FY 2022 BJA National Initiatives - Justice for All: Effective Administration of Criminal Justice Training and Technical Assistance Program: NCJA Statewide Strategic Planning TTA

NCJA; Justice For All: Effective Administration Of Criminal Justice Training and Technical Assistance (TTA) Program: Statewide Strategic Planning Training And Technical Assistance, Category 1 

The Justice for All Reauthorization Act of 2016 amended the Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (Byrne JAG) program requiring State Administering Agencies (SAAs) to submit a comprehensive statewide strategic plan, developed in consultation with a diverse list of system stakeholders, detailing how grants will be used to improve the administration of justice and how the state will allocate funding within and among the eight Byrne JAG purpose areas.  

As the longstanding provider of strategic planning TTA to SAAs and their community partners, NCJA will immediately execute a program that supports these agencies in the development and implementation of their strategic plans; communicate the availability of TTA to all SAAs; provide subject matter expertise; build capacity in strategic planning, data utilization and implementation of evidence-based and evidence-informed practices; support efforts to improve fairness and reduce racial and ethnic disparities through grants administration and strategic planning; and evaluate the effectiveness of the training and technical assistance delivered. NCJA will offer a variety of TTA opportunities with the ultimate goal of improving criminal justice outcomes through the development of evidence-informed, data-driven, and comprehensive strategic plans that inform Byrne JAG investments in each state.  

This TTA will emphasize:   

Plan development, including priority setting and implementation based on data, evaluation, best practices, and engagement of diverse stakeholders.  

Support the development of a more equitable strategic planning and grants administration process, including capacity-building to serve under-resourced communities.  

Expanded TTA opportunities to equip SAAs to evaluate their sub awardee programs and practices to inform future funding; and 

Development of the NCJA SAA Data Center to assist SAAs in decision-making and evaluation for determining funding priorities. 

Successful delivery of this program will improve state and local justice systems through the development of comprehensive strategic planning skills. NCJA will maintain its foundational TTA offerings, while expanding its in-depth and comprehensive training to meet the needs of all SAAs. NCJA will serve as the lead agency to design, develop and manage activities for this 36-month program while leveraging the expertise of its partners, and subject matter experts, including the National Governors Association, the National Association of Counties, SEARCH, and the Center for Court Innovation, to best support state policymakers in their strategic planning and implementation.