Opportunity Information: Apply for BJA 2014 3784
Apply for BJA 2014 3784
- The Bureau of Justice Assistance in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BJA FY 14 Smart Supervision 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 Feb 4, 2014 and posted on Feb 4, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 7, 2014. (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 $750,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: County governments City or township governments Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) State governments.
[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal:
Opportunity Summary:
The BJA FY 14 Smart Supervision: Reducing Prison Populations, Saving Money, and Creating Safer Communities grant opportunity was a discretionary federal grant program run by the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). It focused on a major pressure point in the criminal justice system: the large number of people supervised in the community on probation or parole and the significant share who fail to complete supervision successfully. The program was built around the idea that improving day-to-day community supervision practices can reduce new criminal behavior and technical violations, which then lowers revocations and, ultimately, admissions to prisons and jails. In practical terms, the grant aimed to help jurisdictions make supervision smarter, more targeted, and more effective, rather than simply more intensive.
The need for the program was supported by nationwide supervision statistics. At the end of 2012, about 4,781,300 adults were on community supervision, roughly 1 out of every 50 adults in the United States. The opportunity highlighted that supervision failures were common and costly. Bureau of Justice Statistics data cited in the announcement noted that 15 percent of probationers leaving supervision in 2012 ended up incarcerated for a new offense or because probation was revoked. For parole, 25 percent of exits were due to incarceration for a new offense or parole revocation. The announcement also pointed to state-level findings from BJA's Justice Reinvestment Initiative showing that in some states, probation and parole revocations could account for as much as 65 percent of annual prison and jail admissions. Those numbers were used to argue that revocations and supervision breakdowns are not a minor issue at the margins; they can be a main driver keeping prison populations high.
The Smart Supervision Program (SSP) was designed to improve probation and parole success rates and, by doing so, advance three linked outcomes: improved public safety, fewer prison and jail admissions, and savings for taxpayers. The grant allowed funds to be used for implementing evidence-based supervision strategies as well as developing and testing innovative approaches intended to improve outcomes for people on supervision. While the short description does not list specific required models, the framing clearly aligns with modern community supervision reforms such as risk-need-responsivity principles, tailoring supervision intensity to assessed risk, using interventions that address criminogenic needs (like substance use or employment instability), and applying responses to violations that reduce unnecessary incarceration while still holding people accountable.
This opportunity was funded under the Second Chance Act appropriation and tied directly to the Second Chance Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-199). The Second Chance Act was created to improve reentry outcomes for people returning from prisons and jails, and it authorizes federal grants for services that help reduce recidivism. The announcement specifically referenced areas such as employment assistance, substance abuse treatment, housing support, family programming, mentoring, victims support, and other services. In the context of Smart Supervision, those service categories matter because supervision success often depends on stabilizing basic needs and addressing underlying drivers of reoffending, not only monitoring compliance. The SSP concept, as described, fits the Second Chance Act approach by treating probation and parole as platforms for change and support, not just surveillance.
From an administrative standpoint, the grant was listed as Funding Opportunity Number BJA-2014-3784 and fell under CFDA 16.812 (Second Chance Act Reentry Initiative). The funding instrument type was a grant, and the activity category was Law, Justice, and Legal Services. The program did not require cost sharing or matching funds, which typically makes participation more feasible for local and tribal jurisdictions that have limited flexibility in their budgets. Eligible applicants included state governments, county governments, city or township governments, and federally recognized Native American tribal governments. The award ceiling was $750,000, with an award floor listed as $0, meaning there was no stated minimum award size in the summary information.
Key dates in the posted notice show the opportunity was posted and created on February 4, 2014, with an original and current closing date of April 7, 2014, and an archive date of May 7, 2014. The listing also included standard application support information directing applicants to Grants.gov technical assistance resources, including a 24/7 support hotline (with federal holiday exceptions) and an email contact for Grants.gov support. Overall, the grant opportunity was structured as a targeted investment in improving community supervision performance, with the broader policy goal of cutting down revocations that fuel jail and prison admissions while maintaining or improving public safety outcomes.
FAQs: BJA FY 14 Smart Supervision: Reducing Prison Populations, Saving Money, and Creating Safer Communities (BJA-2014-3784)
What is the BJA FY 14 Smart Supervision grant opportunity?
It was a discretionary federal grant program run by the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). The program focused on improving community supervision practices for people on probation and parole, with the goal of reducing supervision failures that lead to revocations and incarceration.
What problem was this program trying to address?
The opportunity targeted a major pressure point in the criminal justice system: large community supervision populations and the significant portion of people who do not successfully complete probation or parole. The program emphasized that supervision breakdowns and revocations can be a major driver of prison and jail admissions in some states.
