Opportunity Information: Apply for BJA 2015 4174
Apply for BJA 2015 4174
- The Bureau of Justice Assistance in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BJA FY 15 PREA Program Demonstration Projects to Establish Zero Tolerance Cultures for Sexual Assault in Correctional Facilities" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.735 PREA Program Demonstration Projects to Establish Zero Tolerance Cultures for Sexual Assault in Correctional Facilitie.
- This funding opportunity was created on Apr 16, 2015 and posted on Apr 16, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 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 $500,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: State governments County governments Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) City or township governments.
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Opportunity Summary:
The BJA FY 15 PREA Program Demonstration Projects grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number BJA-2015-4174) was a discretionary Bureau of Justice Assistance initiative designed to help correctional agencies build and sustain a clear "zero tolerance" culture for sexual abuse and sexual harassment in confinement settings. The program was framed around national survey findings released by the Bureau of Justice Statistics showing that sexual victimization in custody remained a persistent problem: 4.0 percent of state and federal prison inmates and 3.2 percent of jail inmates reported at least one incident of sexual victimization by another inmate or by staff within the prior 12 months or since admission, and the rates in juvenile facilities were even higher, with an estimated 9.5 percent of adjudicated youth in state juvenile facilities and state contract facilities reporting sexual victimization. The central idea behind the funding was to move beyond compliance on paper and instead demonstrate practical, replicable approaches that change day-to-day operations, staff behavior, reporting pathways, and leadership expectations so that preventing sexual abuse becomes a core operational priority rather than a side requirement.
The opportunity was grounded in the Department of Justice PREA standards issued as a Final Rule on June 20, 2012, which took effect on August 20, 2012. Those standards apply broadly across adult prisons and jails, juvenile correctional facilities, police lockups, and community residential centers, and they are organized into 11 major areas that collectively define what a serious prevention and response system should look like. The grant explicitly ties projects to these categories: prevention planning (how an agency organizes itself to stop abuse before it happens), responsive planning (how it prepares to act quickly and consistently when concerns arise), training and education (ensuring staff and confined individuals understand rules, boundaries, and reporting options), screening for risk of sexual victimization and abusiveness (identifying vulnerability and risk factors early and using that information responsibly), reporting (creating safe, accessible, and credible ways to report), official response following a report (ensuring actions are timely, protective, and consistent), investigations (credible, competent, and impartial fact-finding), discipline (clear consequences for misconduct), medical and mental health care (supporting victims and addressing trauma), data collection and review (using information to spot patterns and fix problems), and audits (assessing compliance and performance over time). In practice, BJA was looking for demonstration projects that show how to operationalize these standards in real facilities, including the cultural change work that makes policies actually function.
From an applicant and funding perspective, this was a grant (not a cooperative agreement) under CFDA 16.735, categorized under Law, Justice and Legal Services. Eligible applicants included state governments, county governments, city or township governments, and federally recognized Native American tribal governments, reflecting a focus on public-sector correctional administrators and the agencies that oversee detention and confinement operations. The award ceiling was listed at $500,000, with no stated award floor, which typically signals that BJA expected a range of project sizes as long as the design was strong and the outcomes were meaningful. The program also required cost sharing or matching, meaning applicants needed to contribute non-federal resources to support the project, such as cash match, allowable in-kind contributions, or a mix, depending on the specific rules described in the full solicitation.
The timeline for the FY 15 competition shows it was posted on April 16, 2015, with an original and final closing date of June 10, 2015, and an archive date of July 10, 2015. For submission support, applicants were directed to use Grants.gov and contact the Grants.gov Customer Support Hotline for technical assistance, which is standard for federal discretionary grant submissions.
Overall, the opportunity focused on accelerating real-world implementation of PREA by funding demonstration efforts that could be tested, documented, and potentially replicated by other jurisdictions. The emphasis on "zero tolerance" signals that BJA wanted agencies to address not only technical compliance (checklists, policies, and formal procedures) but also the underlying organizational culture: leadership commitment, staff accountability, survivor-centered response practices, safer reporting environments, and consistent use of data and audits to drive continuous improvement in preventing and responding to sexual abuse in correctional settings.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the BJA FY 15 PREA Program Demonstration Projects opportunity?
