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Public Defense Resource Hub

Selected Federal Funding Opportunities for Public Defense Providers

Below is an overview of select federal funding opportunities available to state, local, and Tribal public defense providers. It is designed to assist public defense providers in accessing federal funding resources that can support their crucial role in the justice system and service to their communities. This page highlights select funding opportunities, eligibility criteria, and key deadlines, and complements other Department of Justice resources including the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s (BJA) Indigent Defense Projects and Program Fact Sheet.

These funding opportunities can be used to enhance the capacity of public defense professionals to provide effective multidisciplinary criminal defense representation; better serve specific communities; and, where applicable, to also provide legal representation for non-criminal matters.

Informational Resources

Grants.gov is the federal government’s official website for searching for and applying for federal grants opportunities. Grants.gov features an expansive Grants Learning Center with educational materials on federal grants and the application process. The Grants Learning Center resources including the following:

Additional materials exist to help grantseekers identify and apply for funding opportunities across the federal government, offering process overviews and specific resources.

 

 Federal Resources by Type

Training and Technical Assistance (TTA): Training and specialized guidance services, also known as technical assistance, can take a variety of forms that can be combined and modified to meet the unique needs of criminal justice practitioners and agencies. Services range from short-term to long-term, from agency-specific to systemwide, depending on the specific needs of the grantee or requestor. Mechanisms for providing TTA can include, but are not limited to: conference calls, onsite consultation, video conferencing, webinars, publications, peer-to-peer learning sessions, coaching, community of practice, customized resource packets, facilitated sessions, trainings, and guided planning processes (e.g., strategic planning, development, and/or review of policy and procedures, and in-person trainings).

Justice Counts – Bureau of Justice Assistance

The Bureau of Justice Assistance supports the CSG Justice Center to help criminal justice agencies, including public defense agencies, use their data to advocate for their needs to decision-makers. Justice Counts is a new approach that aims to provide fresh, ongoing data from every criminal justice agency in perpetuity for consideration in public policy decision making.

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The Sixth Amendment Training and Technical Assistance Initiative – Bureau of Justice Assistance

The Sixth Amendment Training and Technical Assistance Initiative assists state, local, and Tribal jurisdictions reduce crime and improve the function of the criminal justice system, specifically through strategic planning to protect the rights under the Sixth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Key Sixth Amendment rights include: a speedy trial, a public trial, effective counsel, an impartial and representative jury, the ability to confront and cross-examine witnesses, and the ability to obtain witnesses and evidence. Using data and research alongside training and technical assistance (TTA), this initiative supports jurisdictions’ authentic adoption, implementation, and sustainment of effective approaches by public defender and indigent defense systems.

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Capital Case Litigation Initiative - Bureau of Justice Assistance

The Capital Case Litigation: Training and Technical Assistance Initiative provides support to defense counsel, prosecutors, and the judiciary nationwide on implementing improvements throughout the field of capital case litigation, while supporting litigators with the tools and resources to mitigate risk for error. This includes support for defense counsel by ensuring they have the skills, training, and most up-to-date practices to litigate serious and violent crimes. This also includes providing effective training programs, resources, and tools for state and local defense attorneys to build their capacity as capital litigators and ensure effective representation in state capital cases. The initiative utilizes training sessions, such as onsite mentoring or technical assistance, cross-site or train-the-trainer, peer-to-peer, telephone, and/or web-based trainings, as well as a capital litigation listserv for prosecutors.  

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AmeriCorps VISTA in Public Defense

The National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA) has partnered with the AmeriCorps to create a program that trains AmeriCorps VISTA members in best practices in Community-Oriented Public Defense and places them in public defense agencies to put these principles into practice and establish systems for ongoing sustainability.  Members provide services for two different tracks: community partnerships or data systems.

In the community partnerships track, VISTA members connect the hosting public defense agency to other justice system stakeholders, community organizations and service providers, strategic leaders, and other National Service operations. These connections help public defenders provide more client-centered and effective wrapround services to their clients.

In the data systems track, VISTA members utilize technology and automation to create communication and data-sharing channels between public defenders and human services organizations designed to last beyond the member project period. 

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Formula funds, also called “pass-through funds” or “block grants,” have funding amounts and spending parameters that are set by federal law and agencies, but recipients (states, territories, localities, or Tribal governments) have the flexibility to tailor spending to local priorities within those federal constraints. To access formula funds, applicants generally apply to the administering state and/or local government agencies or their grantees.

