Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation Program Awards Announced

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced $11 million in funding for the Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation (BCJI) program. A new initiative, BCJI will help 15 neighborhoods nationwide tackle crime by developing innovative, data-driven and multi-faceted solutions. The 15 award recipients include:

• Institute for Public Strategies (Chula Vista, CA) 
• City of Lowell, MA 
• City of Baltimore, MD 
• Detroit Crime Commission (Detroit, MI) 
• City of Omaha, NE 
• Center for Court Innovation (New York, NY) 
• Westminster Foundation (Buffalo, NY) 
• East End Community Services Corp. (Dayton, OH) 
• Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office (Portland, OR) 
• Mt. Vernon Manor, Inc. (Philadelphia, PA) 
• City of Austin, TX 
• Housing Authority of San Antonio, TX 
• City of Seattle, WA 
• City of Milwaukee, WI 
• City of Charleston, WV 

As part of the Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative (NRI), BCJI is focused on transforming neighborhoods of distress into neighborhoods of opportunity. Recognizing that reducing crime and improving safety are key components of neighborhood transformation, BCJI will work with neighborhoods to use data to identify the local drivers of crime and develop strategies that focus on the specific needs of the community. Similar to other NRI programs, such as the Building Neighborhood Capacity Program, BCJI awards are made to a cross-sector partnership in each city, rather than a single entity. By engaging local governments, nonprofit organizations, criminal and juvenile justice organizations and neighborhoods residents, BCJI will bring together stakeholders from various sectors that, together, can share resources and develop comprehensive solutions to complex issue of crime and safety.

This week’s launch of the BCJI program demonstrates the Obama Administration’s continued commitment to place-based strategies through NRI. With support from the Departments of Education, Housing & Urban Development, Health & Human Services, Justice and Treasury, the NRI has aligned key federal programs that focus on neighborhood revitalization. One of the many examples of this coordination is captured in the collaborative efforts of the Departments of Justice and Housing & Urban Development. Earlier this year, the Department of Justice awarded $2 million in Public Safety Enhancement Grants to Choice Neighborhood grantees – a centerpiece program in NRI led by the Department of Housing & Urban Development. With additional funding that allows these neighborhoods to address crime and public safety in public and assisted housing projects, neighborhoods are poised to tackle the web of interconnected challenges of distress.

For more information about the Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative, please click here.