BJA FY 22 John R Justice (JRJ) Formula Grant Program

John R. Justice Student Loan Repayment Program FY 2022

State of Wisconsin Higher Educational Aids Board

Project goals: To reduce student loan debt as a factor in deterring qualified prosecutors and public defenders from seeking alternative employment and/or continuing their important service to Wisconsin communities; to do so in an efficient manner that gives priority to eligible attorneys who have the least ability to repay; to include a range of geographic representatives. Currently within Wisconsin there are 377.7 full-time State Public Defenders, 457 full-time State Prosecutors and 13 Federal Public Defenders.  In 2010, there were 348.2 State Public Defenders and 422.65 District Attorneys.

Wisconsin’s Strategy:

Partner with the Wisconsin Public Defenders and the Wisconsin State Prosecutors Office to consult on policy, and perform outreach to potential applicants, and assist in the selection of award recipients.
Partner with the Wisconsin Public Defenders and the Wisconsin State Prosecutors Office to develop a fair allocation methods and appropriate eligibility criteria to prioritize those with the least ability to repay, maintain geographic representation, and promote retention of qualified public defenders and prosecutors.
Minimize administrative costs to maximize award.
Collect and provide accurate data that measures performance of the program.