accept proposals to assess strategies and practices that focus on place (where crime occurs) or the individual-level, such as the Chicago (IL) Police Department's Strategic Subjects List intervention. One of the major objectives of this solicitation is the development of more complete measures of the impacts of a policing strategy and/or practice. NIJ is particularly interested in understanding the degree to which a strategy and/or practice can be effective in reducing crime with minimal negative collateral consequences.

This funding opportunity seeks proposals to conduct applied research that examines criminal justice tools, protocols, and policies concerning drug trafficking, markets, and use applicable to State, tribal, and local jurisdictions. Applications must address one of two research categories: 1) narcotics, forensic science, and medicolegal death investigation and prosecution; or 2) drug intelligence and community surveillance. NIJ has identified two drug priorities: 1) heroin and other opioids (including diverted prescription drugs); and 2) novel psychoactive substances (also known as synthetic drugs).

*A webinar discussing this solicitation will be held on February 22. Register here* 

(NIJ) is seeking applications for funding for research in three areas: (1) the impact of acute and chronic stress on (a) law enforcement and corrections officers and (b) individuals in violent communities; (2) the impact of parental incarceration on children; and (3) the efficacy of services, strategies, policies, and processes within the criminal or juvenile justice system that serve as responses to children exposed to violence. This program furthers the Department’s mission by sponsoring research to provide objective, independent, evidence-based knowledge and tools to meet the challenges of crime and justice, particularly at the state and local levels.

NIJ, in collaboration with OVC, seeks applications for funding research and evaluation projects to examine Victim/Offender Overlap, Violent Victimization Experiences of Understudied Populations, Evaluation of Victim-Centered Alternative Justice Models, and Evaluation of Victim Service Delivery Models. NIJ will accept proposals of research that have the capacity to isolate potential causal mechanisms underlying the relationship between victimization and offending. NIJ is particularly interested in models research models that include event-based or frequent measurement of victimization and offending experience over time.