Opportunity Information: Apply for BJA 2018 13700
The BJA FY 18 Justice Reinvestment Initiative (JRI): Reducing Violent Crime by Improving Justice System Performance is a discretionary grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), focused on helping justice agencies and cross-system partners modernize how they operate so they can reduce violent crime and use public safety resources more effectively. Rather than treating crime reduction as a single-program problem, the solicitation frames JRI as a structured way for state, local, and tribal jurisdictions to take a hard look at what is driving crime and justice-system costs in their communities, then use that information to make targeted, performance-oriented improvements in policy and practice. The emphasis is on improving core “business management and operations processes” within the justice system, with the idea that better coordination, better decision-making, and better use of data can reduce violent crime while also improving outcomes across the system.
A central feature of this opportunity is its reliance on a five-step process modeled on Justice Reinvestment. While the solicitation text here does not list the steps in detail, justice reinvestment models generally follow a practical sequence: bringing the right stakeholders together, using data to diagnose drivers of crime and system growth, developing and adopting strategies that respond to those drivers, implementing changes with clear accountability, and then tracking outcomes to ensure reforms are working and to make course corrections. Applicants are expected to design their project around meeting the objectives and deliverables laid out in the solicitation through that kind of step-by-step framework. In plain terms, BJA is looking for proposals that show a credible plan to move from analysis to action, not just produce reports or one-off trainings, and to do so in a way that measurably improves justice system performance with an eye toward reducing violent crime.
The opportunity is identified by Funding Opportunity Number BJA 2018 13700 and is tied to CFDA 16.827. It supports activities in the broad areas of law, justice, and legal services (the listing also references humanities/cultural affairs and an “other” category per the original notice), reflecting that projects may include a mix of operational improvement, planning, cross-agency collaboration, and performance management work. Because JRI projects typically require multiple parts of the system to work together, applicants often include or coordinate with partners such as courts, prosecutors, defenders, law enforcement, community supervision, corrections, behavioral health, victim services, and community-based organizations. The solicitation’s framing makes it clear that BJA expects applicants to focus on the complex, interconnected factors that drive both crime and the consumption of justice resources, especially at state, local, and tribal levels.
Eligibility is broad and includes state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments; 501(c)(3) nonprofits (other than IHEs); for-profit organizations (including those other than small businesses); and small businesses. This wide eligibility suggests BJA anticipated applications not only from governmental agencies, but also from research institutions, technical assistance providers, and implementation partners that can support jurisdictions with analytics, performance measurement, process improvement, and change management. Even so, because the initiative is designed to improve justice system performance within jurisdictions, competitive proposals typically demonstrate strong buy-in from the agencies that control key policies and operations, along with a clear governance structure for decision-making across partners.
Key timing and funding details include a posting/creation date of November 8, 2018, and an original closing date of January 7, 2019. BJA anticipated making around five awards under this solicitation, with an award ceiling of $1,250,000 per award. In practical terms, that level of funding is consistent with multi-year, multi-agency initiatives that include data capacity building, coordinated planning and implementation, and ongoing performance tracking. With only a handful of expected awards nationwide, the competition would likely favor applicants able to show both a strong problem statement related to violent crime and system performance and a realistic plan to deliver measurable improvements using the justice reinvestment approach.
Overall, this grant opportunity is best understood as an investment in system-level improvement: using data and cross-agency collaboration to identify what is driving violent crime and resource use, implementing targeted reforms or operational changes, and then measuring whether those changes actually improve outcomes. The solicitation’s message is that sustainable violent crime reduction is closely tied to how well justice institutions manage their core functions, share information, align incentives, and follow through with accountable implementation.Apply for BJA 2018 13700
- The Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance in the humanities (see cultural affairs in cfda), law, justice and legal services, other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BJA FY 18 Justice Reinvestment Initiative: Reducing Violent Crime by Improving Justice System Performance" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.827.
- This funding opportunity was created on Nov 08, 2018.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 07, 2019. (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 $1,250,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 5 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the BJA FY 18 Justice Reinvestment Initiative (JRI): Reducing Violent Crime by Improving Justice System Performance?
It is a discretionary grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), focused on helping justice agencies and cross-system partners modernize how they operate to reduce violent crime and use public safety resources more effectively. The program emphasizes system-level improvements in justice system management and performance rather than isolated, single-program approaches.
What is the main goal of this grant opportunity?
The main goal is to reduce violent crime by improving justice system performance. The solicitation frames this as improving core "business management and operations processes" across the justice system so agencies coordinate better, make stronger decisions, and use data more effectively, leading to better outcomes and more efficient use of resources.
