BJA FY 20 Innovative Prosecution Solutions for Combatting Violent Crime | BJA 2020 17032

Opportunity Information: Apply for BJA 2020 17032

The BJA FY 20 Innovative Prosecution Solutions for Combatting Violent Crime (IPS) grant is a discretionary funding opportunity from the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance, aimed at helping state, local, and tribal prosecutors strengthen their capacity to address and prosecute violent crime more effectively. The program is built around a practical problem many prosecutor offices face nationwide: attorney caseloads that are far higher than recommended, insufficient support staff, and outdated case management technology. Those pressures can slow down case processing, strain coordination with law enforcement and victim services, increase the risk of errors, and ultimately affect both public safety and fairness for victims and defendants. IPS is designed to directly support prosecutor offices in modernizing how they manage and litigate cases so they can focus resources where they have the greatest impact.

A central focus of IPS is reducing excessive caseload burdens and improving overall efficiency in prosecution operations. In real terms, that means funding can be used to support strategies and programs that streamline processes, improve internal procedures, and strengthen day to day case handling so prosecutors can move cases forward in a more timely and consistent way. The grant also emphasizes providing the information, resources, and training and technical assistance (TTA) prosecutors need to adopt effective approaches for combatting violent crime, not just through staffing, but through smarter systems and methods that improve performance and outcomes.

Another major theme is the growing complexity of modern criminal investigations and prosecutions, especially as evidence becomes more digital, voluminous, and technically complicated. IPS explicitly recognizes that local prosecutor offices often struggle to keep pace with the rise in complex evidence and the specialized challenges tied to cyber-enabled offenses, human trafficking, and gun and drug related crimes. These cases frequently involve multiple devices, extensive digital records, coordination across agencies, and complicated investigative timelines, all of which demand tools and workflows that many offices have not been resourced to build on their own. IPS addresses this gap by supporting efforts that help offices adapt to these evidence heavy and technically demanding prosecutions.

The program strongly encourages innovative use of technology, intelligence, and data analytics. Rather than treating technology as a basic administrative upgrade, IPS frames modern tools as a way to make prosecution more strategic. This includes improving how cases are managed and tracked, and using data driven approaches to help prosecutors focus attention on individuals, networks, and geographic areas associated with high concentrations of criminal activity. The underlying idea is to help prosecutor offices move beyond reactive case processing and toward targeted approaches that align resources with the most serious threats and the places experiencing the greatest harm.

In terms of eligibility, the opportunity is open to a wide range of government entities, including state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, and federally recognized Native American tribal governments, with additional eligibility details referenced in the full solicitation. The funding instrument is a grant under CFDA 16.825. For this FY 2020 cycle, the opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number BJA 2020 17032) was created on April 22, 2020, with an original closing date of June 8, 2020. BJA anticipated making about 18 awards, with a maximum award amount (ceiling) of $340,000 per award.

Overall, IPS is intended to modernize and strengthen prosecutor office operations in ways that directly support violent crime prosecution: relieving capacity constraints, improving procedures, upgrading outdated IT and case tracking systems, and promoting technology and analytics that help offices respond to complex evidence and concentrate efforts on the people and locations most connected to serious criminal activity.

• The Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance in the employment, labor and training, humanities (see cultural affairs in cfda), information and statistics, law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BJA FY 20 Innovative Prosecution Solutions for Combatting Violent Crime" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.825.
• This funding opportunity was created on Apr 22, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 08, 2020. (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 $340,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 18 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for BJA 2020 17032

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