What were the main goals of the Smart Supervision Program (SSP)?
The program aimed to improve probation and parole success rates and advance three linked outcomes: improved public safety, fewer prison and jail admissions, and savings for taxpayers.
How did the program propose improving outcomes on probation and parole?
The opportunity was built around the idea that improving day-to-day community supervision practices can reduce new criminal behavior and technical violations. By doing so, it would reduce revocations and ultimately lower admissions to prisons and jails. The emphasis was on making supervision smarter and more targeted, not simply more intensive.
What statistics were cited to support the need for the program?
The announcement cited nationwide supervision data indicating that at the end of 2012 about 4,781,300 adults were on community supervision (about 1 out of every 50 adults in the U.S.). It also cited Bureau of Justice Statistics data stating that in 2012, 15 percent of probationers leaving supervision ended up incarcerated for a new offense or due to probation revocation, and 25 percent of parole exits were due to incarceration for a new offense or parole revocation.
Why did the opportunity emphasize revocations and technical violations?
The notice highlighted that supervision failures are common and costly, and it pointed to findings from BJA's Justice Reinvestment Initiative indicating that in some states, probation and parole revocations could account for as much as 65 percent of annual prison and jail admissions. This framing treated revocations as a key lever for reducing incarceration levels.
What types of activities could grant funds support?
Funds could be used to implement evidence-based supervision strategies and to develop and test innovative approaches intended to improve outcomes for people on supervision. The summary described a focus on smarter, more effective supervision practices that reduce unnecessary incarceration while maintaining accountability.
Did the notice require specific supervision models or named programs?
The short description did not list specific required models. It framed the work in a way that aligns with modern supervision reform concepts such as tailoring supervision intensity to assessed risk, addressing criminogenic needs (for example, substance use or employment instability), and using responses to violations that reduce unnecessary incarceration while still holding people accountable.
How is this opportunity connected to the Second Chance Act?
The opportunity was funded under the Second Chance Act appropriation and tied to the Second Chance Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-199). The Second Chance Act authorizes federal grants aimed at improving reentry outcomes and reducing recidivism, and the Smart Supervision concept fits that approach by treating probation and parole as platforms for change and support, not only surveillance.
What kinds of support services were referenced in connection with the Second Chance Act?
The announcement referenced service areas such as employment assistance, substance abuse treatment, housing support, family programming, mentoring, victims support, and other services. In the Smart Supervision context, these services were described as important because supervision success often depends on stabilizing basic needs and addressing underlying drivers of reoffending.
What was the Funding Opportunity Number for this grant?
The Funding Opportunity Number was BJA-2014-3784.
What CFDA program did it fall under?
The opportunity fell under CFDA 16.812 (Second Chance Act Reentry Initiative).
What was the funding instrument type and program category?
The funding instrument type was a grant, and the activity category was Law, Justice, and Legal Services.
Was cost sharing or matching required?
No. The summary stated that cost sharing or matching funds were not required.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants included state governments, county governments, city or township governments, and federally recognized Native American tribal governments.
What was the maximum award amount?
The award ceiling was $750,000.
Was there a minimum award amount?
The award floor was listed as $0, meaning the summary did not state a minimum award size.
When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?
The opportunity was posted and created on February 4, 2014. The original and current closing date was April 7, 2014.
When was the opportunity archived?
The archive date was May 7, 2014.
Where were applicants directed for application submission support?
The listing included standard application support information directing applicants to Grants.gov technical assistance resources, including a 24/7 support hotline (with federal holiday exceptions) and an email contact for Grants.gov support.
What core approach distinguished "smart" supervision from simply increasing supervision intensity?
The notice emphasized improving day-to-day supervision practices and targeting interventions to reduce new criminal behavior and technical violations. The overall approach was to make supervision more effective and better aligned to risk and needs, rather than relying on blanket increases in monitoring or intensity.
Browse more opportunities from the same category: Law, Justice and Legal Services
Next opportunity: Native Fish Conservation in Arizona
Previous opportunity: Seed Grants for Tech Challenge for Atrocity Prevention
USGrants.org Applicant Portal:
Are you interested in learning about about how to apply for this government funding opportunity? You can create a free applicant account and receive instant access to our applicant portal that many business owners like you have benefited from.
Apply for BJA 2014 3784
[Watch] how do funding administrators access proposals?
