Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) Resources

Provides training and technical assistance to organizations, communities, and individuals involved with the justice system, including judges, attorneys, justice officials, community organizations, and others working to create a more fair, effective, and humane justice system. Offers hands-on support to help plan, implement, research, and evaluate new policies, programs, practices, and technologies to achieve systemic change, resulting in safer communities, reduced incarceration, and improved community perceptions of and relations with law enforcement and the justice system. Focuses on the following areas of reform: preventing crime, rethinking incarceration, strengthening families, engaging communities, improving decision-making, aiding survivors, and advancing fairness.

Offers jails with established medication-assisted treatment (MAT) programs the opportunity to apply to become a mentor site to provide peer-to-peer mentoring to other jails interested in establishing or expanding MAT programs to better meet the needs of individuals in jail with substance use disorders (SUD).

Provides training, resources, and technical assistance to improve law enforcement and community responses to individuals with behavioral health conditions or intellectual and developmental disabilities. Supports the development of police-mental health collaborations designed to help officers safely and effectively to people with behavioral health needs and increase their access to services.

Provides training and technical assistance to help tribal jurisdictions develop new or strengthen existing healing to wellness courts. Offers up-to-date resources on effective, evidence-based strategies to address alcohol and substance use issues among justice-involved juveniles and adults in tribal areas using a treatment court model that incorporates culturally appropriate services, trauma-informed approaches, and traditional healing practices.

Supports collaboration between justice agencies, behavioral health providers, and community organizations to improve crisis stabilization care for individuals with serious mental illness, substance use disorders (SUDs), and co-occurring disorders who are currently involved with the justice system or are reentering the community. Seeks to reduce the number of individuals experiencing crisis during the pretrial period, confinement, and upon release while ensuring continuity of care and supporting recovery during the transition to the community by providing clinical behavioral healthcare and other reentry services.

Provides funding to state, local, and tribal governments to contract with organizations to provide clinical services, permanent supportive housing, and other reentry supports for individuals leaving incarceration, with a specific focus on the needs of individuals with mental health, substance use, or co-occurring disorders. Aims to increase public safety and lower recidivism rates by helping formerly incarcerated individuals successfully rejoin society. Services funded through this opportunity must be performance-based or outcome-based, making payment dependent upon reaching agreed upon goals.

Funds nonprofit organizations and Native American tribal organizations to develop or expand comprehensive, evidence-based reentry services and programs to help individuals who have been incarcerated. Aims to decrease recidivism, enhance community safety, and improve reentry outcomes by offering case management and other services for individuals both prior to and after release from incarceration to help them successfully reintegrate into their communities.

Supports cross-system collaboration initiatives between law enforcement and behavioral health providers to improve responses to and outcomes for individuals with mental health disorders (MHDs) or co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders (MHSUDs). Promotes public health and public safety by helping entities develop and implement collaborative projects to enhance crisis response programs focused on individuals with MHDs or MHSUDs who come into contact with law enforcement.

Provides funds to support the planning, implementation, and enhancement of adult substance use treatment courts for local, state, and federally recognized tribal governments. Funds activities centered on preventing overdoses, increasing access to treatment and recovery services, and decreasing recidivism.

Strengthens the ability of corrections systems and community-based service providers to support individuals with substance use disorders (SUD), including parents of minor children and pregnant/postpartum women, during the pre-release phase of incarceration and continued through reentry into the community. Works to establish, expand, or improve SUD treatment and recovery programs to increase access to evidence-based, culturally relevant services, reduce recidivism, promote long-term recovery, and decrease overdose among the target population.

Offers funds and technical assistance to states, local governments, and federally recognized Indian tribes to plan, implement, or expand comprehensive collaboration programs to improve outcomes for people with mental health disorders or co-occurring mental illness and substance use disorders who are involved with the justice system. Aims to develop collaborations across the criminal justice system that will provide healthcare, treatment, social services, and other supports to enhance public safety and public health, and reduce recidivism among the target population.

