BJA FY 25 Invited to Apply- Transforming Prison Cultures, Climates, and Spaces
Closed Posted
- Opportunity number
- O-BJA-2025-172588
- Agency
-
Bureau of Justice Assistance
Office of Justice Programs, Department of Justice
- Applications due
- Award size
- Up to $1,000,000
Opportunity facts
- Assistance listings
- Funding instrument
- Cooperative Agreement
- Category
-
- Law, Justice and Legal Services
- Eligible applicants
-
- Other
- Points of contact
-
- OJP Response Center ojp.responsecenter@usdoj.gov (800) 851-3420
- Full announcement
Opportunity details come from Grants.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) within the Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs is soliciting applications for the FY 2025 Transforming Prison Cultures, Climates, and Spaces program, a Cooperative Agreement opportunity that builds on the Safe Inside Initiative. This program supports state departments of corrections (DOCs) in improving safety, security, and reducing recidivism through specialized technical training focused on staff recruitment, training, retention, and operational streamlining in facilities facing acute workforce challenges. Applicants must demonstrate capacity to deliver highly specialized training and technical assistance to state DOCs addressing workforce trends and prison safety concerns. The evaluation criteria include eligibility and responsiveness review, merit assessment, programmatic evaluation, budget review, and risk analysis as specified in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). The application deadline is May 6, 2026, with a posting date of April 23, 2026.
While specific award values are not detailed in this solicitation, similar Second Chance Act initiatives have awarded cooperative agreements ranging from $500,000 to $4,000,000 over multi-year periods, typically spanning 36 to 48 months. The program will support state-level implementation across multiple correctional facilities, with performance periods generally extending 3 to 4 years to allow adequate time for training delivery and outcomes measurement. Award recipients must maintain all program records for three years from the final expenditure report submission and are subject to federal audit requirements under 2 CFR Part 200. The Authorized Representative of successful applicants must accept or decline the award within 45 days of notification in JustGrants.
Synopsis
This is a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for the BJA FY 2025 Invited to Apply for Transforming Prison Cultures, Climates, and Spaces. Originally released in FY23, BJA's Transforming Prison Cultures, Climates, and Spaces program funded the development and initial implementation of the Safe Inside Initiative, which supports state departments of corrections (DOC) in their efforts to improve safety, security, and reduce recidivism, particularly among prisons facing acute workforce challenges. Through the Safe Inside Initiative funded via this program, state DOCs will receive highly specialized and technical training to help them effectively recruit, train, and retain qualified staff, and streamline operations in response to workforce trends.
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