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Office of Adult and Juvenile Justice Assistance (OAJJA)

Announcement of Availability of Funds

Edward Byrne Memorial

Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program

The Colorado Division of Criminal Justice (DCJ), Office of Adult and Juvenile Justice Assistance (OAJJA), is pleased to announce the opening of applications for the Colorado Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program. The application deadline is Monday, March 10, 2025. 

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Purpose of the Funds

The purpose of JAG funds is to support activities that prevent and control crime and improve the criminal justice system.

Eligible Activities

JAG funds can be used for state and local governmental agencies, as well as nonprofit organizations, to provide technical assistance, training, personnel, equipment, supplies, contractual support, and information systems for criminal justice for any one or more of the following Program Areas:

1. Law Enforcement
2. Prosecution, Court, and Indigent Defense
3. Prevention and Education
4. Corrections and Community Corrections
5. Drug Treatment and Drug Enforcement
6. Planning, Evaluation, Technology Improvement
7. Crime Victims and Witness Protection
8. Mental Health Programs
9. Implementation of State Crisis Intervention Court Proceedings and Related Programs or Initiatives.

JAG Board Funding Priorities

1. Advancing Equity and Support for Underserved Communities
2. Behavioral health programs that prevent and/or reduce criminality related to substance and/or mental health disorders
3. Community-Based Violence Intervention

Additional Uses of JAG Funds

• Support for technological or personnel upgrades to provide more equitable access to justice, including language access resources, resources to better serve those with disabilities, and indigent defense services.
• Support for strategies to ensure the protection of defendants’ and incarcerated individuals’ constitutional rights and safety and efforts to address wrongful convictions and conviction integrity.
• Support reentry projects with the goal of improving objectives for incarcerated individuals returning to the community from prison or jail.
• Support for efforts to build partnerships between the criminal justice system and nonprofits to provide support for collaborative, community-driven and informed efforts, such as community-based diversion programs outside of the criminal justice system, increasing access to resources to support the right to counsel, and developing community-driven and informed prevention programs or responses to violent crime.
• Support for Community Based Violence Intervention approaches, for example, hospital-based violence intervention programs using credible messengers to connect with victims of gun violence while they are still in the hospital, and then wraparound services are typically provided to them such as behavioral health support, employment access, housing advocacy, and family support.
• Support projects related to preventing, detecting, seizing, and/or stopping the presence and use of contraband cell phones within correctional facilities. This includes the purchasing of managed access systems and other mitigation technologies (as permitted by applicable law).
• Purchase fentanyl and methamphetamine detection equipment, including handheld instruments and training for law enforcement safety, as well as opioid reversal agents.
• Purchase drug-detection canines to combat the rise of drug trafficking, including that of methamphetamines.
• Support efforts to seal and expunge criminal history information in accordance with state laws and policies.
• Support efforts to attract and retain an all-inclusive, diverse, expert, and accountable law enforcement workforce, with a focus on gender and racial diversity.
• Support virtual reality de-escalation training.
• Purchase humane remote restraint devices that enable law enforcement to restrain an uncooperative subject without inflicting pain.
• Purchase gunfire detection technology. 
• Promote data sharing and sex offender monitoring.

Funding Details

Eligibility Criteria

Units of government at the municipal, county and state level, including special districts, and recognized Native American tribal governments, may apply to the Office of Adult and Juvenile Justice Assistance, Division of Criminal Justice, for a JAG grant. 

Additionally, non-profit organizations conducting public safety work complementary to law enforcement and other government agencies may apply. This can include entities engaging in community violence intervention and prevention work within local communities and neighborhoods and entities providing support within the criminal legal system.

Continuation Applicants

Applicants who are applying for continuation funds or expecting to apply for continuation funding in future years for the same project will be expected to apply annually. Applicants may receive up to 48 months of funding. 

Effective with grant awards that began their 1st year in 2024:

Year 2: Continuation applications for year 2 may be 100% of your previous year’s (year 1) or more. If the funding request for year 2 is more than the previous year’s award, the applicant must provide a clear justification as to why additional funds are needed.

Year 3: Continuation applications for year 3 must reduce the amount requested to 75% (or lower).

Year 4: Continuation applications for year 4 funding must reduce the amount requested by 50%.

Applicants with grant awards that began their 1st year in 2023 or earlier who are requesting continuation funding for years 2, 3, or 4, do not have to decrease their requests. If the funding request is more than the previous year’s award, the applicant must provide a clear justification as to why additional funds are needed.

Amount Available

$3,300,000 will be available for 2025 JAG subgrant applications.

Award Period

October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2026

Match/Other Budget Considerations

Although match is not a requirement with this funding, the JAG Board is highly encouraging all applicants to show a commitment from either state or local governments, a portion of a direct JAG award from BJA (for eligible jurisdictions), or other partner agencies through other funding committed to this project. This additional funding will need to be identified and documented in the application.

Exclusions and Limitations

As directed by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), JAG funds CANNOT be used to purchase any of the following items/areas:

Category A - Strictly Prohibited. (A waiver WILL NOT be granted to utilize JAG funds for the items listed.)

