1. Advance Public Safety, Prevent Gun Violence, and Increase Community Trust
Awards totaling more than $1 billion will promote safety and strengthen trust, helping communities tackle the proliferation of gun violence in America and restore bonds of trust between community residents and the justice system. Grants will support innovative and evidence-based strategies designed to prevent and reduce violent crime, support the health and safety of law enforcement and public safety professionals, promote rehabilitation and reentry success, and address the rise in hate crimes across the country.
- Reducing Violent Crime and Supporting Law Enforcement:
OJP is committed to supporting law enforcement agencies nationwide as they work to address violent crime and serve their communities. OJP is awarding almost $680 million in FY 23 to support training to improve resilience and wellness, fund body-worn camera programs, improve public safety by expanding community engagement and underwrite research and evaluation projects that examine promising police practices.
- Tackling Community Violence:
OJP is dedicated to preventing and reducing violence in communities across the country. The Community Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative is grounded in a promising and growing body of research on the effectiveness of community-driven practices for reducing violence. The more than $77 million in grants OJP is awarding in FY 23 will support holistic, evidence-based approaches to addressing community gun violence and help communities become co-producers of public safety.
- Preventing School Violence:
OJP supports school violence prevention efforts, provides training to school personnel and students, and funds research and evaluation on the causes and consequences of school violence. The STOP School Violence Act of 2018 enables the Justice Department to help state, local and Tribal governments, school districts and public safety agencies improve security at schools through evidence-based school safety programs. OJP will award more than $108 million to support training and education for school personnel and students on preventing violence and improving school climate.
- Supporting Currently and Formerly Incarcerated Individuals:
More than 440,000 people returned home from state and federal prisons in 2021 alone, while yearly releases from local jails are estimated in the millions. Just over 25,000 youth are in residential placement, poised to return home, based on a one-day count in 2020. OJP is awarding almost $70 million in FY 23 to support services for people of all ages who are in or leaving confinement. The Department’s significant investments in Second Chance Act adult and juvenile reentry programs include efforts to expand education and employment opportunities, improve continuity of care, support incarcerated parents of minor children, advance evidence-based community supervision services, and work to protect incarcerated individuals from harm.
- Responding to Hate Crimes:
OJP is working to support law enforcement and community efforts to prevent and curb violence and other crimes motivated by bias based on race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or disability. OJP is awarding more than $33 million in FY 2023 to improve the investigation and prosecution of hate crimes, enhance services to victims, expand community-based strategies and support research and evaluation to bring a better understanding of the nature of hate crime offending and victimization.
- Improving Safety in Tribal Communities:
OJP provides critical support for public safety activities in American Indian and Alaska Native communities. Hundreds of Tribal organizations and Tribal consortia have received funding under the Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation, which combines many of OJP’s Tribal-specific competitive programs under one solicitation to reduce the burdens of applying. CTAS funding helps strengthen Tribal justice infrastructure, supports Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts and Tribal youth programs, and provides personal and legal protection to children in Tribal communities. OJP will award more than $78 million in FY 23 to support a range of Tribal justice and safety programs.
- Managing Sex Offenders:
OJP provides its state, territorial and Tribal partners with resources to keep their registration and notification systems up-to-date, provide the assistance and support necessary for them to meet federal legal mandates, and enhance registration and notification tools to help augment safety in their communities. OJP will award more than $16 million in FY 23 to help jurisdictions develop and enhance programs designed to implement the provisions of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act and maintain the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website.
2. Accelerate Justice System Reforms That Promote Community Safety and Well-Being, Equity and Justice for All
More than $437 million in grant awards will accelerate justice system reforms designed to achieve equal justice and fair treatment for all. Grants will expand access to services among historically underserved and marginalized communities, reduce counterproductive involvement in the justice system, increase opportunities for diversion and build pathways to treatment for people with substance use and mental health disorders.
- Reforming the Justice System and Advancing Equity and Fairness:
Every person who comes in contact with the justice system deserves to be treated fairly and humanely. Advancing systemic improvements in the justice system to achieve this goal is one of the core tenets of OJP’s mission. OJP is awarding almost $40 million in FY 23 to help reimagine a justice system with policies and practices grounded in science, and that promote fairness and equity.
- Increasing Access to Mental Health and Substance Use Treatment and Recovery Services:
OJP is advancing strategies that promote access to treatment and recovery services for individuals with substance use and mental health disorders, while reducing unnecessary justice system involvement whenever possible. OJP's investments are expanding pathways to community-based recovery resources and alternatives to incarceration, as well as equipping justice systems nationwide to effectively respond to and support individuals with behavioral health needs. OJP is investing more than $52 million in FY 23 to help communities address the needs of individuals with mental health and substance use conditions. Funds will be focused on efforts related to crisis response, deflection and diversion, access to treatment and recovery supports within prisons and jails, and other initiatives that increase access to mental health and substance use treatment and recovery services across the justice system.
