BJA FY 2026 Justice Reinvestment Initiative: Strengthening State and Local Operations to Reduce Crime and Recidivism

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) is issuing a FY 2026 Justice Reinvestment Initiative (JRI) grant to support state, local, and tribal jurisdictions in redesigning justice system operations to cut wasteful spending and redirect resources toward strategies that reduce crime and recidivism. Applicants must identify urgent local justice challenges, use existing data to pinpoint inefficiencies, and propose evidence‑based projects that may span law enforcement, prosecution, sentencing, corrections, probation, parole, or other judicial components. Funding can be used for planning, implementation, and evaluation of reforms, with a ceiling of $4 million per award and an expected competitive pool of roughly 140 applications. The program emphasizes data‑driven decision‑making, cross‑agency collaboration, and measurable outcomes that improve public safety while achieving cost savings. • Open to state, county, city/township, special district, and federally recognized tribal governments. • Grants (not contracts) – award ceiling $4 M, floor $0. • Application window: 07 Oct 2026 – 20 Nov 2026. • Projects may address any segment of the criminal‑justice continuum (law enforcement, courts, corrections, community supervision). • Requires use of existing data to define problems and track impact. • No cost‑sharing required. • Anticipated award count: ~140.