1. Food and Beverages.
2. Any inherently religious activities, such as worship, religious instruction, or proselytization. Any direct or indirect use of Byrne JAG award funds to provide any security enhancements or any equipment to any nongovernmental entity that is not engaged in criminal justice or public safety.
3. Firearms or Ammunition of .50 or greater caliber.
4. Firearm silencers, as defined in 18 U.S.C. 921(a)(24).
5. Bayonets.
6. Grenades and Grenade launchers (including launchers for stun and flash-bang).
7. Explosives (except for explosives and percussion actuated non-electric disruptors used for accredited bomb squads and explosive detection canine training).
8. Any vehicles that do not have a commercial application, including all tracked and armored vehicles, unless the LEA certifies that the vehicle will be used exclusively for disaster-related emergencies; active shooter scenarios; hostage or other search and rescue operations; or anti-terrorism preparedness, protection, prevention, response, recovery, or relief.
9. Unmanned Aerial System (UAS), Unmanned Aircraft (UA) and/or Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV).
10. Weapons systems covered by DOD Directive 3000.09 of November 21, 2012, as amended (Autonomy in Weapon Systems).
11. Weaponized aircraft, vessels, and vehicles of any kind.
12. Aircraft that are combat-configured or combat-coded, have no established commercial flight application, or have no application for disaster-related emergencies; active shooter scenarios; hostage or other search and rescue operations; or anti-terrorism preparedness, protection, prevention, response, recovery, or relief.
13. Long-range acoustic devices that do not have a commercial application.
14. Camouflage Uniforms (digital pattern). Woodland and desert patterns are allowable based on operational needs. Camouflage may not be worn in urban or populous areas.

Category B - Statutorily Prohibited without Waiver (Must have Department of Justice certification)

1. Vehicles (excluding police cruisers), vessels (excluding police boats), or aircraft (see excluding police helicopters). “Vehicles” includes, without limitation:
   • Buses / recreational vehicles.
   • Trucks, including pickup trucks.
   • Vans, including passenger vans.
   • Motorcycles.
   • Sport utility vehicles (SUVs).
   • Segways, golf carts, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), utility task vehicles (UTVs) and similar items. 

For purposes of Category B, a vehicle is considered a “Police Cruiser” only if it is used in the ordinary course for routine police patrol within the United States. Vehicles (including motorcycles, SUVs, pickup trucks, ATVs, and UTVs) used as “Police Cruisers” ARE NOT prohibited under JAG, and therefore may be acquired with JAG funds in the ordinary course, to the extent otherwise allowable under the award.

2. Luxury items

3. Real estate

4. Construction projects (other than penal or correctional institutions)

JAG Board Exclusions

Pre-existing Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Task Force activities.

JAG Board Limitations

1. Applicants without a purchasing policy/price agreement must use the State of Colorado’s Price Agreement as a guideline for the allowable amount that may be requested for each piece of equipment. If the item requested is higher than the State Price Agreement the JAG Board will consider the request on a case-by-case basis. https://osc.colorado.gov/spco/state-price-agreements  
2. Applicants requesting funds to purchase equipment and related software costs, JAG funds can only be requested for equipment and one (1) year of subscription costs. A quote must be included at time of application.
3. Warranties are limited to one year unless included in a bundle package. A quote must be included at time of application.
4. Computers (includes both laptops and desktops) – maximum federal funds applicants can request is $2,000 per unit (this does not include Mobile Data Terminals).
5. Conference costs - contact DCJ for further clarification
6. Gift cards or incentives - contact DCJ for further clarification

How To Apply

The JAG Application, Requirements, and Application Instructions are available within DCJ's grant management system, FLUXX.

PROJECT APPLICATIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED ON-LINE.  Apply Now in FLUXX.

Project applications must be submitted on or before  MONDAY, MARCH 10, 2025. DCJ support ends at 5:00 PM MST.  

Failure to submit a complete project application may result in disqualification of the application.

It is highly recommended for applicants to read all of the JAG Application Instructions. New content is added to the application annually.

Timeline

Announcement Date:  January 6, 2025

Application Deadline: MONDAY, MARCH 10, 2025

Email Notification for Oral Presentations at JAG Funding Conference: by April 15, 2025

Funding Decision Announced: Early-June 2025

Reconsideration/Appeals Deadline: Mid-June 2025

Grant Agreement Issuance: Mid-August and September 2025

Award Period: October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2026

FLUXX Application Training

Register and join DCJ for a virtual training via Zoom to learn how to navigate the JAG application in DCJ's new grant management system, FLUXX, on Thursday, January 9th from 1:00 - 2:25 PM. For those unable to participate on January 9th, a recording and transcript will be available on DCJ’s JAG Program Page. A second opportunity to participate in a live training will be announced in February.

Questions

DCJ is committed to a fair and impartial competitive application process. As such, additional information about the JAG Program, including any grant programmatic or application questions and answers will be posted on DCJ’s JAG Program Page. Please check this page frequently, especially the Frequently Asked Questions section, to ensure you are getting the most up-to-date information.

Questions About the JAG Program & Application

Michele Lovejoy, Grant Program Manager

Colorado Division of Criminal Justice, OAJJA

Direct: 720-498-7205

E-mail: Michele.Lovejoy@state.co.us

Questions About FLUXX & Technical Support

If you experience technical issues or have questions about how to use FLUXX, please contact dcjgms@state.co.us.

Accessibility and Accommodations: The State of Colorado is committed to providing equitable access to our services to all Coloradans. The Division of Criminal Justice (DCJ) is committed to the full inclusion of all individuals, and we are continually making changes to improve accessibility and usability of our services. As part of this commitment, the DCJ is prepared to offer reasonable accommodations for those who have difficulty engaging with our content. As an example, documents can be produced in an alternative file format upon request. To request this and other accommodations, or to discuss your needs further, please contact Michele Lovejoy at 720-498-7205 or Michele.Lovejoy@state.co.us. 

Please DO NOT Reply to this email.

If you reply, your email will go to a unmonitored email inbox.

For JAG Program & Application Questions: Michele.Lovejoy@state.co.us

For Technical Assistance with FLUXX: dcjgms@state.co.us