How does this solicitation define the overall approach to crime reduction?
It treats crime reduction as a structured, data-driven, cross-system effort. Jurisdictions are expected to examine what is driving both violent crime and justice-system costs, then implement targeted, performance-oriented improvements in policy and practice and track results over time.
What is Justice Reinvestment in the context of this opportunity?
Justice Reinvestment (as described in the solicitation summary provided) is presented as a structured way for state, local, and tribal jurisdictions to take a hard look at drivers of crime and system costs and then use that information to design and implement targeted changes. The emphasis is on moving from analysis to action and measuring performance outcomes.
Does the opportunity require a specific process or framework?
Yes. A central feature is reliance on a five-step process modeled on Justice Reinvestment. While the steps are not listed in detail in the provided summary, the model is described as a practical sequence that generally includes stakeholder engagement, data-driven diagnosis, strategy development and adoption, accountable implementation, and outcome tracking with course correction.
What kinds of activities is BJA looking to fund under this JRI solicitation?
The opportunity supports activities focused on operational improvement and performance management across justice systems, including cross-agency collaboration, planning, implementation support, data capacity building, and ongoing performance tracking. The solicitation emphasizes credible plans that move from analysis to action and produce measurable improvements, rather than efforts limited to reports or one-off trainings.
Is this grant intended for single agencies or multi-agency partnerships?
The solicitation framing indicates it is designed for cross-system work. Because the initiative targets interconnected drivers of crime and resource use, applicants often include or coordinate with partners across multiple parts of the justice system and related services.
Which partners are commonly involved in a JRI project?
Applicants often include or coordinate with entities such as courts, prosecutors, defenders, law enforcement, community supervision, corrections, behavioral health, victim services, and community-based organizations. The solicitation emphasizes cross-agency coordination and decision-making.
Who is eligible to apply for this funding opportunity?
Eligibility is broad and includes: state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments; 501(c)(3) nonprofits (other than IHEs); for-profit organizations (including those other than small businesses); and small businesses.
Does broad eligibility mean non-government organizations can apply directly?
Yes. The eligibility list explicitly includes nonprofits, for-profit organizations, small businesses, and institutions of higher education. The summary also suggests BJA anticipated applications from research institutions, technical assistance providers, and implementation partners that can support jurisdictions with analytics, performance measurement, process improvement, and change management.
Even if a non-government organization is eligible, what does a competitive proposal typically demonstrate?
Because the initiative is designed to improve justice system performance within jurisdictions, competitive proposals typically demonstrate strong buy-in from the agencies that control key policies and operations and include a clear governance structure for decision-making across partners.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this solicitation?
The Funding Opportunity Number is BJA 2018 13700.
What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is tied to CFDA 16.827.
What subject areas or categories does the opportunity support?
It supports activities in the broad areas of law, justice, and legal services. The listing also references humanities/cultural affairs and an "other" category, reflecting that projects may involve a mix of operational improvement, planning, cross-agency collaboration, and performance management work.
When was this opportunity posted and when was it originally due?
The posting/creation date is November 8, 2018, and the original closing date is January 7, 2019.
How many awards was BJA expecting to make?
BJA anticipated making around five awards under this solicitation.
What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling is $1,250,000 per award.
What does the award size suggest about the scope of projects BJA expected?
The award ceiling is consistent with multi-year, multi-agency initiatives that may include data capacity building, coordinated planning and implementation, and ongoing performance tracking aimed at measurable improvements in justice system performance and violent crime reduction.
What types of outcomes does BJA want applicants to focus on?
The solicitation emphasizes measurable improvements in justice system performance with an eye toward reducing violent crime. It highlights better coordination, better decision-making, and better use of data as ways to improve outcomes across the system while using resources more effectively.
Is the grant focused more on producing plans and reports or on implementing changes?
The framing emphasizes moving from analysis to action. BJA is looking for proposals that go beyond producing reports or one-off trainings and instead show a credible plan to implement targeted reforms or operational changes with accountability and performance tracking.
At what levels of government is this initiative primarily aimed?
The solicitation describes JRI as a structured approach for state, local, and tribal jurisdictions, with attention to the factors driving violent crime and justice resource consumption within those jurisdictions.
What is the core idea behind linking justice system performance to violent crime reduction?
The solicitation message is that sustainable violent crime reduction is closely tied to how well justice institutions manage core functions, share information, align incentives, coordinate across agencies, and follow through on accountable implementation supported by data and performance measurement.
Browse more opportunities from the same category: Humanities (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA), Law, Justice and Legal Services, Other (see text field entitled Explanation of Other Category of Funding Activity for clarification)
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