Opportunity Information: Apply for BJA 2020 17131

The BJA FY 20 Innovations in Supervision Initiative: Building Capacity to Create Safer Communities is a discretionary federal grant opportunity administered by the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). It was designed to strengthen probation and parole agencies by helping them improve how community supervision is delivered, with the larger public-safety aim of creating safer communities through better supervision outcomes.

At its core, the initiative focuses on increasing success rates for people on probation or parole and lowering recidivism among those under supervision. The program frames success not just as completing supervision, but as reducing new criminal behavior and improving stability in the community. By supporting agencies in becoming more effective, the initiative seeks to reduce crime and victimization, limit unnecessary admissions to jails and prisons, and ultimately reduce long-term costs to taxpayers. The opportunity emphasizes capacity building, meaning applicants would be expected to use funding to enhance the tools, practices, and organizational ability of supervision agencies to supervise more effectively and consistently.

This funding opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number BJA 2020 17131) uses a cooperative agreement as its funding instrument. A cooperative agreement generally indicates substantial involvement by the funding agency compared with a standard grant, which can include closer collaboration, more active technical support, or additional federal involvement in project direction and performance expectations. The program is associated with CFDA number 16.812 and is categorized within broad federal activity areas that include law, justice, and legal services, along with related areas such as information and statistics and training-oriented categories that align with agency capacity development.

Eligible applicants are governmental entities, including state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, and federally recognized Native American tribal governments. This eligibility structure reflects the fact that probation and parole functions are commonly housed in state, county, municipal, or tribal justice systems, and the initiative aims to reach agencies that directly manage supervision operations or can coordinate system-wide improvements.

The opportunity was posted with a creation date of February 28, 2020, and an original application closing date of April 28, 2020. BJA anticipated making approximately five awards under this solicitation. The maximum award amount (award ceiling) was set at $1,000,000 per award, signaling support for substantial, multi-faceted efforts rather than small pilot projects. Taken together, the limited number of expected awards and the relatively high ceiling suggest a competitive process intended to fund a select set of jurisdictions capable of implementing meaningful, potentially scalable improvements in community supervision practice and outcomes.

Overall, the Innovations in Supervision Initiative is oriented toward practical, outcome-driven improvements in probation and parole. The federal rationale is straightforward: if supervision agencies can better support compliance, address risk and needs more effectively, and respond to violations in ways that reduce future offending, communities benefit through fewer crimes and fewer victims, correctional populations can be managed more responsibly, and public resources can be used more efficiently.

  • The Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance in the education, employment, labor and training, humanities (see cultural affairs in cfda), information and statistics, law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BJA FY 20 Innovations in Supervision Initiative: Building Capacity to Create Safer Communities" and is now available to receive applicants.
  • Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.812.
  • This funding opportunity was created on Feb 28, 2020.
  • Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 28, 2020. (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 $1,000,000.00 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, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized).
Apply for BJA 2020 17131

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the BJA FY 20 Innovations in Supervision Initiative?

The BJA FY 20 Innovations in Supervision Initiative: Building Capacity to Create Safer Communities is a discretionary federal grant opportunity administered by the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). It was designed to strengthen probation and parole agencies by improving how community supervision is delivered, with the broader public-safety goal of creating safer communities.

What is the main purpose of this funding opportunity?

The initiative focuses on helping probation and parole agencies increase success rates for people on supervision and reduce recidivism. It emphasizes outcome-driven improvements that lead to fewer new crimes, fewer victims, and more stability for people living in the community while under supervision.

What outcomes is the initiative trying to improve?

The opportunity prioritizes improving success for people on probation or parole and lowering recidivism among those under supervision. Success is framed as more than completing supervision; it includes reducing new criminal behavior and improving stability in the community.

How does the initiative define "success" in community supervision?

Success is described as reducing new criminal behavior and improving community stability for people on probation or parole, not simply reaching the end of a supervision term.

What types of agencies is this program meant to support?

The initiative is aimed at probation and parole agencies and other eligible governmental entities that directly manage supervision operations or can coordinate system-wide improvements to community supervision practice and outcomes.

What does "capacity building" mean in this program?

Capacity building means using grant funding to enhance the tools, practices, and organizational ability of supervision agencies so they can deliver community supervision more effectively and consistently.

Why is BJA investing in innovations in supervision?

The federal rationale is that when supervision agencies better support compliance, address risk and needs more effectively, and respond to violations in ways that reduce future offending, communities benefit through fewer crimes and fewer victims. The initiative also aims to limit unnecessary admissions to jails and prisons and reduce long-term costs to taxpayers.

What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this solicitation?

The Funding Opportunity Number is BJA 2020 17131.

What funding instrument is used for this opportunity?

This opportunity uses a cooperative agreement as the funding instrument.

What is a cooperative agreement, and how is it different from a standard grant?

A cooperative agreement generally indicates substantial involvement by the funding agency compared with a standard grant. This can include closer collaboration, more active technical support, or additional federal involvement in project direction and performance expectations.

What is the CFDA number associated with this program?

The program is associated with CFDA number 16.812.

What kinds of applicant organizations are eligible?

Eligible applicants are governmental entities, including state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, and federally recognized Native American tribal governments.

Why are these types of governments the eligible applicants?

The eligibility structure reflects how probation and parole functions are commonly housed within state, county, municipal, or tribal justice systems. The initiative aims to reach jurisdictions that operate community supervision directly or can drive coordinated improvements.

When was this funding opportunity posted?

The opportunity was posted with a creation date of February 28, 2020.

What was the application deadline?

The original application closing date was April 28, 2020.

How many awards did BJA expect to make?

BJA anticipated making approximately five awards under this solicitation.

What is the maximum award amount?

The maximum award amount (award ceiling) was $1,000,000 per award.

What does the award ceiling suggest about the scope of funded projects?

The $1,000,000 ceiling signals support for substantial, multi-faceted efforts rather than small pilot projects, and it suggests the initiative was intended to fund jurisdictions capable of implementing meaningful improvements.

Does the program appear competitive?

Yes. The combination of an anticipated five awards and a relatively high award ceiling suggests a competitive process designed to fund a limited number of jurisdictions with strong potential for impact and scalable improvements.

What broader activity areas is this opportunity connected to?

The program is categorized within broad federal activity areas that include law, justice, and legal services, along with related areas such as information and statistics and training-oriented categories aligned with capacity development.

What is the overarching public safety goal of the initiative?

The overarching goal is to create safer communities by improving supervision outcomes, reducing crime and victimization, and supporting more responsible management of correctional populations in the community.

How does the initiative relate to jail and prison populations?

By improving supervision outcomes and reducing recidivism, the initiative aims to limit unnecessary admissions to jails and prisons and promote more efficient use of public resources.

What is the intended long-term impact on taxpayer costs?

The initiative is intended to reduce long-term costs to taxpayers by lowering crime and victimization, improving supervision effectiveness, and reducing unnecessary reliance on incarceration.

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Funding Number: BJA 2020 18442
Agency: Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance
Category: Education, Employment, Labor and Training, Humanities (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA), Information and Statistics, Law, Justice and Legal Services
Funding Amount: $3,000,000

 

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