BJA FY 19 Implementing the PREA Standards, Protecting Inmates, and Safeguarding Communities | BJA 2019 15245

Opportunity Information: Apply for BJA 2019 15245

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), within the U.S. Department of Justice, offered the FY 2019 grant opportunity titled "Implementing the PREA Standards, Protecting Inmates, and Safeguarding Communities" (Funding Opportunity Number: BJA-2019-15245) to support jurisdictions working to prevent, detect, and respond to sexual abuse in confinement settings. Grounded in the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) of 2003, the program reflects the federal requirement that DOJ provide funding assistance to help state, local, and tribal agencies reduce sexual victimization in custody and strengthen systems that protect people who are incarcerated or detained.

This solicitation was a discretionary grant program under CFDA 16.735, categorized within law, justice, and legal services. It focused on supporting PREA demonstration projects, meaning applicants were expected not only to carry out activities aligned with PREA Standards but to do so in a way that could serve as a model for other agencies and facilities. The core expectation was that proposals would lay out a comprehensive and practical approach that ties together prevention strategies, detection mechanisms, and response protocols for sexual abuse and sexual harassment in custody. A strong application would clearly show how the project improves day-to-day operations, staff practices, and institutional accountability in ways that directly advance PREA implementation.

Eligible applicants included state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, and federally recognized Native American tribal governments. The program was designed to be applicable across a wide range of confinement environments, not limited to traditional prisons or jails. Specifically, BJA emphasized that projects could take place in adult prisons and jails, juvenile facilities, community corrections facilities, law enforcement lockups and other temporary holding facilities, and tribal detention facilities. This broad scope recognizes that PREA risks and compliance needs can exist anywhere individuals are held in custody, including short-term holding settings where policies, training, supervision, and reporting pathways may differ from long-term institutions.

A key feature of the solicitation was its emphasis on identifying and prioritizing gaps. Applicants were expected to demonstrate that they understand what is already in place and, just as importantly, what remains unaddressed. Those gaps could include programmatic deficiencies (for example, missing training components, insufficient victim services coordination, weak reporting channels, limited investigative capacity, or inadequate data tracking) as well as needed changes to policy and procedures (such as updating internal directives to match PREA Standards, improving classification and housing decisions to reduce vulnerability, strengthening staff supervision and monitoring practices, or formalizing response timelines and roles). The intent was to fund targeted work that measurably moves an agency closer to full and effective PREA implementation, rather than duplicating efforts that are already mature or fully resourced.

In terms of funding structure and timing, the opportunity was published on March 13, 2019, with an application closing date of May 21, 2019. BJA anticipated making around 20 awards, with an award ceiling of $250,000 per award. Overall, the program aimed to strengthen institutional safety, reduce the incidence and impact of sexual abuse in custody, and reinforce public trust by ensuring that confinement facilities operate with clear standards, credible reporting and investigation processes, and survivor-centered responses that also support safer facilities and safer communities.

• The Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance in the education, humanities (see cultural affairs in cfda), law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BJA FY 19 Implementing the PREA Standards, Protecting Inmates, and Safeguarding Communities" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.735.
• This funding opportunity was created on Mar 13, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 21, 2019. (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 $250,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 20 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized).

Apply for BJA 2019 15245

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