Applicants also applied for:
Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (BJA 2014 3784) also looked into and applied for these:
| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| BJA FY 14 Residential Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT) for State Prisoners Program Apply for BJA 2014 3799 Funding Number: BJA 2014 3799 Agency: Bureau of Justice Assistance Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $948,773 |
| NIJ FY 14 Research and Evaluation on the Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation of Elderly Individuals Apply for NIJ 2014 3750 Funding Number: NIJ 2014 3750 Agency: National Institute of Justice Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
| NIJ FY 14 Research and Evaluation on Children Exposed to Violence Apply for NIJ 2014 3745 Funding Number: NIJ 2014 3745 Agency: National Institute of Justice Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
| Support to Parliamentary Research and Civic Political Participation Apply for RFA 167 14 000007 Funding Number: RFA 167 14 000007 Agency: Kosovo USAID Pristina Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $250,000 |
| NIJ FY 14 Postdoctoral Fellowship Dating Abuse Among Adolescents and Young Adults Apply for NIJ 2014 3742 Funding Number: NIJ 2014 3742 Agency: National Institute of Justice Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $300,000 |
| NIJ FY 14 Research and Evaluation on Justice Systems Apply for NIJ 2014 3748 Funding Number: NIJ 2014 3748 Agency: National Institute of Justice Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $4,000,000 |
| BJA FY 14 Charles Colson Task Force on Federal Corrections Apply for BJA 2014 3786 Funding Number: BJA 2014 3786 Agency: Bureau of Justice Assistance Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
| NIJ FY 14 Research and Development in Forensic Science for Criminal Justice Purposes Apply for NIJ 2014 3744 Funding Number: NIJ 2014 3744 Agency: National Institute of Justice Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| BJA FY 14 John R. Justice Program Apply for BJA 2014 3802 Funding Number: BJA 2014 3802 Agency: Bureau of Justice Assistance Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $60,000 |
| OVW FY 2014 STOP Formula Grant Program Apply for OVW 2014 3704 Funding Number: OVW 2014 3704 Agency: Office on Violence Against Women Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| NIJ FY 14 Investigator Initiated Research The Comprehensive School Safety Initiative Apply for NIJ 2014 3798 Funding Number: NIJ 2014 3798 Agency: National Institute of Justice Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $15,000,000 |
| NIJ FY 14 Data Resources Program 2014 Funding for Analysis of Existing Data Apply for NIJ 2014 3726 Funding Number: NIJ 2014 3726 Agency: National Institute of Justice Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $40,000 |
| NIJ FY 14 Research on Sentinel Events and Criminal Justice System Errors Apply for NIJ 2014 3756 Funding Number: NIJ 2014 3756 Agency: National Institute of Justice Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $800,000 |
| OVW FY 2014 State and Territorial Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Coalitions Programs Apply for OVW 2014 3705 Funding Number: OVW 2014 3705 Agency: Office on Violence Against Women Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| OJJDP FY 2014 Internet Crimes Against Children Program Support Apply for OJJDP 2014 3765 Funding Number: OJJDP 2014 3765 Agency: Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $2,000,000 |
| Pre Police Academies Project in Peru Apply for INL 14 CA 0008 WHPPERU 02282014 Funding Number: INL 14 CA 0008 WHPPERU 02282014 Agency: International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affair Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $650,000 |
| NIJ FY 14 Building and Enhancing Criminal Justice Researcher Practitioner Partnerships Apply for NIJ 2014 3724 Funding Number: NIJ 2014 3724 Agency: National Institute of Justice Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $2,000,000 |
| BJA FY 14 Justice Information Sharing Solutions Implementation Program Apply for BJA 2014 3808 Funding Number: BJA 2014 3808 Agency: Bureau of Justice Assistance Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| NIJ FY 14 Research and Evaluation on Firearms and Violence Apply for NIJ 2014 3746 Funding Number: NIJ 2014 3746 Agency: National Institute of Justice Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $1,500,000 |
| BJA FY 14 Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation Program Apply for BJA 2014 3822 Funding Number: BJA 2014 3822 Agency: Bureau of Justice Assistance Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
Grant application guides and resources
It is always free to apply for government grants. However the process may be very complex depending on the funding opportunity you are applying for. Let us help you!
Apply for Grants

Premium leads for funding administrators, grant writers, and loan issuers
Thousands of people visit our website for their funding needs every day. When a user creates a grant proposal and files for submission, we pass the information on to funding administrators, grant writers, and government loan issuers.
If you manage government grant programs, provide grant writing services, or issue personal or government loans, we can help you reach your audience.
Subscribe to Leads
Request more information:
Would you like to learn more about this funding opportunity, similar opportunities to "BJA 2014 3784", eligibility, application service, and/or application tips? Submit an inquiry below:
Don't forget to subscribe to our grant alerts mailing list to receive weekly alerts on new and updated grant funding opportunities like this one in your email.