For more information, see What Is a Block Grant? and What Is a Formula Grant? from Grants.gov.

Substance Use Block Grants (SUPTRS BG) – Department of Health and Human Services

The Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Services Block Grant (SUPTRS BG or SUBG) program objectives are to help plan, implement, and evaluate activities that prevent and treat substance use. Targeted populations and service areas include pregnant women and women with dependent children, injection drug users, Tuberculosis services, early intervention services for HIV/AIDS, and primary prevention services. SUPTRS BG provides States and jurisdictions flexibility to distribute SUPTRS BG funding to local government and community-based organizations and can include public defenders, youth defenders, and Tribal defenders. For the SUPTRS BG, eligible states, territories, pacific jurisdictions and the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians, have a Single State Agency for Substance Abuse who is responsible for administering the SUPTRS BG in their state.  Each State and jurisdiction has a designated executive branch unit responsible for administering the SUBG program.

SUPTRS BG funds may also be used to support certain programs that address other barriers to recovery including health insurance enrollment, SSI/SSDI enrollment, housing insecurity, and employment challenges.

Public defense agencies interested in accessing SUBG should contact their SUBG executive branch unit responsible for administering the SUBG program for a determination of whether a proposed use of funds is permissible.

Community Mental Health Services Block Grant (MHBG) – Department of Health and Human Services

The Community Mental Health Services Block Grant (MHBG) program is a formula grant distributed to 59 eligible states and territories. The MHBG has four main statutory purposes: 1) to  provide comprehensive, community-based mental health services to adults with serious mental illnesses (SMI) and to children with serious emotional disturbances (SED); 2) to carry out the grantee’s plan for providing comprehensive community mental health services to adults with SMI and children with SED;  3) to evaluate programs and services carried out under the plan; and 4) to conduct planning, administrative, and training activities related to providing services under the plan.

States and jurisdictions are strongly encouraged to serve individuals with SMI/SED including those who experience homelessness or who are involved in the criminal and juvenile justice systems.

Program funds may be used to support better coordination across mental health, substance use, criminal justice, and other systems including case management and other linkage programs.

Public defense agencies interested in accessing MHBH should contact their state mental health authority, responsible for administering the MHBG in their state for a determination of whether a proposed use of funds is permissible.

More Information about SUPTRS and MHBG

Title IV-E of the Social Security Act

Title IV-E of the Social Security Act authorizes several programs to assist eligible children served through the child welfare system. One of these is the title IV-E Foster Care program which is awarded as an open-end entitlement grant provided directly to IV-E agencies (i.e., the state or Tribal child welfare agency that operates the IV-E program). Through title IV-E programs, child welfare agencies receive federal reimbursement for a percentage of allowable expenditures.

In 2019, the Children’s Bureau revised policy to allow title IV-E agencies to claim reimbursement under the title IV-E foster care program for the costs of independent legal representation provided by an attorney to children and the parents of children who are in, or who are candidates for, IV-E foster care. These costs are considered as administrative costs under the title IV-E foster care program and are reimbursed at a 50% match rate. Recognizing the value of quality multidisciplinary legal representation for children and parents, reimbursable costs include the costs of attorneys, as well as paralegals, office support staff, social workers, peer advocates to the extent that they are necessary to support a child or parents’ attorney in providing legal representation to prepare for and participate in foster care legal proceedings. 

Title IV-E agencies may also claim allowable costs at a 75% match rate to provide short-term training to attorneys who represent eligible children and the parents of children who are in, or who are candidates for title IV-E foster care.

While only title IV-E agencies may access title IV-E funding, title IV-E agencies often contract out title IV-E administrative functions such as legal representation to other private or public agencies through a contract or other type of agreement. Public defenders and Tribal defenders who are interested in accessing title IV-E funds should contact their IV-E agency and their Court Improvement Program (CIP) director.  

Highlights

  • In Washington, the Washington Office of Public Defense has used title IV-E funds to resource high-quality multidisciplinary legal representation for parents and children.
  • In Montana, the Office of State Public Defender has used title IV-E funds to resource high quality multidisciplinary legal representation for parents and children.
  • In Maryland, the Office of the State Public Defender’s Parental Defense Division is using title IV-E funds to staff a multidisciplinary team of social workers, parent advocates, paralegals, and attorneys to represent parents and legal guardians through all stages of child welfare proceedings.

