Grants for Public and State controlled institutions of higher education - Law Justice and Legal Services

With this solicitation, OJJDP seeks to select organization(s) to carry out key activities designed to ensure abused and neglected children involved in dependency court proceedings have access to a court appointed special advocate.

With this solicitation, OJJDP seeks to support a National Community and Schools Youth Drug Prevention Program for the purpose of delivering substance use prevention programs in schools in partnership with local law enforcement and community coalitions. The successful national organization will provide funding and training and technical assistance (TTA) to local non-profits who will be required to build community coalitions in partnership with law enforcement to educate youth in schools and in extracurricular programming on drug prevention. Community coalitions consist of community leaders that organize to meet the local prevention needs of the youth and families in their communities. Partnerships among non-profit organizations, community coalitions and law enforcement ensure that communities implement comprehensive approaches to prevent youth substance use.

With this solicitation, BJA seeks to fund four national training and technical assistance (TTA) programs to support law enforcement and criminal justice stakeholders in Task Force Leadership, Operations and Management (Category 1), Specialized Units TTA (Category 2), Crime Gun Intelligence Center TTA (Category 3) and Police Recruiting and Retention Among Underrepresented Groups (Category 4).

The Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) of the U.S. Department of State announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to implement the Partnership to Advance Research and Scientific Evidence (PARSE), a project to generate evidence-based research to counter crime, illegal drugs, and instability abroad. Expected results from this project are twofold. First the project should generate the identification of priority research themes, areas, or questions. Second, the project will enable the production of select synthesis reports and novel studies. Both results must fill public knowledge gaps by providing methodologically rigorous, relevant, actionable, and contextually diverse (international) insight on what works best to advance sustainable and effective criminal justice systems, approaches, and practices. Through actionable AND scientifically substantiated knowledge, the project results should be able to inform strategies or approaches to improve civilian security, mitigate internal and transnational threats and risks, and contribute to stable criminal justice institutions amongst U.S. partners abroad.Applicants must be able to generate results that clearly, concretely, and compellingly convey evidence-based findings to non-scholarly audiences within the rule of law community. These audiences include but are not limited to law enforcement and justice sector officials as well as other decision makers and practitioners involved in policy formulation, program design, and strategic/operational/project/tactical implementation. Resulting research should also be framed by the possibility to extrapolate and adapt evidence-based and actionable findings to multiple countries and/or contexts. Additionally, the selected applicant (qualifying organization) should expect to work in close cooperation with INL. To achieve this level of cooperation, INL expects, among other mechanisms, to hold weekly or bi-weekly meetings with the qualifying organization. Finally, contingent upon performance, relevance, and fund availability INL will consider the expansion of the project to develop additional research products and results (refer to Project Expansion Section).

The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office, https://cops.usdoj.gov) is pleased to announce that it is seeking applications for funding for the FY24 Safer Outcomes: Enhancing De-Escalation and Crisis Response Training for Law Enforcement Expansion of Regional De-Escalation Training Centers program. The goal of this solicitation is to promote safe outcomes during police encounters with persons in crisis through the expansion of the COPS Office network of regional de-escalation training centers. These centers provide relevant de-escalation and crisis response training for law enforcement in a multistate region. Awards under this solicitation will be made to training centers administered by institutions of higher education and nonprofit organizations with experience providing training to law enforcement at the national or regional level. Training is supported for law enforcement officers, support personnel employed by law enforcement agencies, and mental health professionals working on a crisis intervention team as an employee of a law enforcement agency or under a legal agreement with a law enforcement agency.

This program provides for the development, operation, and management of a training and technical assistance (TTA) program for justice-focused community-based organizations directly serving communities disproportionately impacted by crime, violence, and victimization. The TTA provider will facilitate the delivery of national-scale, high-quality TTA to increase the administrative, financial, and programmatic capacity of justice-focused community-based organizations designed to primarily serve historically marginalized and underserved communities, including rural communities; increase awareness of OJP funding opportunities to targeted organizations and provide skill-building and other TTA to support the ability for these organizations to apply for and maintain OJP funding, if received; improve the quality of their programming and service delivery; and build support for their infrastructure and administrative and financial controls to successfully meet OJP program goals and objectives to strengthen their role as coproducers of safety and justice.

With this solicitation, BJA seeks to support training and technical assistance (TTA) providers assisting states to use the Justice Reinvestment Initiative (JRI) to enhance the fairness, effectiveness, and efficiency of their criminal justice system. JRIs flexible, tailored, and data-driven approach helps states identify and implement policies that are customized to address each states specific challenges and the unique structure and dynamics within each of their systems. This program reduces crime and recidivism by helping states more effectively and equitably allocate resources to address pressing criminal justice challenges and improve system outcomes.

With this solicitation, OJJDP seeks to build on its history and leadership in addressing youth violence prevention by providing the field and practitioners with comprehensive resources and training materials through the OJJDP National Youth Violence Prevention Training and Technical Assistance (TTA) Program. A web-based resource hub will provide guidance to anyone seeking to implement effective and quality evidence-based programming in the specified topic areas.

