Grants for Criminal Justice Reform and Reentry

A practical guide to grants for criminal justice reform and reentry programs, federal DOJ funding, foundations, and how to compete for justice funding.

Criminal justice reform, reentry, alternatives to incarceration, juvenile justice, and victim services have a substantial funder ecosystem, with DOJ as the federal anchor and major foundations supporting movement, advocacy, and direct service.

TL;DR

• Who funds this work? DOJ, SAMHSA (behavioral health and justice), DOL (reentry workforce), foundations (MacArthur, Public Welfare, OSF, Ford), community foundations.
• Who can apply? Nonprofits, justice partnerships, state and local government, tribal organizations, universities.
• What gets funded? Reentry, alternatives to incarceration, victim services, juvenile justice, pretrial reform, policing reform, research.

Federal Funding

DOJ. Largest federal funder for justice work:

• Byrne JAG (state pass-through).
• Office for Victims of Crime grants (VOCA discretionary).
• Office on Violence Against Women.
• OJJDP (juvenile justice).
• Second Chance Act (reentry).
• CVIPI (community violence intervention).
• BJA Smart Probation/Smart Reentry/Smart Pretrial.

SAMHSA for behavioral health in justice settings.

DOL for reentry workforce (REO).

Foundation Funders

• MacArthur Foundation (Safety and Justice Challenge).
• Public Welfare Foundation.
• Open Society Foundations.
• Ford Foundation.
• Arnold Ventures.
• Charles Koch Institute (criminal justice reform).
• JPB Foundation, Schusterman Family Foundation.
• Community foundations.

What Gets Funded

• Reentry programs (housing, employment, behavioral health).
• Alternatives to incarceration (drug courts, mental health courts, diversion).
• Victim services.
• Juvenile justice reform.
• Pretrial reform.
• Policing reform and accountability.
• Research and policy advocacy.
• Movement-building and impacted-community leadership.

Tips for a Competitive Application

• Use evidence-based practices (cite CrimeSolutions.gov).
• Center impacted communities and leaders.
• Document data (UCR/NIBRS, state criminal justice data, local arrests/incarceration data).
• Build coalition across justice system, social services, community.
• Address racial equity explicitly.

How Grantboost Helps

Grantboost surfaces criminal justice funding across DOJ, SAMHSA, DOL, foundations, and corporates, with drafts in your organization’s voice (see training AI on your past proposals).

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Read next:

• DOJ Grants: A Guide to Department of Justice Funding
• SAMHSA Grants: A Guide to Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Funding
• Grants for Human Rights Organizations

Further Reading

• DOJ Office of Justice Programs
• DOJ Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA)
• National Institute of Justice (NIJ)
• Grants.gov (federal funding portal)

Disclaimer: Grant programs, eligibility rules, deadlines, and policies vary by region and change frequently. The information in this article is for general informational purposes only and may not reflect the current rules in your area. Always consult a local grant writer or qualified expert in your region for advice specific to your organization, project, and jurisdiction.