Provides funds to help and support law enforcement, correctional officers, probation and parole, and sheriff's departments partnering with mental health, substance use, and community service professionals and agencies to promote public safety and ensure appropriate responses are provided to individuals in crisis with behavioral health, conditions, intellectual disabilities, developmental disabilities, physical disabilities, and/or traumatic brain injuries. Funds activities focused on planning, developing, enhancing, and evaluating a Collaborative Crisis Response and Intervention Training (CRIT) program.

Offers funding and technical assistance to probation and parole agencies to build capacity and increase the effectiveness of community supervision programs. Promotes best and evidence-based probation/parole practices, with the goal of increasing success rates for individuals under supervision, reducing recidivism, helping to lower crime, and enhancing community safety. Assists in the development, implementation, and testing of innovative strategies and facilitates collaboration between agencies and officials working in areas related to community supervision.

Supports efforts to reduce violent crime by developing and implementing comprehensive community-based violence intervention and prevention programs focused on youth and adults at highest risk for violence. Encourages community partnerships between residents, local government, victim service providers, law enforcement, hospitals, and other stakeholders to engage in strategies and activities to address risk factors related to violence, including substance use disorder (SUD), housing instability, and history victimization or perpetration.

Enhances the work of medical examiners and coroners in the U.S. by providing funds to agencies accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduated Medical Education (ACGME) to recruit qualified applicants for fellowship programs. Improves medical and legal death investigation services by assisting medical examiner and coroner agencies seeking to achieve or maintain accreditation through an independent accrediting organization.

Funds to support the renovation and expansion of existing facilities and building prefabricated or permanent modular facilities for tribal justice systems. Supports infrastructure in locations that lack permanent or sufficient structures for staff, resident, and inmate safety and security issues. Seeks to improve the physical infrastructure and tribal justice system facilities to increase their functional capacity to reduce recidivism, provide staff training and support other activities impacting staff health, wellness, and fitness. Part of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation (CTAS).

Funds to tribes to develop, support, and improve adult tribal justice systems. Seeks to support tribal and law enforcement efforts to prevent and reduce crime, including crime related to opioid, alcohol, stimulant, and other substance use disorders (SUD). Part of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation (CTAS).

Funds to support strategic planning and development to improve tribal justice systems, public safety, and community wellness. Supports strategies to address violent crime, murder of indigenous people, domestic violence, substance misuse, substance use disorder (SUD), overdose, drug-related crime, and human trafficking. Offers training, technical assistance, and other supports to assist communities and law enforcement with planning and processes to proactively address conditions and issues that lead to crime, social disorder, and fear of crime. Part of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation (CTAS).

Offers a 1-year initiative for rural justice, public safety practitioners, and other community stakeholders seeking to engage in strategic planning to address issues related to substance use and misuse in their communities. Assists participants in developing cross-sector networks and creating solutions to better respond to and serve justice-involved individuals with substance use or co-occurring disorders. Reaching Rural is an initiative of the Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use Program (COSSUP) funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance.

Provides formula grant funding to local governments to enhance the functioning of the criminal justice system, with a focus on efforts to address violent crime and serious offenders. Funds may be used for additional personnel, equipment, supplies, contractual support, training, technical assistance, and information systems to support activities that will help prevent, control, or reduce crime; enforce the criminal law; and strengthen the courts, corrections, probation, and parole authorities. Supports drug treatment, enforcement, prevention, and education programs.

Provides formula grant funding to states to support efforts to prevent or reduce crime and violence, and to improve the fair administration of the justice system. Funds may be used for additional personnel, equipment, supplies, contractual support, training, technical assistance, and information systems to support activities that will help prevent, control, or reduce crime; enforce the criminal law; and strengthen the courts, corrections, probation, and parole authorities. Supports drug treatment, enforcement, prevention, and education programs.

