BJA FY 14 John R. Justice Program
Posted by Bureau of Justice Assistance
Opportunity snapshot. This Grants.gov announcement — BJA FY 14 John R. Justice Program — is cataloged under number BJA-2014-3802 and tied to CFDA assistance listing 16.816, posted by Bureau of Justice Assistance. Grants.gov currently shows the opportunity as closed, first posted on February 18, 2014. The funding category is Discretionary, delivered as a grant.
Award economics. The award range on file is Up to $60,000. Cost sharing is not required, so applicants do not need to commit matching funds to be competitive on this opportunity. Federal award ranges are often upper bounds; actual allocations reflect program appropriations, the strength of the applicant pool, and the evaluation committee's scoring.
Deadline and action path. This opportunity closed on April 14, 2014. Future funding cycles may be published under the same CFDA number, so monitoring the parent program page is the most reliable way to catch re-announcements. Every Grants.gov submission requires an active SAM.gov registration and a Unique Entity ID. Review the Eligibility section below carefully — federal eligibility categories (nonprofit, state or local government, tribal, individual, educational institution, small business) have distinct registration and reporting requirements. Pre-application outreach to the listed agency contact is permitted and often welcomed — it helps clarify scope and scoring priorities.
Award Range
Up to $60,000
Close Date
April 14, 2014
Posted
February 18, 2014
Instrument
Grant
Description
One pressing challenge facing our criminal justice system today is the recruitment and retention of qualified prosecutors and public defenders, who serve everyday to ensure that our communities are protected, the rule of law is upheld, and the rights of the citizenry are safeguarded. Both prosecutor and public defender offices consistently find it difficult to attract and retain talented attorneys. Driven by educational debt, attorneys interested in public interest law often forego opportunities to work in these offices in order to seek more lucrative private sector positions. Attorney shortages in these offices can result in overworked attorneys handling unmanageable caseloads, potentially affecting public safety, the administration of justice, and ultimately the public’s confidence in our justice system. Student loan debt is consistently cited as the overwhelming reason why many attorneys decline or leave positions as prosecutors and public defenders. The vast majority of law students borrow to finance their legal education and the rising costs have imposed staggering debt. Furthermore, public defender and prosecutor salaries have failed to keep pace with the escalating cost of education. As a result, talented lawyers who would otherwise consider a career in this critical public service are often unwilling to accept or remain in attorney positions as prosecutors or public defenders, creating real challenges for those offices in their quest to hire and retain capable attorneys. Acknowledging this challenge, the John R. Justice Prosecutors and Defenders Incentive Act (hereinafter referred to as the “Act”), codified at 42 U.S.C. §3797cc-21, and named for the late John Reid Justice of South Carolina, was enacted to encourage qualified attorneys to choose careers as prosecutors and public defenders and to continue in that service. The JRJ Grant Program (also referred to as the John R. Justice Student Loan Repayment Program or JRJSLRP) provides loan repayment assistance for local, state, and federal public defenders and local and state prosecutors who commit to continued employment as public defenders and prosecutors. To administer this program, BJA will fund the designated JRJ administering agency for each of the 56 states and territories to serve eligible recipients (“beneficiaries”). For each state and territory that is eligible for funding under the JRJ Grant Program, BJA will make awards to agencies designated by the Governor of those states or territories (or in the case of the District of Columbia, by the Mayor) to administer the JRJ Grant Program within the state or territory. These Governor-designated agencies shall establish and maintain a statewide JRJ Grant Program consistent with the guidance contained in this document and the Act.
Eligibility
25
Official Listing on Grants.gov
View full details, application forms, and submission instructions.
Parent Grant Program
John R. Justice Grant Program
U.S. Department of Justice
Agency Contact
For technical assistance with submitting the application, call the Grants Management System Support Hotline at 1-888-549-9901, option 3, or via e-mail to GMSHelpDesk@usdoj.gov. The GMS Support Hotline hours of operation are Monday-Friday from 6:00 a.m. to 12 midnight eastern time, except federal holidays.
Key Dates
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Disclaimer: This information is sourced from Grants.gov and SAM.gov and is for informational purposes only. Opportunity details, deadlines, and eligibility requirements change frequently. Always verify current information directly on Grants.gov before applying. PlainGrants is not affiliated with any federal agency.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
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| Sources | Public official public datasets |