DOJ announces grant funding for the Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program

In February, the Department of Justice announced that more than $200 million in funding available to states as part of the Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program (SCIP), a flexible federal grant opportunity authorized by the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act that can be used to fund gun violence prevention programs.

The program will eventually provide $750 million in federal grants to help implement gun violence intervention programs and practices, including safe firearm storage and extreme risk protection order laws.

Today the Criminal Justice Planning Agency (CJPA) confirmed the availability of these grants in the territory for the public to apply under the SCIP for Fiscal Year 2023.

In a statement released, the Director of Criminal Justice, Mariana Faiai, said the grant funding available focuses on the development of programs to reduce crime and violence, focusing on gun violence, initiatives that target risk factors that are likely to lead to this kind of violence, and implementing state crisis intervention court proceedings such as Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) Programs.

Applications shall be submitted to the Criminal Justice Planning Agency for executive and programmatic review no later than June 26th, 2023.