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Byrne Justice Assistance Grants

The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) program is the primary provider of federal criminal justice funding to state and local jurisdictions. This formula grant program provides states, Tribes, and local governments with critical funding necessary to support a range of program across the entire justice system, including indigent and public defense. Byrne JAG is flexible and can be tailored and deployed by states, Tribes, and local jurisdictions to address pressing challenges allowing communities to design complete programs or fill gaps, leverage other resources, and work across jurisdictional lines.

Bryne JAG funds are allocated and distributed based on decisions made by the 56 State Administering Agencies (SAAs) serving all states, territories, and the District of Columbia. States and territories must coordinate and develop a comprehensive strategic plan that is designed in consultation with local governments and representatives from across the criminal justice system including public defenders and other providers of indigent defense. The National Criminal Justice Association, with funding from the Bureau of Justice Assistance, offers training and technical assistance to SAAs to support strategical planning efforts and the implementation of evidence-based policies and practices.

Highlights

  • In Tennessee, funding has been used to support the Public Defender Social Worker (PDSW) program, which enables defense teams in participating public defender offices to hire forensic social workers contributing to a holistic, client-centered approach to indigent defense.
  • In Pennsylvania, funding has been used to provide intensive trial advocacy and litigation skills for new public defenders.
  • In California, funding has been used to support public defender programs in San Diego and Stanislaus counties that support early representation to individuals after arrest and prior to arraignment. 

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Byrne SCIP

The Byrne State Crisis Intervention (SCIP) program provides formula funds to states and territories to implement state crisis intervention court proceedings and related programs and initiatives. States and territories that receive Byrne SCIP funds must form a diverse Crisis Intervention Advisory Board comprised of representatives from law enforcement, the community, courts, prosecution, behavioral health providers, victim services, and legal counsel to inform and guide the implementation of Byrne SCIP funding. Public defense professionals are eligible to serve on Crisis Intervention Advisory Boards.

Public defenders are also eligible to receive subawards under Byrne SCIP from their state or territory. Subawards to public defenders can be used in a variety of ways including, but not limited to, providing legal representation for persons subject to extreme risk protection order (ERPO) programs or who participate in mental health courts, drug courts, and Veterans treatment courts, including those who accept clients with firearms violations; implement navigation programs that assess the risks and needs of clients and connect them with critical services to mitigate their risk of gun violence; or to conduct trainings. Public defenders interested in receiving Byrne SCIP subawards should contact the Crisis Intervention Advisory Board in their jurisdiction.

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John R. Justice Student Loan Repayment Program - Bureau of Justice Assistance

This program provides student loan repayment assistance to state, local, and federal public defenders and local and state prosecutors who commit to extended service in those roles. The program offers an incentive to recruit and retain qualified public defenders and prosecutors who will remain employed in that capacity for a minimum of 36 months. 

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Title II Formula Grant Program – Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act Title II Formula Grant Program supports state, Tribal, and local delinquency prevention, intervention, and juvenile justice system improvements. The program aims to increase the availability and types of prevention and intervention programs and juvenile justice system improvements, including programs that ensure youth have access to appropriate legal representation. Funds are provided directly to states and territories to assist them in planning, operating, coordinating, and evaluating projects directly or through grants and contracts with public and private agencies for the development and implementation of comprehensive juvenile justice plans based on jurisdiction-specific needs.

States and territories that receive Title II awards are required to establish a State Advisory Group (SAG) to provide policy direction and prepare a comprehensive 3-year juvenile justice and delinquency prevention plan. Public defenders interested in receiving Title II subawards should contact the State Advisory Group in their jurisdiction for more information. To identify the Title II contacts in your jurisdiction and review it’s comprehensive 3-year plan, visit OJJDP’s State Support page.

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A discretionary grant is a merit-based award of funds to eligible applicants who apply directly to the federal agency. A federal grant-making agency accepts applications for discretionary funding, determines eligibility, reviews the contents of the application, and determines which applicants receive awards and the amount of funding to be awarded.

For more information, see What Is a Discretionary Grant? from Grants.gov.

Community Based Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative Site-Based – Bureau of Justice Assistance

This program seeks to prevent and reduce violent crime in communities by supporting comprehensive, evidence-based community-based violence intervention and prevention programs that include efforts to address gang and gun violence, based on partnerships among community residents, local government agencies, victim service providers, community-based organizations, law enforcement, hospitals, researchers, and other community stakeholders.  Public defenders, youth defenders, and Tribal defenders are eligible applicants under Category 1 and 2.

The solicitation for FY24 closed on June 10, 2024. Organizations interested in applying for FY2025 should check the Department of Justice Grants Program Plan for future opportunities.

