Juvenile Diversion Planning Grant Program 2025-2026

The Juvenile Diversion Planning Grant Program 2025–2026 is administered by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (ICJI), a state-level agency tasked with improving criminal justice services across Indiana. This specific program is designed to support the early planning stages of juvenile diversion programs that aim to keep youth out of the formal legal system through community-based, restorative, and research-based interventions. The program is guided by Indiana Code § 31-40-5 and aligns with the state’s legislative efforts to enhance youth justice outcomes while reducing recidivism. The purpose of the Juvenile Diversion Planning Grant is to assist counties and eligible organizations in developing a comprehensive, collaborative plan for implementing a diversion program. The core objectives of the grant include preventing deeper legal system involvement for youth, promoting restorative justice principles, emphasizing community protection, and supporting service planning tailored to local needs. These objectives are to be achieved through coordination with local Justice Reinvestment Advisory Councils (JRACs) or comparable bodies comprising juvenile justice stakeholders. The scope of allowable activities under this grant is focused on planning-related initiatives. These include designing diversion programs, stakeholder collaboration, evidence-based practice assessment, and observational travel to other model sites. Allowable expenses cover personnel, supplies, reasonable food purchases for planning meetings, technical assistance, and travel, provided they align with state policy and are properly documented. However, direct client assistance, lobbying, construction, and fundraising are explicitly prohibited, as are vehicle purchases and any use of indirect cost rates. Eligible applicants include public entities, local and state government agencies, nonprofits, and nongovernmental organizations serving youth either currently involved in or at risk of entering the juvenile justice system. All applicants must pass state clearance checks with the Departments of Revenue and Workforce Development, and the Secretary of State. Non-governmental applicants must also submit a collaboration plan with referring agencies and secure letters of support. All grantees must engage in structured collaboration with juvenile justice stakeholders and report performance metrics regularly. Applications must be submitted via IntelliGrants by 11:59 p.m. ET on Friday, July 18, 2025. The application process includes completing a detailed narrative covering the problem, methods, partnerships, timeline, budget, and desired outcomes. Required attachments include a project timeline, collaboration plan, most recent audit, relevant job descriptions (if requesting personnel funds), and any additional applicable documents. The award period runs from October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026. Funded projects must be operational within 60 days of the award start date and must submit a final report and proof of payment for all expenses within 30 days of the grant end date. Applications will be competitively reviewed by ICJI and the Youth Justice Oversight Committee’s Grants work group based on eligibility, alignment with statutory purposes, completeness, allowable expenditures, and risk factors such as debt delinquency or past grant non-compliance. Technical assistance is available via the ICJI Helpdesk. A webinar outlining the grant opportunity will be held on Monday, June 23, 2025, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. ET to provide prospective applicants with guidance and answer questions. All awards are contingent on the Indiana General Assembly’s biennial budget and may be modified accordingly.

Submit early, engage all JRAC stakeholders, and support proposals with strong data.