Offers funding to develop and implement residential and jail-based programs to provide treatment and recovery supports for individuals with substance use disorder (SUD) and co-occurring disorders (COD) in state, local, and tribal correctional and detention centers. Aims to reduce substance use and overdose deaths in prisons and jails. Supports aftercare services to ensure continuity of care and help program participants successfully reenter the community upon release from incarceration.

Supports state, local, and tribal efforts to plan, implement, and enhance prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) in order to prevent the misuse and abuse of prescription drugs, such as opioids. Strengthens the ability of law enforcement and public health agencies to collect and analyze controlled substance prescription data and to track prescribing across providers and states by integrating PDMPs with electronic health records (EHRs), pharmacy dispensing software (PDS) systems, health information exchanges (HIEs), and other healthcare facilities and systems. Promotes the development of innovative, evidence-based PDMP strategies, and multistate projects that can serve as models for other states.

Funds to assist states in improving the quality and efficiency of forensic science and medical examiner/coroner services in order to meet the increased need for forensic investigation due to the proliferation of opioids and synthetic drugs. Offers funding by formula to enhance personnel, training, equipment, infrastructure, and other components of forensic examination.

Funds to assist medical examiner/coroners, forensic pathologists, and medical and legal death investigation systems efficiently handle the increased need for services resulting from the proliferation of opioids and synthetic drugs. Seeks to provide accelerated and improved forensic science and medical examiner/coroner services by funding expenses related to personnel, training, equipment, infrastructure, and more.

Provides funds to support planning, implementation, and enhancement of veteran treatment courts by offering grants and technical assistance to states, state and local courts, local governments, and federally recognized tribal governments. Funds activities centered on preventing overdoses, increasing access to treatment and recovery services, and decreasing recidivism for veterans with substance use disorders in the criminal justice system.

Supports efforts to decrease opioid, stimulant, and other substance misuse and overdose deaths by offering financial and technical assistance to state, local, and tribal government entities. Helps provide treatment and recovery services for individuals involved with the criminal justice system resulting from substance misuse and their families. Seeks to enhance public safety and support underserved and rural populations through prevention and harm reduction activities and diversion programs.

Offers funding and technical assistance to state and local corrections agencies to build their capacity to implement and expand services and support for individuals re-entering the community after incarceration or those on probation or parole. Promotes reentry and supervision success through programs designed to identify and meet individual needs of the target population and the use of technology to track outcomes and inform decision making.

Provides funds to develop a set of clinical guidelines and protocols for the medical management of substance withdrawal in jails. Guides jail administrators, correctional officers, and jail-based clinicians in enacting policies and procedures to safely address issues related to substance withdrawal among the adult detainee population. Focuses on challenges such as rapid withdrawal from opioids, benzodiazepines, methamphetamines, and other substances; risk screening for opioid withdrawal-related suicide; medication maintenance for entering detainees; transitioning to buprenorphine treatment or detoxification; standards for dosage and administration of agonist medication, and other aspects of jail-based withdrawal management. Creates withdrawal guidelines and protocols informed by the best evidence-based clinical practices that are also responsive to the unique needs and challenges of providing care in a jail-based setting.

Funds for rural communities to prevent and reduce opioid overdose deaths among individuals who come into contact with law enforcement or are involved with the criminal justice system in high-risk rural communities and regions. Strengthens activities related to strategic planning, cross-sector collaboration, data collection, opioid prescribing, overdose prevention, linkage to opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment, and peer recovery support services.

Funds for demonstration projects to support statewide adoption of the Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program (ODMAP) mobile tool. ODMAP helps states quickly track and analyze fatal and nonfatal opioid overdoses and the administration of naloxone by first responders. Works to establish coalitions in local communities to use ODMAP data to inform public health and safety interventions for specific geographic areas or populations at high risk for overdose.