  • In Cuyahoga County, Ohio funds are being used to support a Violence Intervention Program comprised of teams of local prosecutors, public defender offices, and judges that will proactively identify eligible youth and young adult participants for the program.

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Adult Treatment Court Program – Bureau of Justice Assistance

This program supports state, local, and Tribal efforts to plan, implement, and enhance the operations of adult treatment courts, including Tribal healing to wellness courts. It serves as a tool for criminal court partners and the judiciary to facilitate coordinated approaches that address the needs of nonviolent individuals involved in the justice system who have substance use disorders and/or co-occurring mental health needs.  Funding may be used by an eligible entity to support the role of a defense attorney, including public defenders or Tribal defenders on the treatment court team.

The solicitation for FY24 closed on April 30, 2024. Organizations interested in applying for FY2025 should check the Department of Justice Grants Program Plan for future opportunities.

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Veterans Treatment Court – Bureau of Justice Assistance

This program supports planning, implementing, and enhancing the operations of veterans treatment courts (VTC), including service coordination, participant service and supervision coordination, fidelity to the VTC model, and recovery support services. Funding may be used by an eligible entity to support the role of a defense attorney, including public defenders or Tribal defenders who serve a key role on the VTC team.

The solicitation for FY24 closed on June 27, 2024. Organizations interested in applying for FY2025 should check the Department of Justice Grants Program Plan for future opportunities.

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Family-Based Alternative Justice Program – Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

This diversionary program aims to establish new and enhance existing family-based alternative justice programs for parents/primary caregivers in the criminal justice system to mitigate the harmful impacts of incarceration on children and their families to improve child, parent, and family outcomes. Funding from this program could support a variety of programs including public defender or Tribal defender led diversion programs, or support defense attorney roles in new or existing diversion and alternative justice programs for parents/caregivers in the criminal justice system.

The solicitation for FY24 closed on April 29, 2024.  Organizations interested in applying for FY2025 should check the Department of Justice Grants Program Plan for future opportunities.

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Family Treatment Court Program - Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

This program supports the establishment, enhancement, or expansion of family treatment courts. These courts aim to more effectively address the needs of parents, children, and families affected by a substance use and/or co-occurring mental health disorder who are involved in the child welfare system because of child abuse and neglect or other parenting issues. They intend to increase collaboration with substance use treatment providers and child welfare systems to ensure the provision of treatment and other support services for families and to improve child, parent, and family outcomes.  Funding from this program can be used to support public defenders and Tribal defenders and their multidisciplinary teams that represent parents and/or children in child welfare systems.  Attorneys representing justice-involved parents and caregivers are identified as key community collaboration stakeholders.

The solicitation for FY24 closed on May 6, 2024.  Organizations interested in applying for FY2025 should check the Department of Justice Grants Program Plan for future opportunities.

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Juvenile Drug Treatment Court Program - Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

This program seeks to implement new and innovative approaches to enhance existing juvenile drug treatment courts and improve outcomes for youth with substance use disorder or co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders, including those with histories of trauma. Funding may be used by an eligible entity to support the role of key drug court team members, which includes public defenders, youth defenders, and/or Tribal defenders, and can be used to support the multidisciplinary teams that support the defense attorney role.

The solicitation for FY24 closed on May 14, 2024.  Organizations interested in applying for FY2025 should check the Department of Justice Grants Program Plan for future opportunities.

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Enhancing School Capacity to Address Youth Violence - Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

This program supports targeted efforts to address youth violence through implementing evidence-based prevention and intervention efforts in a school-based setting (K–12th grade only). Program goals are to (1) reduce the incidence of school violence through improved school safety and climate and (2) prevent youth violence, delinquency, and victimization in the targeted community. Funding from this program can be used to support multidisciplinary, multiagency stakeholders that include public defenders, youth defenders, and Tribal defenders.

The solicitation for FY24 closed on June 10, 2024. Organizations interested in applying for FY2025 should check the Department of Justice Grants Program Plan for future opportunities.

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Supporting Effective Interventions for Youth with Problematic or Illegal Sexual Behavior Program - Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

This program provides funding to communities to develop intervention and supervision services for youth with problematic or illegal sexual behavior and provides treatment services for their victims and families/caregivers. Under this initiative, successful applicants are expected to have an established multidisciplinary team that (1) supports a comprehensive holistic approach to treating youth with problematic or illegal sexual behavior and (2) provides support services to victims and families/caregivers. 

