The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) was created in 1984 to reduce violent crime, create safer communities, and reform our Nation’s criminal justice system. BJA’s mission is to provide leadership and services in grant administration and criminal justice policy development to support state, local, and tribal justice strategies to achieve safer communities. BJA works with communities, governments, and nonprofit organizations to reduce crime, recidivism, and unnecessary confinement, and promote a safe and fair criminal justice system.
This grant aims to support organizations in developing and administering programs that focus on protecting vulnerable populations within prisons, jails, and other confinement settings. It encourages the reduction of reliance on restrictive or punitive approaches. Targeted vulnerable groups include individuals with physical disabilities, severe or persistent mental illness, members of the LGBTQ+ community, youthful inmates in adult facilities, and those who are blind, deaf, or non-English speaking. The grant includes funding for a competitive microgrant program and the provision of training and technical assistance (TTA) to relevant agencies.