Virginia Law Justice and Legal Services Grants

This funding opportunity provides financial support to Virginia localities with police departments to enhance public safety services while ensuring compliance with state training and reporting requirements.

This program provides funding to Virginia local governments partnering with non-profits to reduce hate crimes and support communities at risk of bias-motivated incidents.

This funding opportunity is designed for nonprofit organizations in Virginia to implement or enhance programs that reduce firearm violence through prevention and intervention strategies.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to state and local government agencies in Virginia to enhance and maintain direct services for victims of crime, helping them recover and navigate the criminal justice system.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to local and public campus law enforcement agencies in Virginia for purchasing essential equipment and technology to improve their operational efficiency and community safety.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to Virginia's adult and juvenile correctional facilities for developing and implementing evidence-based substance use disorder treatment programs to aid in rehabilitation and successful reentry for individuals in custody.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to local governments and non-profit organizations in Virginia to continue delivering essential services to crime victims, helping them recover and navigate the criminal justice system.

This grant provides funding to Virginia county and city governments for community-based supervision and pretrial services programs that support individuals convicted of minor offenses, helping to improve public safety and reduce jail overcrowding.

This funding opportunity is designed to assist Virginia local governments in enhancing security and preparedness for nonprofit organizations and institutions at risk of hate crimes.

This funding opportunity supports youth-led ministry projects that address social issues and empower young people aged 12-18 through outreach, leadership development, and vocational initiatives within their communities.

This funding provides financial support to Virginia's local sheriff's departments for purchasing essential law enforcement equipment to enhance public and officer safety.

This funding initiative provides financial support to Virginia law enforcement agencies and universities to establish and maintain teams that respond to mental health crises in collaboration with mental health professionals.

This funding opportunity provides local law enforcement agencies in Virginia with resources to acquire technology that helps reduce violent crime and implement effective solutions.

This grant provides financial support to nonprofit organizations that improve the quality of life in Loudoun County, focusing on areas like economic development, education, public safety, and community health.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to nonprofit organizations that implement programs focused on education, public health, economic development, and the arts for residents of Charlottesville, Virginia.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to nonprofit organizations and public housing agencies in Charlottesville to enhance housing stability and services for low-income residents and those at risk of homelessness.

The Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services is offering a grant of $100,000 to $500,000 for a 3-year period to expand access to substance use disorder treatment and transitional services in local and regional jails, with priority given to facilities that currently lack such services.

The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, in partnership with the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS), is pleased to announce the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Grant Program. Donor Name: Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services State: County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: (mm/dd/yyyy) 09/12/2024 Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000 Grant Duration: 2 Years Details: The PSN program awards federal funds to provide comprehensive, collaborative, and community-based approaches to reducing violent crime using a full range of appropriate violent crime reduction strategies. As the State Administrative Agency (SAA), DCJS has the responsibility of managing the coordination and distribution of PSN funds in a manner that supports and improves the overall criminal justice system of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Funding Areas The overall goal for this initiative is to reduce violent crime and promote safe communities across the Eastern District of Virginia through the reduction of gun violence and gang activity, with special focus on areas with increased rates of violent crime/gang activity. Toward that goal, the program seeks to fund projects that will enhance progress toward the below priorities. However, innovative, evidence-based projects outside of these priorities, which are aimed at reducing firearm and gang violence, will also be considered.  Group Violence Intervention (GVI): Strategies and programs that promote prevention and intervention by forming partnerships between law enforcement, local government, and the community. GVI includes community members with moral authority connecting with group members or individuals susceptible to violence to deliver a credible moral message against violence. Law enforcement puts groups on prior notice about the consequences of further group-involved violence for the group as a whole. And support and outreach providers make a genuine offer of help for those who want it.  Gun and Gang Crime Investigation/Suppression: Programs (or task forces) to focus on perpetrators of gun and gang-related crimes. This can include the illegal possession of firearms, the illegal sale of guns, or other crimes committed to benefit a “gang.” Multiagency cooperation should be demonstrated (e.g., both state and federal involvement). Firearms Analysis: Programs that should enhance and provide support for state and local law enforcement agencies that analyze firearms and ballistic evidence (including NIBIN analysis and tracing of firearms).  Prevention and Reentry Programs: Programs dedicated to violent crime prevention and the identification of persons at high risk of offending (e.g., educational, faith-based, community-oriented, outreach, etc.). Additionally, programs dedicated to the successful reentry of offenders with housing, educational, and vocational partnerships. Funding Information The amount of funding available for this solicitation of the Project Safe Neighborhoods Grant Program is approximately $295,000. Applicants submitting a grant may apply for funds between $25,000 and $200,000. Project Period Grants will be awarded for a twelve (12) month period, once the grant program is approved by BJA; however, a 24-month period may be considered depending on the need specified in the application. Eligibility Criteria This grant announcement is open to local and state law enforcement agencies, local and state governmental entities, educational institutions, and 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations located in, or serving the Eastern District of Virginia. Three regions impacted most by violent crime will receive a funding preference—Richmond, Newport News, and Norfolk—but other cities across the Eastern District with high violent crime rates will also be considered. For more information, visit DCJS.

