2013 Byrne Criminal Justice Grantees Announced

The U.S. Department of Justice has announced the 2013 Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation (BCJI) grantees. With more than $12 million in awards, the 14 grantees will utilize BCJI funding to tackle neighborhood crime by using data to identify the local drivers of crime and develop evidence-informed strategies that address the needs of the local community. The 14 grantees include:

• City of Corning, CA
• San Francisco District Attorney’s Office, CA
• Youth Policy Institute (Los Angeles), CA
• Georgia Department of Public Health (Atlanta), GA
• City of Baton Rouge/Parish of East Baton Rouge, LA
• City of Springfield, MA
• Kansas City Metropolitan Crime Commission, MO
• Fund for the City of New York (Syracuse), NY
• City of Cleveland, OH
• Martha O’Bryan Center, Inc. (Nashville), TN
• ECHO Housing Corporation (Evansville), IN
• City of Erie, PA
• Housing Authority of the City of Tampa, FL
• Olneyville Housing Corporation (Providence), RI

Recognizing that public safety is a challenge that requires the expertise and collaboration of several partners, 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, interconnected solutions to the complex issue of crime and safety.

As mentioned in the announcement, BCJI is part of the Obama Administration’s Promise Zones Initiative, a part of federal government's commitment to invest in and partner with high-poverty urban, rural, and tribal communities to create jobs, increase economic activity, improve educational opportunities, leverage private investment, and reduce violent crime.