Governor Terry McAuliffe and Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security Brian Moran announced today that the Criminal Justice Services Board, which is the policy Board for the Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS), has approved grants totaling more than $74M dollars in federal and state funds to support agencies and programs supporting the criminal justice system in Virginia.
These grants will provide funding to a wide range of criminal justice programming including: local probation and pretrial services programs, programs to help offenders transition from incarceration to the community, Victim Witness programs, Court Appointed Special Advocates for children in cases of abuse and neglect, services to victims of sexual and domestic violence, crime and delinquency prevention efforts, school safety and other law enforcement initiatives.
“These grants are a powerful tool for strengthening programs and services that make communities safer and offer support to crime victims and their families,” said Governor McAuliffe. “Keeping our communities safe is an essential part of building a new Virginia economy — I commend the Criminal Justice Services Board and the Department of Criminal Justice Services for their continued efforts in keeping residents safe and for supporting the many projects that improve lives across the Commonwealth.”
In announcing the Board’s approval of the grants today, the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security, Brian Moran, applauded the Board and DCJS’ efforts to ensure that the programs receiving funds are responding to critical local needs: “Many of these grants provide essential services that are not otherwise available. They fill critical gaps in communities, increase public safety and support services for victims of crime and violence. These grants compliment many of the criminal justice reforms that the Governor has instituted.”
DCJS Director, Fran Ecker, added, “The Department has a responsibility to make sure that these funds are wisely used and have the impact envisioned by our funders. Each grant award requires realistic performance measures and emphasizes data-driven strategies and evidence-based practices. These requirements help both DCJS and the programs themselves to be able to demonstrate the impact they’re having.”
DCJS administers more than 1000 grants annually totaling more than $240M. These grants support programs and initiatives across the criminal justice system in Virginia. In addition to providing programmatic and funding support, DCJS also administers law enforcement training standards, provides research and evaluation services, provides technical assistance on school and campus safety issues, makes training opportunities available to criminal justice practitioners, and provides regulatory oversight to private security and related businesses.
The Criminal Justice Services Board approved the following grants:
- Byrne Justice Assistance Program, 26 grants, $2.2 million.
- Local Probation and Pretrial Services, 37 grants, $24.4 million.
- Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), 27 grants, 3.5 million.
- Pre and Post Incarceration Services (PAPIS) Program, 9 grants, $2.2 million.
- School Resource Officers/Security Officers (SRO/SSO), 52 grants, $2.5 million.
- Sexual Assault – Domestic Violence Grant Program, 58 grants, $21.5 million.
- Victim Witness Grant Program, 112 grants, $17.8 million.
A complete listing of the grants approved by the Board is available on the DCJS website, at www.dcjs.virginia.gov.
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