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.
The grant program focuses on building the capacity of state courts, local courts, units of local government, and federally recognized Tribal governments. Its main goals include establishing new family treatment courts, enhancing existing ones, or expanding family treatment courts at both state and county levels. This initiative aligns with the broader mission by supporting effective substance use intervention programs within the judicial system.