- Addressing the Substance Use and Overdose Crises:
More than 46 million people in the United States have a substance use disorder, and more than half of people in state prisons and almost two-thirds of those held in jails meet the criteria for substance use disorder. Tragically, nearly 80,000 people died from opioid-related drug overdoses during the 12-month period ending December 2022, and those returning to the community from incarceration are at significantly higher risk of an overdose. OJP is responding to these devastating crises with almost $40 million in FY 23. These funds represent investments in prevention and harm reduction, treatment courts, residential treatment programs, peer and other recovery support services, services for opioid-affected youth and their families, and community-based strategies that improve continuity of care and align treatment, public health and public safety.
3. Transform the Juvenile Justice System Into One That Is Effective and Equitable, Treats Children as Children, and Empowers Youth to Lead Healthy, Productive Lives Free From Crime and Violence
Over $192 million will improve the fairness and effectiveness of the juvenile justice system by supporting developmentally appropriate and culturally responsive interventions for youth. Funding will ensure that young people are served at home in their communities whenever possible, are equipped to transition to a healthy adulthood free of crime and are protected from violence and abuse.
- Supporting Youth:
A developmentally appropriate juvenile justice system that treats children as children is critical to helping justice-involved youth succeed and avoid future system involvement. OJP is investing more than $177 million in FY 23 to reform state and local juvenile justice systems, expand youth violence prevention and intervention efforts, support mentoring programs and reentry services for young people and their families, meet the needs of vulnerable youth and study outcomes for justice-involved youth.
- Protecting Children:
A safe, healthful and vibrant society starts with protecting and nurturing the development of our children. OJP is investing more than $14 million in FY 23 to strengthen our nation’s child protection infrastructure. These funds will enhance and strengthen investigative and trauma-informed services to protect vulnerable youth, while supporting robust training and technical assistance to ensure professionals working to protect these youth have the tools they need to be successful.
4. Ensure Rights, Access to Services and Resources, and Equity for All Victims of Crime
More than $1.7 billion will expand access to victim services by investing in programs that provide trauma-informed and culturally responsive services to victims. Funding will support thousands of local victim assistance programs across the country and victim compensation programs in every state and U.S. territory, while helping these programs build their capacity to reach those disproportionately affected by crime and victimization.
- Expanding Victim Services:
Many victims of crime suffer not only from the initial victimization, but also because they may confront a system ill-equipped to help them heal. OJP is working to provide services to survivors and support them on their path to healing. In FY 23, OJP is awarding more than $1.5 billion to fund training, services and resources that will improve the response to all crime victims, including victims in historically marginalized and underserved communities.
- Combating Human Trafficking and Supporting Human Trafficking Victims:
Human trafficking is a global problem that affects communities throughout our country, causing immeasurable trauma to victims and their loved ones. OJP is committed to supporting state and local efforts to combat human trafficking operations, remove victims from harm and help survivors access the services they need to begin the journey to healing and recovery. OJP is awarding more than $100 million in FY 23 to empower communities to respond to human trafficking, offer essential services to survivors and support research into effective methods to combat human trafficking and serve trafficking victims.
- Serving American Indian and Alaska Native Victims:
Funding under the Tribal Victim Services Set-Aside program, administered by OJP’s Office for Victims of Crime, has provided services to tens of thousands of American Indian and Alaska Native crime victims since the program was launched five years ago. OJP is awarding more than $74 million in FY 23 to support a wide range of services for crime victims, from counseling and civil legal assistance to emergency housing and Tribal wellness ceremonies.
5. Advance Science and Innovation to Guide Policy and Practice
Over $418 million in awards will advance science and innovation to strengthen the base of knowledge that policymakers and practitioners can use to design and deploy effective community safety strategies. Awards will support research and data collection on a wide range of public safety issues, help maintain timely and accurate criminal history records and improve the capacity of crime labs and forensic analysts to solve crimes, absolve the innocent and deliver justice to victims.
- Supporting Research and Data Collection:
Sound science is the foundation of fair and effective public safety practices. Research and statistics on crime and justice issues help policymakers make informed decisions, support the implementation of effective policies and practices and help communities wisely invest public safety resources. In FY 23, OJP is investing almost $240 million to support research and data collection that will help advance a more effective and equitable approach to justice and public safety.
- Strengthening Forensic Science:
Forensic science plays an indispensable role in helping the justice system investigate and solve crimes, absolve the innocent, find missing persons and deliver justice to victims and families. That is why OJP is investing almost $180 million in FY 23 to support the use of forensic science in the justice system. These funds will support crime laboratories, fund forensics research and innovation, decrease DNA backlogs and help investigators locate missing persons.
Date Published: September 27, 2023