The solicitation for FY24 closed on June 18, 2024.  Organizations interested in applying for FY2025 should check the Department of Justice Grants Program Plan for future opportunities.

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The Primary Prevention Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program - Department of Health and Human Services

This program provides funding to identify and implement strategies and services for youth between ages 12 and 26 in order to prevent homelessness, including strategies designed to serve youth and young adult populations with a high likelihood of imminently experiencing homelessness, housing instability, or other forms of victimization such as human trafficking, to include individuals transitioning out of foster care, the juvenile justice system, or a residential behavioral health system.  Public defenders, youth defenders, and Tribal defenders are eligible applicants and can use this funding to support a range of primary prevention strategies including support for housing related legal services or special education advocacy.

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Legal Assistance Enhancement Program - Department of Health and Human Services

HHS’s Administration for Community Living’s Legal Assistance Enhancement Program (LAEP) supports legal assistance enhancements and innovations for older Americas with social or economic needs in four key areas: (1) outreach; (2) intake; (3) essential partnerships within and outside the aging network; and (4) delivery of full-range legal assistance. Public defenders and Tribal defenders are eligible applicants and could use this funding to support partnerships with organizations within the aging network, support intake and legal representation with the use of social workers, and multidisciplinary legal representation for elder clients.

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Expand Substance Use Disorder Treatment Capacity in Adult and Family Treatment Drug Courts - Department of Health and Human Services

This program seeks to expand substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and recovery support services in existing drug courts – including prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery services – focusing on the need for treatment instead of incarceration for individuals with SUDs. With this program, SAMHSA aims to improve abstinence from substance use, housing stability, employment status, social connectedness, health/behavioral/social consequences, and reduce criminal justice involvement. Funding from this program can be used by an eligible entity to support defense attorneys in SUD treatment court, including public defenders and Tribal defenders, and for legal services as part of a multidisciplinary approach in the operations of the drug court.

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Encouraging Innovation: Field Initiated Program – Bureau of Justice Assistance

This program seeks to prevent and reduce crime and enhance the criminal justice system through innovative approaches that accelerate justice by identifying, defining, and responding to emerging or chronic crime problems and systemic issues.  This funding can support new approaches, address gaps in responses, build or translate research knowledge, or build capacity.  Public defenders, depending on organizational structure, are eligible for all three solicitation categories or could partner with an external organization to deploy an innovative field-initiated program.

The solicitation for FY24 closed on August 9, 2024.  Organizations interested in applying for FY2025 should check the Department of Justice Grants Program Plan for future opportunities.

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Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program

The Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program seeks to fund collaborative programs that reduce criminal justice involvement and improve outcomes for individuals with mental health disorders (MHDs) or co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders (MHSUDs). Public defenders and Tribal defenders are eligible entities for this award, but BJA will accept applications only for proposed programs that will be administered jointly by the criminal agency (e.g., the public defender) and a mental health agency. Public defenders can utilize this funding to support a range of programs including but not limited to building or expanding existing justice and mental health collaborative programs; supporting navigators, case managers, or court liaison programs that connect individuals living with MHDs and MHSUDs with programs and services; increasing defender-led diversion strategies; or creating or expanding specialized legal services for clients who prequalify for specialized mental health courts. 

The solicitation for FY24 Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program closed on May 14, 2024. Organizations interested in applying for FY2025 grants should check the Department of Justice Grants Program Plan for future opportunities.

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Enhancing Youth Defense – Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

This opportunity seeks to implement youth defense delivery system enhancements that strengthen and improve youth defense. This program supports states and localities, through a combination of direct grants and national training and technical assistance, to implement sustainable system improvements that result in improved youth outcomes, reduced recidivism, safer communities, cost savings, and increased public confidence in the juvenile justice system. 

The solicitation for FY24 Enhancing Youth Defense program closed on May 6, 2024.  Organizations interested in applying for FY2025 grants should check the Department of Justice Grants Program Plan for future opportunities. 

Highlights

In FY23, OJJDP awarded funds to:

  • Los Angeles County to implement youth defense delivery system enhancements through several focused initiatives.
  • The Michigan Indigent Defense Commission to establish juvenile justice standards and a specialized training program for youth defense. 

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Juvenile Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program – Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

The Juvenile Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program grant provides funding to support cross-system collaboration to improve responses and outcomes for youth under the age of 18 or under the jurisdiction of the juvenile justice system with mental health disorders, including traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder, or co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders who encounter the juvenile justice system. Public defenders and Tribal defenders are eligible entities for this award, but OJJDP will only accept applications that demonstrate that the proposed project will be administered jointly by the youth justice agency (e.g. the public defender) and a mental health agency.