Summarizes key focus areas, needs, and recommendations of underrepresented rural and tribal law enforcement leaders in 5 states that were the result of a series of listening sessions with federal agencies. Includes topics such as substance use, mental health, and homelessness; illicit drugs; trafficking from the southern border; relationships with tribes; and funding, among others. Provides individual state summaries and U.S. Department of Justice resources to support local efforts to enhance public safety and reduce crime in rural and tribal areas.

Summarizes key focus areas, needs, and recommendations of underrepresented rural and tribal law enforcement leaders in 9 states that were the result of a series of listening sessions with federal agencies. Includes topics such as substance use and addiction; mental health and medical care; illegal drug trafficking and related crime; school safety; and funding, among others. Describes ongoing federal responses to rural law enforcement concerns and highlights several best practices and new ideas to support local efforts to enhance public safety and reduce crime in rural and tribal areas.

Provides an overview and history on the use of peer recovery support services (PRSS) in tribal communities to address high rates of substance use and substance use disorders (SUDs). Offers resources and models on best practices for tribes to develop, implement, and sustain PRSS programming. Draws insights from 9 tribal PRSS practitioners to highlight the importance of including Native American culture and traditions into PRSS delivery.

Serves as a clearinghouse of resources to assist law enforcement agencies across the country in establishing a naloxone program to reduce the harm and number of deaths associated with opioid overdose. Offers information on a range of topics related to operating a naloxone program, including naloxone medication and its role in law enforcement; acquiring and administering naloxone; training law enforcement; liability and risk issues; and collaboration with other agencies and stakeholders. Provides a variety of tools and materials, such as sample documents and templates for data collection forms, training materials, press releases, community outreach materials, and more. Product of the Bureau of Justice Assistance's (BJA) National Training and Technical Assistance Center (NTTAC) funded by a contract through the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of Justice Programs (OJP).

Shares strategies to help small or rural law enforcement agencies provide mental health training for their officers. Discusses some challenges small and rural law enforcement agencies can experience when training to provide mental health training.

Interactive map providing state- and county-level data showing the rates of drug overdose deaths, including opioid deaths, in the U.S. Allows users to create maps illustrating connections between overdose deaths and selected demographic, economic, and behavioral health characteristics, including race/ethnicity, age, education, disability status, household income, poverty rates, unemployment rates, the number of mental health facilities per 100,000 population, and more.

Toolkit sharing guidance and resources for tribal justice system practitioners to develop or enhance existing reentry programs for American Indian and Alaska Native populations returning from jail or prison. Covers devolving a planning team; identifying and collaborating with partners; engaging clients; measuring program impact; and more. Includes best practices and program examples for tribal justice system practitioners.

Provides resources support law enforcement agencies in developing police – mental health collaboration (PMHC) programs in which they partner with mental health providers and other community stakeholders to safely and effectively respond to people with mental illness and increase access to services. Offers a PMHC self-assessment tool and modules on key aspects of designing, implementing, and managing a PMHC program that is tailored to meet the unique needs of individual communities.

Video recording sharing highlights from a December 13-14, 2018 workshop in Knoxville, Tennessee attended by rural sheriffs and judges. Workshop hosted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development and the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) to brainstorm ideas and discuss new methods to address the opioid crisis.

Provides an overview of the Second Chance Act (SCA) grant programs that support state, local, and tribal governments and other nonprofit organization to reduce recidivism and improve outcomes for individuals who have been incarcerated. Shares information on the SCA program tracks, success stories, and other opportunities for further assistance. Product of the National Reentry Resource Center funded by a grant through the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA).

Provides guidance to Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts (THWCs) on effective case management practices and the functions of case management in THWC operations. Offers case management models; resources; and information related to ethics, balancing roles, and data collection and evaluation to assist THWCs in developing or revising the role of case managers in their courts.

Discusses common elements of intergovernmental collaboration, including tribal-state collaborations, intended to assist Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts (THWCs) interested in utilizing collaboration to enhance their court operations. Provides a brief history THWCs, profiles of current collaborations that can serve as models, and shares resources to help new and existing THWCs meet the needs of their communities.