Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act Grant Applications To Be Released in March 2006

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) plans to request applications for the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act grant program in early March 2006. Submissions will likely be due eight weeks after the announcement. Given this compressed timeframe, potential applicants are encouraged to plan and prepare their proposals in advance of the official announcement.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) will award approximately $3.8 million in grants to states and counties to establish mental health courts, expand prisoners' access to mental health treatment while incarcerated and upon re-entry into the community, provide resources for pre-trial jail diversion programs and related initiatives, and support cross-training for law enforcement officials and mental health personnel dealing with adult and juvenile offenders with mental illness. BJA anticipates awarding 6 implementations grants and 12 planning grants; some implementation grant recipients will also be eligible for implementation funding.

In November 2005, Congress approved $5 million for the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act. Information about the statute, which provides the basis for this grant program, can be found at the Consensus Project Web site by clicking here.

Consensus Project staff are unable to provide any additional information about the request for applications at this time, and we apologize in advance for being unable to respond to email inquiries about this feature. Please stay tuned; we will alert you of new information as soon as it becomes available.