The United States Attorney for the Western District of Virginia, in partnership with the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS), is pleased to announce the availability of federal funds through the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Grant Program. Donor Name: Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services State: Virginia County: Albemarle County (VA) Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: (mm/dd/yyyy) 08/29/2024 Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000 Grant Duration: 1 Year Details: This program awards federal funds to provide comprehensive, collaborative, and community-based approaches to reducing violent crime using a full range of appropriate violent crime reduction strategies.  The BJA PSN Grant Program funds allow organizations within the Western District of Virginia to support a broad range of activities to reduce gun and gang violence. Programs should address deterrence efforts aimed at potential offenders, the implementation of evidence-based programs and proven enforcement strategies to prevent and reduce gun and gang crimes, and/or the prosecution of significant firearm, controlled substance, and violent crime offenses.  Funding Areas  Applicants are expected to use funds to support one or more of the following four PSN design features: Community Engagement  Meaningful engagement between and among communities, law enforcement, prosecutors, and other stakeholders is an essential component of an effective violence reduction strategy. Absent community trust, support, and legitimacy, violence reduction strategies are likely to have only short-term, limited, or no effect and may create divisions between law enforcement agencies and prosecutors and the communities they serve. Ongoing engagement involves open communication and builds relationships, trust, and shared public safety values between community members and law enforcement.  Prevention and Intervention Effective  PSN teams engage in problem-solving approaches that address violent crime using all the tools at their disposal. This includes using strategies to address risk and protective factors. This often involve building relationships with representatives of agencies and organizations most suited to provide education, social services, job training and placement, reentry programs, or similar resources to those in need. Prevention and intervention activities can provide individuals and families with skills, opportunities, and alternatives that can ultimately help to reduce violent crime in communities.  Focused and Strategic Enforcement  To address violent crime, PSN initiatives often focus strategic enforcement on a limited number of problem places and individuals driving violent crime. Violent crime is often driven by a small number of prolific offenders; they are often involved in gangs, neighborhood crews, and violent street groups and are typically concentrated in hotspots and small “micro-places” (e.g., a street segment with abandoned homes; a problem bar, gas station, or convenience store; or an open-air drug market). In some jurisdictions, intimate partner violence is the main violent crime concern. Critical elements of strategic enforcement include understanding the most significant drivers of violence and resources, leveraging technology and analytics, developing, and implementing enforcement strategies, and deterring others from engaging in violence. This may be accomplished through public awareness about enforcement actions and available assistance.  Accountability PSN represents a major investment of funding, technical assistance resources, human capital, and other resources at the national, state, and local levels. The goal of PSN is to reduce the level of violence in communities. Analyzing and assessing information about the incidence of violence and the effectiveness of strategies to address it are important for PSN’s success and credibility. A research partner is an especially valuable partner who can assist with measuring the impact of PSN strategies on violent crime and community health. Funding Information The amount of funding available for this solicitation of the Project Safe Neighborhoods Grant Program is approximately $302,000. Grant Period Grants will be awarded for a twelve (12) month period, once the grant program is approved by BJA; however, a 24-month period may be considered depending on the need specified in the application. Eligibility Criteria  This grant announcement is open to local and state law enforcement agencies, local and state governmental entities, educational institutions, and 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations located in, or serving, the cities of Roanoke, Lynchburg, Danville and Charlottesville (including Albemarle County). Applications from multi-jurisdictional partnerships will be considered, provided that one locality or organization serves as the primary applicant. Each locality or organization must certify its consent to participate via a letter of support, which should be included in the grant application. Entities may only submit one application in response to this solicitation. For more information, visit VDCJS.

The Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) is pleased to announce the availability of grant funds to assist organizations in combatting hate crimes. Donor Name: Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services State: Virginia County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: (mm/dd/yyyy) 09/01/2024 Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000 Grant Duration: 1 Year Details: DCJS is soliciting applications to make competitive grants to local governments which have established partnerships with eligible non-profit, 501(c)3 institutions, and organizations that have been targets, or are at risk of being targets, of hate crimes. The goal of this program is to minimize bias-motivated incidents by providing funding that supports institutions and/or nonprofit organizations within a locality that may be at risk for targeted, bias-motivated violence based on race, religious conviction, color, gender, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, or national origin. Funding Information The amount of funding available for the Combatting Hate Crimes Grant Program is determined by the state budget bill. On May 13, 2024, Governor Youngkin signed the 2025–2026 biennium budget bill that included $3,500,000 for the FY2025 fiscal year to fund the Combatting Hate Crimes Grant Program. The maximum amount that may be requested is $150,000 per locality. Localities are expected to collaborate with eligible non-profit, 501(c)3 institutions, and other similarly situated organizations within their jurisdiction that have been targets, or are at risk of being targets, of hate crimes. Organizations that have conducted a threat assessment with their local crime prevention officer within their locality to identify and address their most critical vulnerabilities are most likely to be funded. Grant Period Applicants for this competitive solicitation may be awarded grants for a twelve (12) month period, from January 1, 2025 – December 31, 2025. Uses of funds  The funds can be used for projects, including but not limited to: Equipment: Target hardening activities. Critical technology and infrastructure. Security and monitoring equipment. Contractual security services: On-site security services. Cybersecurity activities. Inspection and screening systems. Training: Security-related training for employed and volunteer security staff. Training related to response to serious incidents (not already available) Terrorism awareness training for employees. Personnel: Part-time staff to perform security assessment for non-profit organizations and institutions to determine risk. Eligibility Criteria  This grant announcement is open to local governments within the Commonwealth that have established partnerships with non-profit organizations or institutions within their jurisdiction. All applications must be submitted by the local government. One application per locality may be submitted but the application may include multiple partnerships with separate nonprofits, organizations, or institutions. Restrictions Grant funds cannot be used to supplant state or local funds that would otherwise be available for the same purposes.  Reimbursement will be based on paid invoices for approved expenditures or through requested advance drawdowns with expected expenditures.  Changes to the grant budget after award must be approved by DCJS prior to expending funds based on the changes.  Transactions occurring outside of the grant period will not be eligible for reimbursement. For more information, visit VDCJS.