Opportunity Information: Apply for BJA 2015 4058
Apply for BJA 2015 4058
- The Bureau of Justice Assistance in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BJA FY 15 Justice Reinvestment Initiative Maximizing State Reforms" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.827 Justice Reinvestment Initiative.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jan 12, 2015 and posted on Jan 12, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 10, 2015. (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 $1,750,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 4 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) State governments.
- Eligible applicants are units of state government and federally recognized Indian tribal governments (as determined by the Secretary of the Interior) that can demonstrate substantial completion of the Justice Reinvestment Initiative model (see the Selection Criteria on page 24 for the key components of the model). States that underwent a formal justice reinvestment process prior to BJA s launch of the formal Justice Reinvestment Initiative are eligible to apply. BJA will consider only one application per state or per tribal government. If more than one application is submitted for a state or tribal government, BJA will consider only the application that has received support from the Justice Reinvestment Initiative oversight council, committee, or task force charged with monitoring implementation and outcomes. Eligible entities may submit applications on behalf of a consortium of governmental and nongovernmental partners to design and implement a strategy to further the goals of a state s justice reinvestment efforts. This partnership is not mandatory however, if a state proposes such a partnership, one eligible entity must be the applicant and the others must be proposed as subrecipients. The applicant must be the entity with primary responsibility for administering the funding and managing the entire project. The fiscal agent will be legally responsible for complying with all applicable federal rules and regulations in receiving and expending federal funds. The fiscal agent must demonstrate such capacity by showing experience engaging core criminal justice and other partners in statewide and/or local reform efforts. BJA may elect to make awards for applications submitted under this solicitation in future fiscal years, dependent on the merit of the applications and on the availability of appropriations.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) FY 15 Justice Reinvestment Initiative (JRI) Maximizing State Reforms grant opportunity was designed to help states and federally recognized tribal governments build on justice reinvestment work they had already largely completed and move into the harder phase: fully implementing reforms, tracking whether they work, and making practical adjustments that improve public safety while controlling corrections costs. The solicitation is grounded in the reality that incarceration levels remained extremely high in the United States, with about 2.2 million people held in prisons and jails in 2013, and that many states continued to face overcrowding and resource strain. It also reflects a long-term budget pressure problem, noting that state corrections spending rose dramatically over a 25-year period, from roughly $12 billion in 1988 to more than $55 billion in 2013 (even after accounting for inflation). In that context, “justice reinvestment†is presented as a data-driven strategy for improving the cost-effectiveness of criminal justice systems and then redirecting savings toward proven, high-performing public safety approaches.
This particular funding opportunity supported the Justice Reinvestment Initiative model launched in 2010 through a public-private partnership between BJA and The Pew Charitable Trusts. JRI is described as a multistage process, meaning it is not simply about passing a bill or issuing a new policy memo. Instead, it emphasizes using data to understand what is driving prison and jail populations, designing targeted policy and practice changes, and then reinvesting resources into strategies that reduce recidivism and strengthen community safety. The “Maximizing State Reforms†focus signals that applicants were expected to be beyond the earliest stages of analysis and planning. The program aimed to help jurisdictions that had already completed substantial portions of the JRI process translate reforms into real operational change, sustain implementation, and demonstrate measurable outcomes.
The grant was a discretionary award program administered by BJA under CFDA 16.827 (Justice Reinvestment Initiative). BJA anticipated making about four awards, with a maximum award amount (ceiling) of $1,750,000 and no stated minimum award (floor of $0). There was no cost-sharing or matching requirement listed, which typically lowers the barrier for states or tribes to pursue the work without needing to secure separate non-federal match funding. The solicitation was posted on January 12, 2015, with an application deadline of March 10, 2015, and it was later archived on April 9, 2015.
Eligibility was limited to units of state government and federally recognized Indian tribal governments (as determined by the Secretary of the Interior). A key requirement was that the applicant had to be able to demonstrate “substantial completion†of the Justice Reinvestment Initiative model, meaning this was not intended for jurisdictions just beginning justice reinvestment. Importantly, states that completed a formal justice reinvestment process prior to BJA’s launch of the initiative were still eligible, which kept the door open for early adopters. BJA also limited submissions to one application per state or per tribal government. If multiple applications were submitted, BJA would only consider the one supported by the JRI oversight council, committee, or task force responsible for monitoring implementation and outcomes. That rule reinforces the program’s preference for coordinated, statewide governance and a single, unified implementation plan rather than competing proposals from different agencies.
While the applicant had to be an eligible government entity, the program allowed applications to be submitted on behalf of a consortium that could include both governmental and nongovernmental partners. This partnership approach was optional, not mandatory, but if used, the eligible applicant would serve as the lead and the other participating organizations would be structured as subrecipients. The lead applicant would function as the fiscal agent and carry primary responsibility for managing the overall project, administering the funds, and ensuring compliance with federal requirements tied to receiving and spending grant dollars. The solicitation also emphasized that the fiscal agent should demonstrate the practical capacity to run a complex reform effort, including experience coordinating core criminal justice partners and other stakeholders in statewide or local reform initiatives.
Finally, BJA noted that it could choose to make awards from applications submitted under this solicitation in future fiscal years, depending on the quality of the proposals and whether funds were appropriated. For application submission support, the opportunity directed applicants to Grants.gov technical assistance resources, reflecting that applications were expected to be filed through the standard federal grants portal.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the BJA FY 15 Justice Reinvestment Initiative (JRI) Maximizing State Reforms grant?
