Opportunity Information: Apply for BJA 2012 3254
Apply for BJA 2012 3254
- The Bureau of Justice Assistance in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BJA FY 12 Smart Probation Reducing Prison Populations, Saving Money, and Creating Safer Communities" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.812 Second Chance Act Reentry Initiative.
- This funding opportunity was created on Mar 27, 2012 and posted on Mar 22, 2012.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 21, 2012. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $500,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: County governments State governments City or township governments Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- Applicants are limited to states, units of local government, and federally recognized Indian tribal governments (as determined by the Secretary of the Interior).
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Opportunity Summary:
The BJA FY 12 Smart Probation: Reducing Prison Populations, Saving Money, and Creating Safer Communities grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number BJA 2012 3254) was a discretionary federal grant program administered by the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), under CFDA 16.812 (Second Chance Act Reentry Initiative). It was created in March 2012, posted March 22, 2012, and closed May 21, 2012 (archived June 20, 2012). The program offered awards up to $500,000 per grant, with no required cost sharing or match, and an award floor listed as $0.
The central problem the solicitation targeted was the sheer scale of community supervision and the high rate of supervision failure that feeds jail and prison growth. At the end of 2010, an estimated 4,887,900 adults were supervised in the community on probation or parole, roughly 1 out of every 48 adults. A significant share of people on probation do not successfully complete supervision. The Bureau of Justice Statistics reported that about 16 percent of probationers were incarcerated due to either a new sentence or revocation of their probation. BJA also cited Justice Reinvestment Initiative findings showing that, in some states, probation and parole revocations can account for as much as 65 percent of annual prison and jail admissions. In other words, even when a person is initially sanctioned in the community, supervision breakdowns and revocations can drive large volumes of incarceration, which increases corrections costs and can destabilize public safety outcomes.
The purpose of the Smart Probation program was to improve probation success rates so fewer people cycle back into jails and prisons. The underlying logic is straightforward: when probation systems use strategies that reduce violations, improve compliance, and support behavior change, communities see fewer revocations and fewer new crimes, which improves public safety while also reducing incarceration costs. The solicitation emphasized that reducing unnecessary returns to custody can save taxpayer dollars and ease pressure on overcrowded correctional systems.
Grant funds were intended to support the implementation of evidence-based supervision strategies designed to improve outcomes for people on probation. While the announcement text does not list every allowable activity in detail, the stated emphasis on evidence-based approaches signals support for practices commonly associated with improved supervision performance, such as using validated risk and needs assessments to target resources, focusing officer time and interventions on higher-risk individuals, applying swift and proportionate responses to violations, expanding access to treatment and behavioral health services when needs drive noncompliance, improving case planning and service linkage, and using performance measurement to track revocation rates and other outcomes. The program framed these approaches as practical tools for changing day-to-day supervision operations in ways that measurably reduce failure.
Eligibility was limited to government entities: states, units of local government (including county governments and city or township governments), and federally recognized Indian tribal governments (as determined by the Secretary of the Interior). The solicitation also listed an "Others (see text field)" category, but the eligibility clarification indicates the intent was to confine applicants to those governmental bodies. This structure reflects BJA's focus on supporting supervision agencies and justice systems that have direct authority over probation policies, staffing, court coordination, sanctions, and service partnerships.
Finally, the opportunity was funded through FY 2012 appropriations under the Second Chance Act, which is broadly aimed at improving reentry and reducing recidivism. In that context, Smart Probation operated as a complementary track: alongside demonstration reentry projects, it invested specifically in front-end community supervision improvements that can prevent revocations and new offending. For application logistics, the solicitation pointed applicants to Grants.gov technical support through the customer support hotline numbers provided and the support@grants.gov email address for submission assistance.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the BJA FY 12 Smart Probation grant opportunity?
The BJA FY 12 Smart Probation: Reducing Prison Populations, Saving Money, and Creating Safer Communities opportunity was a discretionary federal grant program administered by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). It focused on improving probation outcomes to reduce unnecessary jail and prison admissions driven by supervision failures and revocations.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this program?
The Funding Opportunity Number was BJA 2012 3254.
