BJA FY 17 Swift, Certain, and Fair Sanctions (SCF)/ Replicating the Concepts Behind Project HOPE | BJA 2017 11563

Opportunity Information: Apply for BJA 2017 11563

The BJA FY 17 Swift, Certain, and Fair Sanctions (SCF) / Replicating the Concepts Behind Project HOPE grant opportunity is a discretionary funding program from the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), focused on helping jurisdictions strengthen community supervision by adopting or improving supervision models built around swift, certain, and fair responses to violations. The opportunity is rooted in growing interest from states, counties, cities, and federally recognized tribal governments that want to reduce recidivism and prevent crime by changing how probation and other forms of community corrections respond to noncompliance. Much of this interest is tied to the promise shown by Hawaii's Opportunity Probation with Enforcement (HOPE), which helped popularize an approach that emphasizes clear rules, consistent monitoring, and immediate, predictable consequences rather than delayed or uneven enforcement.

At its core, SCF is presented as a practical framework for supervision that tries to make accountability more effective by ensuring that violations are addressed quickly (swift), reliably (certain), and in a way people perceive as even-handed and transparent (fair). The grant frames SCF approaches as a way to improve supervision strategies that can reduce reoffending, increase collaboration among agencies involved in community corrections, and improve participant outcomes. A key emphasis is that individuals under supervision should understand the rules and believe that decisions are consistently applied, with consequences that are clearly communicated in advance rather than appearing arbitrary. In other words, the supervision strategy is meant to rely less on severe, infrequent punishments and more on predictable, proportionate, and consistently enforced responses that occur soon after a violation.

BJA indicated it would select multiple awardees to implement or enhance a HOPE-style model using SCF principles, with a strong expectation that jurisdictions will carry out the approach "with fidelity," meaning they are not just adopting the label but actually putting the core elements into practice as intended. To support that, award recipients are expected to work closely with BJA and a designated training and technical assistance (TTA) partner. This TTA component signals that the program is not simply about purchasing services or running a pilot in isolation; it is about structured implementation, troubleshooting, and adherence to a tested operational model, likely including guidance on policies, court-probation coordination, sanctioning protocols, and performance tracking.

The opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number BJA 2017 11563) falls under the Law, Justice and Legal Services funding activity category and is associated with CFDA number 16.828. Eligible applicants include state governments, county governments, city or township governments, and Native American tribal governments that are federally recognized. The solicitation was created on January 19, 2017, with an original application closing date of March 20, 2017. BJA anticipated making about 7 awards, with an award ceiling of up to $600,000 per award, positioning this as a mid-sized implementation grant intended to support real operational change rather than small-scale planning only.

Overall, the grant opportunity is designed for jurisdictions that want to replicate the concepts behind Project HOPE by building a supervision environment where expectations are unambiguous, monitoring is meaningful, responses to violations are prompt and consistent, and agencies work together in a coordinated way. The intended end result is improved compliance during supervision, fewer repeat offenses, and better long-term outcomes for individuals in the community, achieved through a supervision model that is structured, predictable, and perceived as legitimate by the people subject to it.

• 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 Swift, Certain, and Fair Sanctions (SCF)/ Replicating the Concepts Behind Project HOPE" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.828.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jan 19, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 20, 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 $600,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 7 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized).

Apply for BJA 2017 11563

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