With this solicitation OJJDP seeks to provide funding for the development and implementation of comprehensive and culturally relevant training and technical assistance designed to support Tribal efforts to create, enhance, and/or sustain programs, services, and supports for youth in Tribal communities.

With this solicitation, OJJDP seeks to fund a training and technical assistance (TTA) provider to build capability and capacity of diversion programs serving justice-involved youth populations with substance use disorder and co-occurring mental health and substance use disorder needs. The successful applicant will lead a national TTA program and administer a subaward program providing subawards to local demonstration sites to improve responses and outcomes for youth with substance use disorders and co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders who come into contact with the juvenile justice system, or who are at high risk of contact, by diverting these youth toward community-based treatment to address their unique mental and behavioral health needs to prevent them from entering the formal justice system.

With this solicitation, BJA seeks to support the development and testing of new or innovative approaches to improving community safety and trust that are alternatives to traditional enforcement mechanisms for neighborhoods experiencing high rates of less serious and low level criminal offenses. This model will involve coordination with law enforcement entities to improve public safety and community residents perceptions of law enforcement and procedural fairness and legitimacy. This solicitation also supports funding for national training and technical assistance (TTA) to support site-based grants and the field in building capacity and partnerships essential to this work.

This project seeks to enhance detainees rights in Tunisia by expanding access to legal aid and improving enforcement of detainee rights in Tunisia. In 2016, Tunisia passed wide-ranging reforms of its Criminal Procedure Code (CPC). Act 2016-5 (Law 5) enacting article 13 of the CPC gave arrestees in police custody the right to legal counsel and significantly reduced the duration of legal pre-charge detention from 72 to 48 hours. By the order of public prosecutor and when justified, pre-charge detention could be extended with 48 hours for felonies and 24 hours for misdemeanors. In parallel, the anti-terrorism law of 2015 allows prosecutors and police to hold suspects for the first 48 hours without access to a lawyer and extends the duration of pre-charge custody to five days extendable two times for a total of 15 days. Since Law 5 came into force, its application has been uneven. This project seeks to ensure that the rights granted to civilians in Tunisia by Law 5 and criminal procedures proposing alternatives to detention, inter alia, bail provisions, are enforced consistently during the pre-trial phase.

Nigeria is ranked 8th most impacted country by terrorism globally according to the 2023 Global Terrorism index. Groups like ISIS West Africa (ISIS-WA) and Boko Haram have committed horrendous atrocities like massacres and mass killings, use of sexual violence and enslavement, suicide bombings, abductions, and forced conscription. These atrocities, especially in Nigerias northern region, have caused widespread fear among citizens, worsened a humanitarian crisis, and increased gross violations of human rights. To hold the perpetrators of these atrocities accountable, Nigerias Federal Ministry of Justice has assigned the prosecution of terrorism and atrocities cases to the ministrys Complex Case Group. Furthermore, the Federal High Court of Nigeria, which has jurisdiction over terrorism cases, has assigned a number of judges to adjudicate these cases. Nigerias Legal Aid Council (LACON) also provides defense to the persons charged with committing atrocities. In addition to these, the National Human Rights Commission is tasked with the responsibility of promoting and protecting human rights and the investigation of human rights violations. Thousands of terrorism cases in Nigeria remain backlogged. The backlog results from prosecutors and judges limited knowledge of prosecuting atrocities cases. Existing cases languish because of institutional administrative problems, including Nigerian judges transcribing court proceedings by hand, resulting in delays and errors. Lawyers at the Legal Aid Council also have limited specialized training which contributes to delays in the process and lack of proper defense for suspects. Detainees are kept in government detention facilities located at significant distances from the government officials responsible for the prosecution, defense and judgements, creating significant logistical challenges. Poor case management, disorganized court administration, and a lack of coordination between the Complex Case Group, Federal High Court, and the Joint Investigative Center (the unit responsible for investigating terrorism cases comprised of military, police and state security service investigators) further impede progress on atrocity cases.

With this solicitation, OJJDP seeks to support the development and dissemination of translational tools and resources current knowledge about what works packaged in accessible, comprehensible, actionable form for use by everyday youth serving (nonresearcher) practitioners, and lay persons to effect and sustain positive change on key topics spanning the juvenile justice continuum in order to improve the juvenile justice system and prevent juvenile delinquency.

This program is authorized by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, Pub. L. No. 117-328. The Expanding Sexual Assault Victim Services on Campus Pilot Program (hereafter referred to as Campus Victim Services Pilot) supports institutions of higher education to improve victim services on campus by expanding access to holistic sexual assault services on college campuses and creating a promising practice guide for higher education institutions that wish to expand their sexual assault services and advocacy. Campus sexual assault victim services need to be survivor-centered, comprehensive, culturally relevant, flexible, and accessible for all survivors of sexual assault. Therefore, collaborative relationships between campus and community-based victim service providers are critical to ensure accessibility to services.

