BJA FY 17 National Initiatives Adjudications: Training and Technical Assistance to Support Protection of Constitutional Rights Under the Sixth Amendment | BJA 2017 11620

Opportunity Information: Apply for BJA 2017 11620

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), within the U.S. Department of Justice, offered this discretionary grant opportunity in FY 2017 to fund national training and technical assistance (TTA) efforts focused on protecting and strengthening constitutional rights guaranteed by the Sixth Amendment. The central purpose is to help state and local governments, and other eligible entities that support justice-system functions, better meet their legal and practical obligations to provide fair criminal proceedings. In plain terms, the grant is aimed at improving how jurisdictions administer justice so that core Sixth Amendment protections are not just recognized in theory, but reliably delivered in day-to-day practice.

The opportunity emphasizes support for several projects that deliver TTA to state and local governments (and any agents responsible for those functions). The rights explicitly highlighted include the right to a speedy and public trial, the right to an impartial jury, the right to effective assistance of defense counsel, the right of a defendant to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation, and the rights to compel witnesses and to cross-examine witnesses. The program is therefore oriented toward systemic improvements in criminal adjudication, with a strong focus on indigent defense and the broader defense function, because effective assistance of counsel is a recurring point of failure when systems are under-resourced, poorly structured, or lack consistent standards and oversight.

The funded activities are described as training and technical assistance with concrete deliverables such as dissemination of model information, best practices, and research. The grant also supports strategic planning for defense systems, which can include helping jurisdictions assess current capacity, identify gaps, and plan reforms that make representation more effective and constitutionally sound. In addition, the opportunity contemplates hands-on assistance with adopting and implementing systems or strategies that align the administration of justice with Sixth Amendment requirements. That can include practical guidance on governance structures for public defense, workload management approaches, performance standards, training curricula, quality assurance mechanisms, and policies that improve representation at critical stages of a case.

Key administrative details include the funding opportunity title, "BJA FY 17 National Initiatives Adjudications: Training and Technical Assistance to Support Protection of Constitutional Rights Under the Sixth Amendment," with funding opportunity number BJA-2017-11620. The funding instrument type is a grant, the activity category is Law, Justice and Legal Services, and the CFDA number is 16.738. The opportunity was created March 14, 2017, with an original closing date of May 16, 2017. The maximum award amount listed is $3,000,000, and BJA anticipated making three awards, signaling that this was designed for a small number of sizeable, high-impact national or multi-jurisdictional TTA providers rather than many small local implementation grants.

Eligibility is broad and includes state, county, and city or township governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); and small businesses. This range reflects the reality that credible TTA and research-to-practice support can be delivered by government agencies, universities, nonprofit technical assistance providers, or specialized organizations with expertise in indigent defense systems, court processes, and constitutional compliance.

Overall, the grant opportunity is best understood as a capacity-building initiative intended to spread proven approaches, provide expert support, and help jurisdictions plan and implement reforms that reduce constitutional violations and improve fairness and reliability in criminal cases. While it references multiple Sixth Amendment rights, the repeated emphasis on effective assistance of defense counsel and defense-system strategic planning indicates a strong focus on strengthening the defense function as a cornerstone of constitutionally sound adjudication.

• The Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BJA FY 17 National Initiatives Adjudications: Training and Technical Assistance to Support Protection of Constitutional Rights Under the Sixth Amendment" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.738.
• This funding opportunity was created on Mar 14, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 16, 2017. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $3,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 3 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Small businesses.

Apply for BJA 2017 11620

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