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Grants to Improve the Criminal Justice Response Program Fact Sheet

Grants to Improve the Criminal Justice Response Program

The Grants to Improve the Criminal Justice Response Program (ICJR Program) assists state, local, and tribal governments, courts, and victim service providers to improve the criminal justice response to domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking as serious violations of criminal law, and to seek safety and autonomy for victims.

ICJR Program Purpose Areas

The possibilities are vast among 26 different purpose areas, available at 34 U.S.C. § 10461(b), and each project must address at least one. Such projects can include, but are not limited to:

  • Strengthening investigation and prosecution responses to sexual assault by forming multidisciplinary response teams and/or specialized units, implementing trauma-informed training, developing forensic examiner programs, or alleviating sexual assault kit backlogs;
  • Educating judges and court-based personnel (including juvenile courts);
  • Developing multidisciplinary high-risk teams for reducing domestic violence and dating violence homicides;
  • Providing victim services, including legal advocacy, to underserved communities, including immigrants, persons identifying as LGBTQIA+, individuals with disabilities, and individuals 50 years or older; and/or
  • Implementing policies, procedures, and protocols in law enforcement agencies to improve tracking of cases and classification of complaints that incorporate protecting the privacy of victims of Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) crimes.

Eligible Applicants

  • States; Indian Tribal governments and organizations; state and local courts (including juvenile courts); or units of local government;
  • State, Tribal, or territorial domestic violence or sexual assault coalitions; or victim service provider holding nonprofit 501(c)(3) status within the United States and territories.

Required Partnerships

  • Victim service provider holding nonprofit 501(c)(3) status within the United States and territories;
  • Indian Tribal governments and organizations, state and local courts (including juvenile courts); or units of local government.

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Updated March 12, 2025