Criminal Justice Grant Program – United States

Deadline: 9-Feb-23

The Capital Area Council of Governments (CAPCOG) is now soliciting applications for projects that promote public safety, reduce crime, and improve the criminal justice system through its Criminal Justice Grant Program.

The Criminal Justice Program formerly Justice Assistance Grants (JAG) are made available through a Congressional appropriation to the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance. All awards are subject to the availability of appropriated federal funds and any modifications or additional requirements that may be imposed by law.

CAPCOG’s Criminal Justice Program is designated by the Office of the Governor’s Criminal Justice Division (CJD) for regional coordination efforts on the subject in the 10-county State Planning Region 12 area. The program provides technical assistance to applicants for CJD grant funding opportunities to include criminal justice, juvenile justice and victim services-related programming. CAPCOG’s Criminal Justice Program and Criminal Justice Advisory Committee review and update or create a regional strategic criminal justice plan annually.

Priorities

• Behavioral Health/Mental Health Services/Substance Use
• Community-Based Programs or Services
• Crisis Services
• Law Enforcement
• Crime Prevention

Funding Information

• Minimum: $10,000
• Maximum: None
• Duration: Projects must begin on or after 10/01/2023 and may not exceed a 12-month project period.

Eligible Activities

• Funding may be used to provide additional personnel, equipment, supplies, contractual support, training, technical assistance, and information systems for criminal justice purposes, including for any one or more of the following:
  • Law enforcement – Includes championing a supportive, professional, respected law enforcement system with specialized resources that are adaptive and flexible to ever-changing crimes and situations.
    • State Priority Areas include:
      • Intelligence-based Investigations (Violent Crime, Border Crime, Gangs)
      • Community Policing Programs
      • Specialized Officer Training
      • Officer Wellness Programs
  • Prosecution and Courts – Includes fostering an informed, collaborative, and multi-disciplinary system that ensures appropriate penalties offenders and services for the community and victims.
    • State Priority Areas include:
      • Pre-trial Diversion Programs
      • Reduce Evidence Testing Backlog
      • Courtroom Personnel Training
  • Crime Prevention and Education – Includes cultivating an individualized, understanding-based system that takes a multi-pronged approach, infused with basic life skills and alternative tracks to crime prevention.
    • State Priority Areas include:
      • Life-skills Training Programs
      • Community-based Prevention Programs
  • Corrections and Community Corrections – Includes promoting an assessment-driven, treatment focused system that targets an individual’s risk and needs appropriately.
    • State Priority Areas Include:
      • Probation/Parole Officer Training
      • Risk/Needs Assessment for Diversion Programs
      • Jail/Prison-based Co-occurring Treatment
  • Reentry Programs; and
  • Assessment and Evaluation Programs.

Eligibility Criteria

• Local governments determined to not be in compliance with the cybersecurity requirements of the Texas Government Code are ineligible for OOG grant funds until the second anniversary of the date the local government is determined ineligible. Government entities must annually certify their compliance with the training requirements using the Cybersecurity Training Certification for State and Local Governments.
• Entities receiving funds from PSO must be located in a county that has an average of 90% or above on both adult and juvenile dispositions entered into the computerized criminal history database maintained by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) as directed in the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure. The disposition completeness percentage is defined as the percentage of arrest charges a county reports to DPS for which a disposition has been subsequently reported and entered into the computerized criminal history system. Counties applying for grant awards from the Office of the Governor must commit that the county will report at least 90% of convictions within five business days to the Criminal Justice Information System at the Department of Public Safety.
• Eligible applicants operating a law enforcement agency must be current on reporting complete UCR data and the Texas specific reporting mandated to the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) for inclusion in the annual Crime in Texas (CIT) publication. To be considered eligible for funding, applicants must have submitted a full twelve months of accurate data to DPS for the most recent calendar year by the deadline(s) established by DPS. Due to the importance of timely reporting, applicants are required to submit complete and accurate UCR data, as well as the Texas mandated reporting, on a no less than monthly basis and respond promptly to requests from DPS related to the data submitted.
• Local units of government, including cities, counties and other general purpose political subdivisions, as appropriate, and institutions of higher education that operate a law enforcement agency, must comply with all aspects of the programs and procedures utilized by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) to: (1) notify DHS of all information requested by DHS related to illegal aliens in Agency’s custody; and (2) detain such illegal aliens in accordance with requests by DHS. Additionally, counties and municipalities may NOT have in effect, purport to have in effect, or make themselves subject to or bound by, any law, rule, policy, or practice (written or unwritten) that would: (1) require or authorize the public disclosure of federal law enforcement information in order to conceal, harbor, or shield from detection fugitives from justice or aliens illegally in the United States; or (2) impede federal officers from exercising authority. Lastly, eligible applicants must comply with all provisions, policies, and penalties.
• Any facility or entity that collects evidence for sexual assault or other sex offenses or investigates or prosecutes a sexual assault or other sex offense for which evidence has been collected, must participate in the statewide electronic tracking system developed and implemented by the Texas Department of Public Safety.
• Eligible applicants must be registered in the federal System for Award Management (SAM) database and have an UEI (Unique Entity ID) number assigned to its agency.
• Failure to comply with program eligibility requirements may cause funds to be withheld and/or suspension or termination of grant funds.
• Eligible Organisations
  • Applications may be submitted by state agencies, public and private institutions of higher education, independent school districts, Native American tribes, councils of governments, non-profit corporations (including hospitals and faith-based organizations), and units of local government, which are defined as a non-statewide governmental body with the authority to establish a budget and impose taxes.
  • All applications submitted by local law enforcement agencies/offices must be submitted by a unit of government affiliated with the agency, including an authorizing resolution from that unit of government. For example, police departments must apply under their municipal government, and community supervision and corrections departments, district attorneys, and judicial districts must apply through their affiliated county government (or one of the counties, in the case of agencies that serve more than one county).

Selection Process

PSO will screen all applications to ensure that they meet the requirements included in the funding announcement.

• For eligible local and regional projects:
  • Applications will be forwarded by PSO to the appropriate regional council of governments (COG).
  • The COG’s criminal justice advisory committee will prioritize all eligible applications based on State priorities, identified community priorities, cost and program effectiveness.
  • PSO will accept priority listings that are approved by the COG’s executive committee.
  • PSO will make all final funding decisions based upon eligibility, approved COG priorities, reasonableness of the project, availability of funding, and cost-effectiveness.
• For state discretionary projects, applications will be reviewed by PSO staff members or a review group selected by the executive director. PSO will make all final funding decisions based on eligibility, reasonableness, availability of funding, and cost-effectiveness.

For more information, visit CAPCOG.