It is a discretionary grant opportunity from the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) designed to help states and federally recognized tribal governments build on justice reinvestment work they had already largely completed. The emphasis is on the tougher phase of the work: fully implementing reforms, tracking whether reforms are working, and making practical adjustments to improve public safety while controlling corrections costs.
What problem was this grant intended to address?
The solicitation was framed around persistently high incarceration levels in the United States (about 2.2 million people in prisons and jails in 2013), continued overcrowding and resource strain in many states, and long-term corrections budget pressure. It cited growth in state corrections spending over 25 years, from roughly $12 billion in 1988 to more than $55 billion in 2013 (inflation-adjusted).
What does “justice reinvestment†mean in this solicitation?
In this opportunity, justice reinvestment is presented as a data-driven strategy to improve the cost-effectiveness of criminal justice systems and then redirect savings toward proven, high-performing public safety approaches. The JRI approach focuses on using data to understand what is driving prison and jail populations, designing targeted policy and practice changes, and reinvesting resources into strategies that reduce recidivism and strengthen community safety.
How is the Justice Reinvestment Initiative (JRI) described?
JRI is described as a multistage process launched in 2010 through a public-private partnership between BJA and The Pew Charitable Trusts. It is not limited to passing a bill or issuing a policy memo; it emphasizes analysis, design of targeted changes, implementation, reinvestment, and measuring outcomes over time.
What does “Maximizing State Reforms†mean for applicants?
It signals that applicants were expected to be beyond early-stage analysis and planning. This solicitation aimed to support jurisdictions that had already completed substantial portions of the JRI process and now needed to translate reforms into operational change, sustain implementation, and demonstrate measurable outcomes.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was limited to units of state government and federally recognized Indian tribal governments (as determined by the Secretary of the Interior).
Was this opportunity open to local governments or nonprofits as the main applicant?
Not as the primary applicant. The eligible applicant had to be a unit of state government or a federally recognized tribal government. However, the solicitation allowed the eligible government applicant to apply on behalf of a consortium that could include governmental and nongovernmental partners as subrecipients.
What is meant by “substantial completion†of the JRI model?
The solicitation required applicants to demonstrate “substantial completion†of the Justice Reinvestment Initiative model. This requirement indicates the funding was not intended for jurisdictions just beginning justice reinvestment, but for those that had largely completed earlier phases and were ready to focus on implementation, monitoring, and adjustment.
Are states that completed justice reinvestment before BJA launched JRI still eligible?
Yes. The solicitation stated that states that completed a formal justice reinvestment process prior to BJA’s launch of the initiative were still eligible.
How many applications could a state or tribal government submit?
BJA limited submissions to one application per state or per tribal government.
What happens if multiple applications are submitted by the same state or tribal government?
If multiple applications were submitted, BJA would only consider the application supported by the JRI oversight council, committee, or task force responsible for monitoring implementation and outcomes.
Can the application be submitted on behalf of a partnership or consortium?
Yes. The program allowed applications to be submitted on behalf of a consortium that could include both governmental and nongovernmental partners. This partnership approach was optional.
If a consortium applies, who receives and manages the grant funds?
The eligible state or tribal government applicant would serve as the lead applicant and fiscal agent. Other participating organizations would be structured as subrecipients. The lead applicant would be responsible for administering the funds and ensuring compliance with federal requirements.
What expectations were described for the fiscal agent/lead applicant?
The solicitation emphasized that the fiscal agent should demonstrate practical capacity to manage a complex reform effort, including experience coordinating core criminal justice partners and other stakeholders in statewide or local reform initiatives.
How many awards did BJA anticipate making?
BJA anticipated making about four awards.
What was the maximum award amount?
The maximum award amount (ceiling) was $1,750,000.
Was there a minimum award amount?
No minimum award amount was stated (a floor of $0 was listed).
Was cost sharing or matching required?
No. The solicitation did not list a cost-sharing or matching requirement.
What is the CFDA number for this program?
The solicitation identified the program under CFDA 16.827 (Justice Reinvestment Initiative).
When was the solicitation posted and when was the deadline?
The solicitation was posted on January 12, 2015. The application deadline was March 10, 2015.
When was the opportunity archived?
It was later archived on April 9, 2015.
Could BJA make awards from this solicitation in later years?
Yes. BJA noted it could choose to make awards in future fiscal years from applications submitted under this solicitation, depending on the quality of proposals and whether funds were appropriated.
How were applications expected to be submitted?
The solicitation directed applicants to Grants.gov technical assistance resources, reflecting that applications were expected to be filed through the standard federal grants portal.
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| OJJDP FY 2015 Nonparticipating State Program Wyoming Apply for OJJDP 2015 4073 Funding Number: OJJDP 2015 4073 Agency: Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $380,000 |
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| NIJ FY 15 Research and Evaluation on White Collar Crime and Public Corruption Apply for NIJ 2015 4060 Funding Number: NIJ 2015 4060 Agency: National Institute of Justice Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $350,000 |
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| Improving Case Outcomes for Gender Based Violence Pilot Project (ICOP) Apply for RFA 674 15 000004 Funding Number: RFA 674 15 000004 Agency: South Africa USAID Pretoria Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $1,300,000 |
| BJA FY 15 Second Chance Act Reentry Program for Adults with Co Occurring Substance Abuse and Mental Disorders Apply for BJA 2015 4061 Funding Number: BJA 2015 4061 Agency: Bureau of Justice Assistance Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $600,000 |
| Promoting the Use of Alternatives to Incarceration Apply for INL 15GR0013 AMETUNISIA 020315 Funding Number: INL 15GR0013 AMETUNISIA 020315 Agency: International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affair Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $800,000 |
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