What CFDA program was this opportunity associated with?
This opportunity was associated with CFDA 16.812, the Second Chance Act Reentry Initiative.
When was this grant opportunity available?
The opportunity was created in March 2012, posted on March 22, 2012, and closed on May 21, 2012. It was archived on June 20, 2012.
What problem was the solicitation trying to address?
The solicitation targeted the large scale of community supervision and the high rate of supervision failure that contributes to jail and prison growth. BJA highlighted that community supervision involves millions of adults and that revocations (and other failures) can drive a substantial share of admissions to incarceration in some jurisdictions.
How large was community supervision at the time cited in the solicitation?
BJA cited that, at the end of 2010, an estimated 4,887,900 adults were supervised in the community on probation or parole, which was roughly 1 out of every 48 adults.
What did the Bureau of Justice Statistics report about probation outcomes?
BJA cited Bureau of Justice Statistics reporting that about 16 percent of probationers were incarcerated due to either a new sentence or revocation of their probation.
What role do probation and parole revocations play in incarceration admissions, according to the solicitation?
The solicitation referenced Justice Reinvestment Initiative findings indicating that, in some states, probation and parole revocations can account for as much as 65 percent of annual prison and jail admissions.
What was the purpose of the Smart Probation program?
The purpose was to improve probation success rates so fewer people cycle back into jails and prisons. The program emphasized that better supervision strategies can reduce violations and revocations, lower new crime, improve public safety outcomes, and reduce incarceration costs.
How does the program connect public safety and cost savings?
The solicitation framed the logic as improving compliance and behavior change on supervision to reduce revocations and new offenses. Fewer returns to custody can reduce correctional population pressure and save taxpayer dollars while supporting safer communities.
What was the maximum award amount?
The program offered awards up to $500,000 per grant.
Was there an award minimum (award floor)?
The award floor was listed as $0.
Was cost sharing or matching funds required?
No. The opportunity stated there was no required cost sharing or match.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was limited to government entities: states; units of local government (including county governments and city or township governments); and federally recognized Indian tribal governments (as determined by the Secretary of the Interior).
Were non-governmental organizations eligible to apply?
Based on the eligibility clarification provided, the intent was to confine applicants to governmental bodies (states, local governments, and federally recognized tribal governments). The solicitation also listed an "Others (see text field)" category, but the clarification indicated the focus was on governmental applicants.
What types of strategies were grant funds intended to support?
Grant funds were intended to support the implementation of evidence-based supervision strategies designed to improve outcomes for people on probation. The announcement emphasized evidence-based approaches aimed at reducing violations, improving compliance, and supporting behavior change.
Does the solicitation list specific allowable activities?
The announcement text described the emphasis on evidence-based approaches but did not list every allowable activity in detail.
What kinds of evidence-based probation practices were highlighted by the solicitation's emphasis?
While not presented as a complete list of allowable activities, the solicitation's evidence-based emphasis aligns with practices commonly associated with improved supervision performance, including validated risk and needs assessments, targeting resources toward higher-risk individuals, swift and proportionate responses to violations, improved case planning and service linkage, expanding access to treatment and behavioral health services when needs contribute to noncompliance, and performance measurement to track revocations and other outcomes.
What outcomes was the program trying to improve or measure?
The program aimed to reduce probation failure, including violations and revocations, and to reduce new offending. It also emphasized tracking outcomes such as revocation rates and other performance measures tied to supervision success.
How does this program relate to the Second Chance Act?
The opportunity was funded through FY 2012 appropriations under the Second Chance Act, which broadly focuses on improving reentry and reducing recidivism. Smart Probation was positioned as a complementary track that invested in front-end community supervision improvements to prevent revocations and new offending.
Which federal agency administered this solicitation?
The solicitation was administered by the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA).
Where could applicants get technical help with application submission?
The solicitation directed applicants to Grants.gov technical support, including the customer support hotline numbers provided in the solicitation and the email address support@grants.gov for submission assistance.
Was this an open opportunity after May 21, 2012?
No. The solicitation closed on May 21, 2012, and was archived on June 20, 2012.
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