INL seeks to assist the Kingdom of Morocco, through its Ministry of Justice (MOJ) and General Delegation for Prison Administration and Rehabilitation (DGAPR) in implementing a community corrections/ATI system. Moroccan prisons are regularly overcrowded, due largely to the lack of probation and parole options available to the accused. Those that are available under Moroccan law are rarely implemented. According to some reports, approximately 40% of all detainees in Morocco are held in pretrial detention. INL seeks to address overcrowding and pretrial detention rates by assisting the DGAPR and MOJ in developing a streamlined and effective ATI/community corrections regime within the framework of Moroccos draft ATI law (if implemented). Additionally, the MOJ is actively working on developing a drug diversion program for non-violent offenders, and INL welcomes proposals that include rehabilitation and diversion programs in their work. Implementation of an effective community corrections program that utilizes ATI will improve the capacity of the justice and corrections sectors to provide equitable and efficient access to justice throughout the country. Though Moroccos draft ATI law is expected to be passed in the near future, successful proposals will be designed to not be wholly contingent on the ATI law being passed into law.

As the largest economy in Africa, the most populous country on the continent, and an influential political and diplomatic leader in the region, Nigeria is a strategic U.S. partner. The country faces numerous challenges related to terrorism (Boko Haram, Islamic State-West Africa), and transnational organized crime (TOC), including narcotics and human trafficking, corruption, and under-developed criminal justice institutions to meet the needs of a population of 250 million citizens. These conflicts include insurgencies by militant groups in the Niger Delta, the ISIS insurgency in the North-East and Middle Belt, and kidnapping and bandit gangs in the North West and Middle Belt. The Northeast region of Nigeria is currently grappling with significant security challenges, including due to terrorism by ISIS and other groups, and the remnants of unexploded ordnance from the long-standing conflicts. Since 2016, over 2,000 civilians have been affected by these explosive remnants, placing Nigeria among countries with the highest rates of improvised explosive device (IED) incidents globally. Moreover, the Southeast region of Nigeria, still bearing the scars of the Nigerian Civil War (1967-1970), faces the risk of separatist groups potentially utilizing old explosives. Criminal groups also use incendiary devices and other explosives in violent attacks against civilians and government authorities. To combat these challenges, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), with its specialized 1,800-member Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Defense (EOD-CBRN) command, along with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC)'s 200-member EOD team, are among authorities responsible for ordnance clearance and responding to civilian reports of explosive threats. These units, however, are hindered by several factors, including insufficient ordnance storage infrastructure, standardized training to international standards, and equipment. Problems like improper storage of recovered IEDs and unexploded ordnances (UXOs), non-adherence to international standards, and a gap in expertise due to the retirement of seasoned personnel diminish their operational efficiency. These limitations affect not only the immediate response to explosive threats but also the broader recovery and stabilization efforts in Nigeria.

With this solicitation, OJJDP seeks to fund a national membership and accreditation organization to support training and technical assistance and implementation of national standards for childrens advocacy centers (CACs), which provide a coordinated response to victims of child abuse.

LITCs ensure the fairness and integrity of the tax system for taxpayers who are lowincome or speak English as a Second Language (ESL) by: • Providing pro bono representation on their behalf in tax disputes with the IRS; • Educating them about their rights and responsibilities as taxpayers; and • Identifying and advocating for issues that impact these taxpayers. LITCs must: • Provide dollar-for-dollar matching funds; and • Offer LITC services for free or for no more than a nominal fee.

This program is authorized by 34 U.S.C. 12514. This Fiscal Year 2024 Restorative Practices Pilot Program Evaluation Solicitation (RPPP Evaluation) invites applications to conduct research and evaluation on restorative practices in collaboration with pilot sites and training and technical assistance (TTA) providers. The pilot sites and TTA providers will be funded under separate funding announcements; this solicitation is exclusively to fund research and evaluation. OVW anticipates investing approximately $8 million in RPPP Evaluation efforts to answer some but not all of the research questions found on page 8 of this solicitation through approaches that align with OVWs methodological principles for research and evaluation, found on page 12. Applicants should also demonstrate the capacities and competencies described on page 12. OVW expects to issue one award under this solicitation to support various research projects under one award that will generate knowledge that practitioners, policymakers, and the public can use to make decisions about developing, implementing, and using restorative practices to redress the harm caused by domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking. The recipient will work in close collaboration with OVW staff, TTA providers, evaluation liaisons, and pilot site practitioners to develop reasonable and useful evaluation measures across and within pilot sites. Additionally, the research that OVW will fund through this award will mirror the aims of restorative practices, use mixed methods approaches, and be adaptable and community-specific with strong researcher-practitioner-community partnerships. OVW anticipates issuing the RPPP Evaluation award as a cooperative agreement that will involve multiple junctures at which the recipient will be required to submit detailed plans for OVWs approval before those plans can proceed. The reason for this is that pilot sites have not been identified yet, and an evaluator cannot realistically determine a detailed and comprehensive evaluation approach without information about the pilot sites. Applicants proposals should include recommended check points at which the evaluator and OVW staff will confer before different phases of project activities proceed.