Grants and Planning Branch

The Grants & Planning Branch maintains information on federal and state resources that may be available to assist in improving the criminal and juvenile justice systems, and seeks, applies for, and administers federal crime and crime prevention funding.  We are the State Administering Agency (SAA) for the following Federal Grants:

*Eligible grant recipients are state and county government organizations. Grant funds are not awarded directly to private agencies.

The Grants & Planning Branch works closely with the U.S. Department of Justice, in particular with the Bureau of Justice Assistance, the National Institute of Justice, the Office for Victims of Crime, the Office of Justice Programs, and the Office on Violence Against Women.

The Grants & Planning Branch is also the Administering Agency for the following State Grants:

  • Hawaii Career Criminal Prosecution Program (HCCPP)*
  • Victim Witness Assistance (VW)*

FY 2024 STOP Violence Against Women Formula Grant Program

for Law Enforcement and Prosecution Agencies, and The Judiciary

RELEASE DATE:  March 24, 2025

APPLICATION DEADLINE:  April 28, 2025

 

The Department of the Attorney General, Crime Prevention and Justice Assistance Division (CPJAD), Grants and Planning Branch is soliciting for applications from State and County government agencies for the STOP Violence Against Women (VAWA) Formula Grant Program.

The Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) in the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) implements VAWA and subsequent legislation.  VAWA created several grant programs that are administered by OVW.  One of VAWA’s major grant programs is the Services-Training-Officers-Prosecutors (STOP) Violence Against Women Formula Grant Program for states, territories, and tribal entities. Its purpose is to develop and strengthen effective responses to sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking.  The STOP Formula Grant Program continues to emphasize the implementation of comprehensive strategies addressing violence against women that are sensitive to the needs and safety of victims and hold offenders accountable for their crimes.

VAWA mandates that STOP funds be distributed according to a formula plan: 25 percent for law enforcement, 25 percent for prosecution, 5 percent to the courts, and 30 percent for non-profit, non-governmental victim service providers.  The remaining 15 percent is distributed among service providers and/or criminal justice agencies at the discretion of the state.  At least 20 percent of the state’s total award must be allocated for projects in 2 or more allocations (victim services, courts, law enforcement, or prosecution) that meaningfully address sexual assault.  A minimum of 10 percent from the victim services allocation must be set aside for culturally-specific services.

STOP-funded projects must fall within at least one (1) of the twenty-four (24) federal VAWA Statutory Purpose Areas and at least one (1) of the state Funding Priority Areas for Law Enforcement and Prosecution, and The Judiciary.

Eligible Agencies:

  • LAW ENFORCEMENT AND PROSECUTION AGENCIES
  • THE JUDICIARY

Match Requirement:

  • 25 percent in-kind or cash agency match requirement

Length of Support:

  • Project period is from June 1, 2025 to May 31, 2026. Earlier start date may be considered upon request.

Instructions and forms:

FY 2024 JOHN R. JUSTICE STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM

for qualified State Public Defenders and State and Local Prosecutors

 

RELEASE DATE:  March 10, 2025

APPLICATION DEADLINE:  April 21, 2025

Applications for the John R. Justice (JRJ) Student Loan Repayment Program are being solicited from qualified state public defenders and state and local prosecutors. All application documents must be received by the Department of the Attorney General, CPJAD by Monday, April 21, 2025. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered and will be returned to the sender.

Instructions and forms

Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program (SCIP)

 

On June 25, 2022, President Biden signed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act of 2022 into law to reduce gun violence, save lives, and progress toward keeping guns out of dangerous hands. In signing the bill into law, the President noted that this historical act “invests in antiviolence programs that work — that work directly with the people who are most likely to commit these crimes or become victims of gun crimes.”

As authorized by the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act of 2022, the Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program (Byrne SCIP) provides formula funds to implement state crisis intervention court proceedings and related programs or initiatives.  $750 million has been appropriated for Byrne SCIP, to be awarded over 5 years – from Federal FY 2022 to Federal FY 2026.  The Department of the Attorney General is the State Administrating Agency for Byrne SCIP.

Information about the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance Byrne SCIP Program: https://bja.ojp.gov/program/byrne-scip/overview

The first Byrne SCIP funds award is a combined Federal FY 2022 and FY 2023 award.  For Hawaii, the combined award amount is $1,445,832.  For Federal FY 2024 to FY 2026, Hawaii’s award is anticipated to be approximately $700,000 per year.

The Firearm Crisis Intervention (FCI) Advisory Board, which is chaired by the Hawaii Attorney General, was formed to inform and guide the State’s related gun violence reduction programs and initiatives and to make recommendations on the use of the Byrne SCIP funds.  The FCI Advisory Board includes representatives from law enforcement, the community, courts, prosecution, behavioral health providers, victim services, and legal counsel.  Advisory Board members are appointed for the duration of the Byrne SCIP, and the term of appointment started on April 1, 2023.

The Gun Violence and Prevention in Hawaii Report: Landscape & Findings, May 2024 (Landscape Report) provides an overview of the complexity of gun violence and prevention in Hawaii. The Landscape Report is intended to be used as a resource by the FCI Advisory Board to guide discussion and decision-making on the use of the Byrne SCIP funds.

The Board has defined “gun violence” as any use or threatened use of a firearm to self or others. Per Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS), Section 134-1 Definitions, “ ‘Firearm’ means any weapon, for which the operating force is an explosive, including but not limited to pistols, revolvers, rifles, shotguns, automatic firearms, noxious gas projectors, mortars, bombs, and cannon.”

The Landscape Report includes information on Hawaii gun laws, the extent of gun violence in Hawaii (data on Hawaii violent crime and the use of firearms, gun violence involving juveniles, gun violence and significant other-current or former, firearm suicide, line of duty deaths, mass violence), and efforts to reduce and/or prevent gun violence.

Link to the Gun Violence and Prevention in Hawaii Report:  Landscape and Findings (May 2024)

Recorded Webinar for Hawaii

U.S Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) Funding Opportunities & Resources

 

On March 29 and March 31, 2023, in partnership with the Hawaii Department of the Attorney General, the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) presented “FY 2023 Funding Opportunities & Resources”.

On March 29th, the target audience was courts, corrections, community corrections, and reentry. On March 31st, the target audience was law enforcement, prosecutors, and community safety programs, such as behavioral health.  Following the formal presentation, there was a Q&A session. BJA is the largest grant making office in the U.S. Department of Justice.

March 29, 2023 (courts, corrections, community corrections, and reentry)

March 31, 2023 (law enforcement, prosecutors, and community safety programs)

CPJAD eGrants (online Grants Management System)

Resources:

GRANTEE RESOURCES

 

TRAINING EVENTS BULLETIN BOARD

CPJAD is providing an electronic Bulletin Board for trainings for government and nonprofit agencies serving crime victims in the State.  Agencies and individuals are invited to submit training flyers with registration information to [email protected] to be posted on this Training Events Bulletin Board.