BJA FY 21 Justice Reinvestment Initiative: State-level Training and Technical Assistance Program | O BJA 2021 08001

FAQs: BJA FY 21 Justice Reinvestment Initiative (JRI) State-level Training and Technical Assistance Program

What is this funding opportunity?

The BJA FY 21 Justice Reinvestment Initiative (JRI): State-level Training and Technical Assistance Program is a discretionary funding opportunity from the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). It supports organizations that can provide hands-on training and technical assistance to strengthen state justice reform efforts using the Justice Reinvestment Initiative model.

What is the main purpose of the program?

The program is designed to strengthen state justice reform efforts by helping states use a data-driven approach to diagnose justice system challenges and apply evidence-based policy and practice changes that reduce recidivism while maintaining or improving public safety outcomes.

What is the Justice Reinvestment Initiative (JRI) model?

The JRI model emphasizes data-driven diagnosis of criminal justice system challenges and the use of evidence-based policy and practice changes. In this opportunity, that often means helping states analyze criminal justice data, identify cost drivers in corrections and related systems, and translate findings into policy options and implementation plans.

Who is BJA looking to fund under this solicitation?

BJA is looking for organizations that can serve as training and technical assistance providers. This includes providers that can supply subject matter experts to support states with analysis, planning, stakeholder engagement, and implementation of justice reinvestment reforms.

What kinds of activities are expected from awardees?

Based on the solicitation description, awardees may be expected to provide broad, multi-state assistance capacity such as developing training curricula, delivering sustained advisory support, facilitating stakeholder processes, and providing specialized expertise to help states implement JRI-style reforms.

What types of expertise might be needed to deliver the technical assistance?

The opportunity indicates a need for specialized expertise that may include corrections population analysis, sentencing and supervision policy, behavioral health and substance use strategies, victim services considerations, racial and ethnic disparities analysis, implementation science, performance measurement, and continuous quality improvement.

Is this opportunity a grant or something else?

This solicitation is structured as a cooperative agreement. That typically means BJA expects substantial involvement in shaping, coordinating, and overseeing the work as it is carried out, rather than providing funding with minimal federal interaction.

What does "substantial involvement" mean in a cooperative agreement context?

In practical terms, substantial involvement suggests BJA will likely play an active role in coordination, direction, and oversight of the work, and may help shape how training and technical assistance is delivered to states over the life of the project.

How does this program connect to broader DOJ priorities?

The intent aligns with DOJ-wide priorities including advancing civil rights, increasing access to justice, supporting crime victims, protecting the public from crime and emerging threats, and strengthening trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve.

How does the DOJ priority alignment show up in JRI technical assistance?

Within the JRI framework, this often translates into technical assistance that helps states work across agencies and branches of government, develop actionable analyses and forecasts, select interventions supported by research, and translate findings into policy options and implementation plans.

What is the Funding Opportunity Number and CFDA number for this solicitation?

The Funding Opportunity Number is O-BJA-2021-08001, and the CFDA number is 16.827.

When was this opportunity released?

The opportunity was released on May 13, 2021.

What was the original application deadline?

The original application deadline was July 6, 2021.

How many awards did BJA anticipate making?

BJA anticipated making up to three awards.

What is the award ceiling?

The award ceiling is $8,800,000.

What does the award ceiling suggest about the scale of work?

Because the focus is state-level JRI support and the ceiling is relatively large, the description suggests awardees may be expected to support broad, multi-state capacity, including ongoing training, sustained advisory support, facilitation of stakeholder processes, and access to multiple types of specialized expertise.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is broad and includes public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)), for-profit organizations (including those other than small businesses), small businesses, certain Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments), and other entities as further clarified in the solicitation.

Are for-profit organizations eligible?

Yes. The eligibility list includes for-profit organizations, including those other than small businesses, and small businesses.

Are colleges and universities eligible?

Yes. Both public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education are included in the eligibility list.

Are nonprofit organizations eligible?

Yes. Nonprofit organizations are eligible, including both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3) nonprofits.

Are tribal entities eligible?

The eligibility list includes certain Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments), with additional details referenced as being clarified in the solicitation.

Is this opportunity focused on states or local jurisdictions?

The opportunity is focused on state-level justice reform efforts. The purpose is to provide training and technical assistance that supports states in applying the JRI approach.

What kinds of outcomes is the program trying to achieve?

The program aims to help states implement reforms that reduce recidivism while maintaining or improving public safety outcomes, using rigorous, data-driven analysis and evidence-based policy and practice changes.

What does "data-driven diagnosis" mean in the context of this program?

As described, it refers to analyzing criminal justice data to understand system challenges, identify drivers of corrections and justice system costs, and develop actionable analyses and forecasts that can inform policy options and implementation plans.

What does the program mean by "evidence-based" changes?

In this context, evidence-based changes refer to interventions, policies, and practices supported by research, selected and implemented to improve outcomes such as reduced recidivism and improved public safety.

What is the overall goal of funding these training and technical assistance providers?

The goal is to build a strong national bench of providers that can help states apply the JRI approach with rigor and consistency, turning complex justice system data into practical reforms and implementation support that improve outcomes for communities.