National Justice Information Sharing (JIS) Initiative

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) seeks to enhance the ability of justice agencies to share information in order to support critical public safety and criminal justice activities. BJA plans to address this nationwide need by developing and implementing national policy and best practices, creating national consensus standards and guidelines in support of information sharing and interoperability, and delivering training and technical assistance (TTA) services. Through this solicitation, BJA is seeking to enable the nation’s criminal justice community to improve information sharing through advanced technology and tools that increase efficiency, enhance operations, and promote cost savings and reuse. BJA’s National Justice Information Sharing (JIS) Initiative works collaboratively with key stakeholders and national partner organizations to identify critical issues and problems, and provide resources in response to emerging challenges in law enforcement, courts, corrections, community corrections, offender reentry, criminal justice-involved human/social services, and tribal justice. This program is funded under the Edward Byrne Memorial Competitive Grant Program (Byrne Competitive Program) and the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program. Authorized by Pub. L. No.112-55, div. B, title II, 125 Stat. 552, 615, the Byrne Competitive Program helps communities improve the functioning and capacity of their state and local criminal justice systems and provides for national support efforts including training and technical assistance programs strategically targeted to address local, state and tribal needs. Funds may not be used for the acquisition of land, construction projects, or security enhancements or equipment to non-governmental entities not engaged in law enforcement, law enforcement support, criminal or juvenile justice, or delinquency prevention. The JAG Program (42 U.S.C. 3751(a) et seq.) is the primary provider of federal criminal justice funding to state, local, and tribal jurisdictions, and JAG funds support all components of the criminal justice system. The JAG Program authorization also provides that up to 5 percent of the funds available to carry out subpart 1 of Title I, Part E of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (“Omnibus”) may be granted, among other reasons, for one or more of the purposes specified in Section 501 of Title I, Part E, Subpart 1 of Omnibus upon a determination that it is necessary“ to combat, address, or otherwise respond to precipitous or extraordinary increases in crime, or in a type or types of crime” (42 U.S.C. 3756(b)(1)). Furthermore, the Department of Justice Appropriations Act, 2012, Pub. L. No. 122-55, div. B, title II, 125 Stat. 552, 621, provides that up to 3 percent “of funds made available to the Office of Justice Programs for grant or reimbursement programs may be used by such Office to provide training and technical assistance.”