BJA FY 23 John R. Justice (JRJ) Formula Grant Program | O BJA 2023 171770

Opportunity Information: Apply for O BJA 2023 171770

The BJA FY 23 John R. Justice (JRJ) Formula Grant Program is a Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) funding opportunity, administered under the Office of Justice Programs (OJP), that focuses on strengthening the criminal justice workforce by improving the retention of prosecutors and public defenders. The program is designed around the idea that educational debt can be a major factor driving attorneys out of public service roles, especially in positions that are essential to the fairness and functioning of the justice system. In response, JRJ supports partial student loan repayment for eligible attorneys who agree to remain in qualifying service, helping offices keep experienced staff and reduce turnover that can disrupt case continuity and impact community outcomes.

At the policy level, OJP frames this solicitation within broader departmental priorities that include advancing civil rights and racial equity, increasing access to justice, supporting crime victims and people impacted by the justice system, strengthening community safety, protecting the public from evolving threats, and building trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve. While the JRJ program itself is specifically a loan repayment retention tool, it is positioned as part of a larger strategy to promote a more stable, effective, and equitable justice system by keeping qualified public service attorneys in roles that are often difficult to staff and retain over time.

The core purpose of the grant is to provide funding to a designated state or territory agency so it can operate a statewide JRJ program and distribute benefits to individual attorneys (referred to as "beneficiaries" in the solicitation). The beneficiaries are local, state, and federal public defenders, as well as local and state prosecutors. Selected beneficiaries must commit to an additional three years of qualifying service in exchange for the loan repayment assistance. Rather than providing cash directly to the attorney, the program structure requires that loan payments be made directly to the institutions or loan servicers that hold the beneficiary's qualifying loans, which helps ensure the funds are used for the intended purpose.

Eligibility to apply is limited and structured: only state governments and U.S. territory government agencies designated by the governor may apply, and in the District of Columbia the designated applicant is identified by the mayor. In practical terms, this means individual prosecutor offices, public defender organizations, and individual attorneys do not apply to BJA directly under this opportunity. Instead, the designated state administering agency receives the award and then runs an in-state selection process by soliciting applications from eligible prosecutors and defenders, reviewing submissions, and selecting beneficiaries according to the state's JRJ program procedures and applicable rules.

This opportunity is listed as a discretionary grant under CFDA number 16.816, with BJA as the issuing agency. The funding opportunity title is "BJA FY 23 John R. Justice (JRJ) Formula Grant Program" and the opportunity number is O-BJA-2023-171770. The solicitation was created on May 18, 2023, and the original closing date was August 15, 2023. The award ceiling shown in the source information is $80,000. Although JRJ is described as a formula program, the solicitation still operates through a competitive-style application process at the state administering agency level, after which funds are used to support loan repayment for selected beneficiaries who meet program requirements and agree to the service commitment.

Overall, the JRJ Formula Grant Program is best understood as a workforce stabilization and access-to-justice initiative. By offsetting some of the financial pressure associated with law school debt, it aims to help states and territories keep experienced prosecutors and defenders in public service positions, which can improve consistency, reduce staffing gaps, and support the fair and timely administration of justice across communities.

• The Bureau of Justice Assistance in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BJA FY 23 John R. Justice (JRJ) Formula Grant Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.816.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-05-18.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-08-15. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $80,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, Others.

Apply for O BJA 2023 171770

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