It was a discretionary Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number BJA-2015-4174) intended to help correctional agencies build and sustain a clear "zero tolerance" culture for sexual abuse and sexual harassment in confinement settings. The focus was on demonstration projects that show practical, real-world ways to implement PREA standards in daily operations, not just written compliance.
What problem was this grant designed to address?
The program was framed around national survey findings (from the Bureau of Justice Statistics) indicating that sexual victimization in custody remained a persistent issue. The information provided notes: 4.0% of state and federal prison inmates and 3.2% of jail inmates reported at least one incident of sexual victimization by another inmate or by staff within the prior 12 months or since admission, and juvenile facility rates were higher, with an estimated 9.5% of adjudicated youth in state juvenile facilities and state contract facilities reporting sexual victimization.
Was the goal just to meet PREA compliance requirements?
No. The central idea was to move beyond "compliance on paper" and demonstrate approaches that actually change day-to-day operations, staff behavior, reporting pathways, and leadership expectations so prevention becomes a core operational priority.
Which PREA standards did the projects need to align with?
The opportunity was grounded in the Department of Justice PREA standards issued as a Final Rule on June 20, 2012, which took effect on August 20, 2012. Projects were explicitly tied to the standards framework organized into 11 major areas.
What are the 11 major PREA standards areas referenced in the opportunity?
The grant tied projects to these categories: prevention planning; responsive planning; training and education; screening for risk of sexual victimization and abusiveness; reporting; official response following a report; investigations; discipline; medical and mental health care; data collection and review; and audits.
What kinds of activities was BJA looking for in a "demonstration project"?
Based on the description provided, BJA sought projects that show how to operationalize the PREA standards in real facilities, including the culture-change work needed for policies to function in practice. Examples of the types of outcomes emphasized include changes in day-to-day operations, staff accountability and behavior, safer and more credible reporting pathways, leadership commitment, survivor-centered responses, and consistent use of data and audits for improvement.
What types of confinement settings were within scope of the PREA standards referenced?
The PREA standards described apply broadly across adult prisons and jails, juvenile correctional facilities, police lockups, and community residential centers.
What is the funding opportunity number for this grant?
BJA-2015-4174.
Is this a grant or a cooperative agreement?
It was a grant (not a cooperative agreement), as stated in the opportunity summary provided.
What is the CFDA number and program category?
The CFDA number was 16.735, and it was categorized under Law, Justice and Legal Services.
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 (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling was listed at $500,000.
Was there a minimum award amount (award floor)?
No award floor was stated in the information provided.
Did the program require cost sharing or matching funds?
Yes. The program required cost sharing or matching, meaning applicants needed to contribute non-federal resources. The description notes that match could include cash match, allowable in-kind contributions, or a mix, depending on the specific rules in the full solicitation.
When was the opportunity posted?
April 16, 2015.
What was the application closing date?
The original and final closing date was June 10, 2015.
When was the opportunity archived?
July 10, 2015.
How were applications submitted?
Applicants were directed to use Grants.gov for submission.
Where could applicants get technical help with submission?
For submission support, applicants were directed to contact the Grants.gov Customer Support Hotline for technical assistance.
What did "zero tolerance" mean in the context of this opportunity?
In this opportunity, "zero tolerance" was presented as more than a policy statement. It signaled an expectation of leadership commitment, staff accountability, clear and safe reporting options, consistent and survivor-centered responses, and continuous improvement using data and audits to prevent and respond to sexual abuse and sexual harassment in confinement settings.
What was the intended value of funding "demonstration" efforts?
The opportunity emphasized demonstration efforts that could be tested, documented, and potentially replicated by other jurisdictions, accelerating real-world implementation of PREA.
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