Public defenders can utilize this funding to support a range of programs including but not limited to: the creation or expansion of existing mental health courts, defense-led diversion, or alternative prosecution and sentencing programs; specialized training for public defenders, Tribal defenders, or mental health personnel to better respond to youth with mental health disorders mental health substance use disorder programs that promote and provide mental health treatment and transitional services for incarcerated youth or for transitional reentry programs for youth released from penal or correctional institutions; or programs that support, administer, or develop treatment capacity and increase access to mental health care and substance use disorder services for youth in the community.

The solicitation for FY24 Juvenile Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program closed on July 2, 2024.  Organizations interested in applying for FY2025 grants should check the check the Department of Justice Grants Program Plan for future opportunities. 

Highlights

In FY20, funds were used to support a collaboration between the Maryland Office of the Public Defender and Maple Shade Youth and Family Services to improve outcomes for youth with MHDs and MHSUDs and their families, minimize justice involvement, and improve safety.

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Reducing Risk for Girls in the Juvenile Justice System – Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

The Reducing Risk for Girls in the Juvenile Justice System grant provides funding for programs that help to address the unique needs of girls who encounter the juvenile justice system.  This funding can be utilized by public defenders and Tribal defenders for programs that improve juvenile justice system responses for girls and increase protective factors to prevent further delinquent behavior. 

The solicitation for FY24 Reducing Risk for Girls in the Juvenile Justice system closed on June 10, 2024. Organizations interested in applying for FY2025 grants should check the Department of Justice Grants Program Plan for future opportunities.

Highlights

The Louisiana Center for Children's Rights which serves as the Orleans Parish Juvenile Public Defender was approved for funding in FY20 to expand is “Brighter Futures” program to hire two youth advocates. The “Brighter Futures” program focused on providing services to girls within the indigent and predominately African-American populations by identifying girls upon system entry and providing them with trauma-informed and culturally appropriate care to address root cause and collateral consequences of their arrest.

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Postconviction Testing of DNA Evidence

This opportunity seeks to assist states, counties, city or township governments, or public or state-controlled institutions of higher education in defraying the costs associated with postconviction case review, evidence location, and DNA testing in violent felony cases (as defined by state law) where the results of such testing might show actual innocence. Grant activities can include, but are not limited to, identifying and reviewing suitable postconviction cases, locating and analyzing biological evidence, improving the preservation of biological evidence, and modernizing record retention for relevant postconviction cases.

The application period for FY24 Postconviction Testing of DNA Evidence closed on April 29, 2024. Organizations interested in applying for FY2025 grants should check the Department of Justice Grants Program Plan for future opportunities.

Highlights

  • In Iowa, the Iowa State Public Defender was awarded funds in FY23 to support its Wrongful Conviction Division’s partnership with Drake Law School’s Legal Clinic and will be used to increase the clinic’s capacity to serve wrongfully convicted individuals. 
  • In Louisiana, LSU was awarded funds in FY22 to support its Wrongful Conviction Clinic, which operates in partnership with the Innocence Project of New Orleans. Funds were used for the location and testing of evidence and associated case work up.
  • In Kentucky, the Department of Public Advocacy was awarded funds in FY21 to support a partnership with the Kentucky Innocence Project to review cases, locate testable evidence, and obtain DNA analysis in cases where an individual may have been wrongfully convicted.

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Legal Services for Homeless Veterans and Veterans At-Risk for Homelessness Grant Program (LSV-H)

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides grants to both public and non-profit organizations that provide legal services to Veterans who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness. This funding can be utilized by public defenders and Tribal defenders to provide a range of legal services including but not limited to criminal defense in matters symptomatic of homelessness, eviction defense, access to healthcare and public benefits, and family law for Veterans who are confronting housing instability. Criminal defense services include but are not limited to providing legal representation to Veterans eligible for diversion and specialized treatment courts or for criminal record clearing.

In FY23, the VA awarded $11.5 million in legal service grants to 79 organizations that helped Veterans experiencing or at-risk of homelessness with their legal needs. The application period for FY24 LSV-H grants closed on February 23, 2024. Public defenders and Tribal defenders interested in applying for FY2025 LSV-H grants should check the VA website frequently for possible funding opportunities.

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Updated February 10, 2025