OpportunityTitle: BJA FY 17 John R. Justice Program
AdditionalInformationOnEligibility: Eligible applicants are agencies, as designated by the governor of the state or territory (or the mayor of Washington, D.C.), to serve as the JRJ-specific administering agency and to which BJA may award funds to serve eligible recipients working within the respective state&#146;s, territory&#146;s, or District&#146;s jurisdiction.
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 case loads, potentially affecting public safety, the administration of justice, and ultimately the public&apos;&#195;&#131;&#194;&#131;&#195;&#130;&#194;&#130;&#195;&#131;&#194;&#130;&#195;&#130;&#194;&#153;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. 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.
GrantorContactEmailDescription: support@grants.gov
GrantorContactText: For technical assistance with submitting an application, contact the Grants.gov Customer Support Hotline at 800-518-4726 or 606-545-5035, or via email to support@grants.gov. The Grants.gov Support Hotline operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except on federal holidays. An applicant that experiences unforeseen Grants.gov technical issues beyond its control that prevent it from submitting its application by the deadline must email the contact identified below within 24 hours after the application deadline in order to request approval to submit its application after the deadline. Additional information on reporting technical issues appears under &#147;Experiencing Unforeseen Grants.gov Technical Issues&#148; in the How to Apply section.&lt;br/&gt;cory.randolph@usdoj.gov&lt;br/&gt;