Combatting Contraband Cell Phone Use in Prisons
Active
- Assistance listing
- 16.844
- Agency
-
Bureau of Justice Assistance
Office of Justice Programs, Department of Justice
- Grant awards
- 9 $3,407,600 in federal obligations
Program facts
- Also known as
- Combat Cell Phone Contraband
- Assistance type
-
- Project Grant
- Treasury account
-
- 15-0404-0-1-754
- More information
Program details come from SAM.gov Assistance Listings. Updated . Grant award figures come from USAspending.gov.
About this program
The Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) administers the Combatting Contraband Cell Phone Use in Prisons program (CFDA 16.844), which funds state and local correctional agencies to deploy detection technology, train staff, develop operational procedures, and establish policies to prevent and intercept contraband cellphones in correctional facilities. The program is inactive and pending archival. The most recent grant award was disbursed October 1, 2021.
Grant activity has ceased. Nine Project Grants totaling $3.4 million in combined federal obligations were awarded across two fiscal years: five in 2020 and four in 2021. No grant opportunities have been posted since June 2021. The program funded state and local governments, including federally recognized Indian tribes with detention capacity, to operationalize managed access systems in correctional settings.
Recent awards demonstrate the program's scope. The Massachusetts Department of Correction received $397,700 to purchase CellSense ferromagnetic detection equipment for all facilities and train officers in its use, with capability to detect cellphones whether powered on or off and to identify internalized contraband. Washington State received $425,000 and South Carolina received $425,000 for similar detection and interdiction work. The New Jersey Department of Corrections received $417,706 to test two detection solutions: a mobile managed access system deployed in 24-hour operations at four facilities, and handheld PocketHound equipment paired with mobile advertisement identification (MAID) number tracking, alongside custom staff training on search methods and roving patrols. Tennessee's Riverbend Maximum Security Institution received $419,004 to install a shielded microjamming system in an inmate building. Oklahoma received $415,834 for managed access systems targeting two high-contraband facilities.
Award sizes ranged from $110,112 to $425,000. All nine awards were Project Grants. BJA was the sole funding agency across the portfolio.
The most recent grant opportunities closed in mid-2021. O-BJA-2021-94002 (posted May 5, 2021, due June 14, 2021) and O-BJA-2021-52001 (posted January 7, 2021, due April 22, 2021) solicited applications from state governments, county governments, tribal governments, and city/township governments to enhance, test, implement, and evaluate policies and technology addressing contraband cellphone use. No active solicitations are currently posted.
Objective and description
- Objective
Program inactive and pending archival. Goals: Effectively assist correctional agencies to develop a tactical approach for combatting cellphone contraband including policy reviews, operational orders, security overhaul, staff training, and meeting t
- Description
The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) will select a TTA provider to assist correctional agencies as they seek strategies, train staff, develop operational orders, draft warrants, and establish policy to seize and end the use of contraband cellphones, or take greater advantage of lawfully intercepted information from contraband cellphones.
Eligibility
- Applicant eligibility
Eligible applicants are limited to nonprofit organizations, for-profit organizations (including tribal nonprofit or for-profit organizations), institutions of higher education (including tribal institutions of higher education), faith-based organizations, and consortiums with demonstrated experience in providing training and technical assistance on a national level in the identified subject areas. All recipients and subrecipients (including any for-profit organization) must forgo any profit or management fee. BJA welcomes applications under which two or more entities would carry out the federal award; however, only one entity may be the applicant. Any others must be proposed as subrecipients (subgrantees). The applicant must be the entity that would have primary responsibility for carrying out the award, including administering the funding and managing the entire program. Only one application per lead applicant will be considered; however, an applicant may be proposed as a subrecipient (subgrantee) in multiple proposals.
- Uses of assistance
Provide training and technical assistance to correctional agencies as they seek strategies, train staff, develop operational orders, draft warrants, and establish policy to seize and end the use of contraband cellphones, or take greater advantage of lawfully intercepted information from contraband cellphones.
- Length and time phasing of assistance
3 years from the start of the federal fiscal year. October 1, 2021 - September 30, 2024.
How to apply
- Application procedure
See the current fiscal year's NOFO available at the Office of Justice Programs web site at https://www.ojp.gov/funding/explore/current-funding-opportunities and https://www.ojp.gov/funding/financialguidedoj/ii-preaward-requirements for additional information.
- Criteria for selecting proposals
After meeting the eligibility listed in the NOFO, the applicant must be a national provider organization that has experience with the subject matter and working with correctional leaders and vendors nation-wide.
- Award procedure
After an external peer review, the submitted applications are tiered based on scores. Then an internal review will be conducted by BJA Policy team and they will make a recommendation to the BJA Director.
- Time to approval or disapproval
From 30 to 180 days. Awards determination are made within 180 days but no later than September 30th. Contact the Bureau of Justice Assistance at https://www.bja.gov/About/contact.html for specifics.
- Renewals
In some cases, award periods may be extended if specific criteria are met. For details, please review the discussion of no-cost extensions in the Criteria for Award Extension section of the Department of Justice Grants Financial Guide available at https://www.ojp.gov/funding/financialguidedoj/iii-postaward-requirements.
- Appeals
There are no appeal rights for rejection of a discretionary application. Please see section 28 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 18.
Grant opportunities
Grant awards
Top recipients by federal obligations
| Rank | Recipient | Federal obligations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Carolina Department Of Corrections | $425,000 | 12% |
| 2 | Washington State Department Of Corrections | $425,000 | 12% |
| 3 | Department Of Correction Tennessee | $419,004 | 12% |
| 4 | Alabama Department Of Corrections | $418,788 | 12% |
| 5 | New Jersey Department Of Corrections | $417,706 | 12% |
| 6 | Oklahoma Department Of Corrections | $415,834 | 12% |
| 7 | Massachusetts Department Of Corrections | $397,700 | 12% |
| 8 | Criminal Justice Coordinating Council | $378,456 | 11% |
| 9 | Juvenile Justice Office Of | $110,112 | 3% |
Federal obligations by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Federal obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2025 | -$19,711 |
| FY2024 | -$2,910 |
| FY2023 | -$41,760 |
| FY2022 | $1,665,980 |
| FY2021 | $1,806,000 |
Quick answers
What is Assistance Listing 16.844?
Assistance Listing 16.844 is Combatting Contraband Cell Phone Use in Prisons, a federal grant program run by Bureau of Justice Assistance (Office of Justice Programs).
What is the CFDA number for Combatting Contraband Cell Phone Use in Prisons?
Its CFDA number is 16.844: Assistance Listing numbers were called CFDA numbers before 2018.
How much funding has Assistance Listing 16.844 awarded?
9 grant awards under 16.844 have obligated $3,407,600 in federal funds to 9 recipients.
Who receives the most funding from 16.844?
The recipients obligated the most under Combatting Contraband Cell Phone Use in Prisons are South Carolina Department Of Corrections ($425,000), Washington State Department Of Corrections ($425,000) and Department Of Correction Tennessee ($419,004).
How much did 16.844 obligate in fiscal year 2025?
Grants under 16.844 obligated -$19,711 in federal funds in fiscal year 2025.
Are there open grant opportunities under 16.844?
No opportunity listed under 16.844 is open now. The latest, BJA FY 21 Safeguarding Correctional Facilities and Public Safety by Addressing Contraband Cellphones Program, was posted on May 5, 2021.
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