Justice Assistance Council | Department of Public Safety

The Maine Justice Assistance Council (JAC) was formed in 1986 during Governor McKernan’s administration to function as a justice policy board to develop broad-based strategies to address persistent crime issues in the state. In addition to providing modest financial support to governmental agencies and community-based organizations engaged in justice policy work, the JAC is engaged in implementing effective crime prevention strategies in Maine. The JAC is the multi-disciplinary policy board that serves as a forum for communication and a structure to coordinate administration criminal justice grants that address public safety. This officially constituted advisory board was established by Executive Order to provide comprehensive strategic planning and policy direction and to obtain regular guidance and advice from knowledgeable criminal justice practitioners, victim service providers key stakeholders, and advocates.

Maine Justice Assistance Council Grants

The following are federal categorical grant programs offered by the U. S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA)or the National Institute of Justice (NIJ). The Maine Department of Public Safety administers these programs by awarding subgrants to state and local agencies to support criminal justice and system improvement projects.

Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program is the leading source of federal justice funding to state and local jurisdictions. The JAG Program provides states, tribes, and local governments with critical funding necessary to support a range of program areas including law enforcement, prosecution, indigent defense, courts, crime prevention and education, corrections and community corrections, drug treatment and enforcement, planning, evaluation, technology improvement, and crime victim and witness initiatives and mental health programs and related law enforcement and corrections programs, including behavioral programs and crisis intervention teams.

Byrne JAG Drug Control, Violence and Crime Prevention Multi-Year Strategy (PDF)

Byrne JAG Additional Information (PDF)

Byrne JAG FY19 Federal Application (PDF)

Byrne JAG FY18 Federal Application (PDF)

Byrne JAG FY17 Federal Application (PDF)

Paul Coverdell National Forensic Science Improvement Grants (Coverdell) Program awards grants to states and units of local government to help improve the quality and timeliness of forensic science and medical examiner/coroner services. Among other things, funds may be used to eliminate a backlog in the analysis of forensic evidence and to train and employ forensic laboratory personnel, as needed, to eliminate such a backlog.

Paul Coverdell Additional Information (PDF)

The Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) was passed in 2003 with unanimous support from both parties in Congress. The purpose of the act was to “provide for the analysis of the incidence and effects of prison rape in Federal, State, and local institutions and to provide information, resources, recommendations and funding to protect individuals from prison rape.” In addition to creating a mandate for significant research from the Bureau of Justice Statistics and through the National Institute of Justice, funding through the Bureau of Justice Assistance and the National Institute of Corrections supported major efforts in many state corrections, juvenile detention, community corrections, and jail systems.

PREA Additional Information (PDF)

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is a nationwide commitment to reduce gun and gang crime in America by networking existing local programs that target gun and gun crime and providing these programs with additional tools necessary to be successful. Since its inception in 2001, approximately $2 billion has been committed to this initiative. This funding is being used to hire new federal and state prosecutors, support investigators, provide training, distribute gun lock safety kits, deter juvenile gun crime, and develop and promote community outreach efforts as well as to support other gun and gang violence reduction strategies.

PSN Additional Information (PDF)

Residential Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT) for State Prisoners Program assists states, local, and tribal governments to develop and implement substance abuse treatment programs in state, local, and tribal correctional and detention facilities and to create and maintain community based aftercare services for offenders. RSAT funds may be used to implement three types of programs: residential, jail-based, and aftercare.

RSAT Additional Information (PDF)

STOP Violence Against Women Formula Grant Program The purpose is to implement effective law enforcement and prosecution strategies to combat violent crimes against adult women and to develop and enhance victim services in cases involving violent crimes against women. STOP stands for "Services, Training, Officers, Prosecution."

2022 - 2025 Maine STOP Implementation Plan (PDF)

2017 Maine STOP Implementation Plan (PDF)

STOP Additional Information (PDF)

The following State of Maine Grant program is administered by the Maine Department of Public Safety by awarding subgrants to state and local agencies to support criminal justice and system improvement projects.

2015 PL C. 481 Part E Grants for Substance Abuse Assistance Program The grants will fund projects to support persons with presumed substance use disorders by providing grants to municipalities and counties to carry out projects designed to reduce substance abuse, substance abuse-related crimes and recidivism.

Requests for Proposal (RFP) formula grants are offered by the Department of Public Safety, through the Justice Assistance Council. A copy of current RFPs as well as the Questions and Answer Summary and all amendments related to RFPs, can only be obtained by registering and downloading at the following website:

Division of Purchases RFPs

Applications may only be sent in when there is an RFP or Application open. Eligible Applicants may apply for funding pursuant to an RFP

Current OPEN Applications

FY 2022 Substance Use Disorder Assistance Program

The Department of Public Safety (DPS) is seeking applications from eligible applicants to provide programs designed to assist persons with presumed substance use disorder using liaison strategies both before and after arrest to refer alleged low-level (non-felony) offenders into community-based treatment and support services as defined in this Request for Applications (RFA) document. Eligible applicants are municipal governments, county governments, tribal governments, or regional jails.

A copy of the RFA, as well as the Question & Answer Summary and all amendments related to this RFA, can be obtained at the following website: https://www.maine.gov/dafs/bbm/procurementservices/vendors/rfps

Applications are to be submitted to the State of Maine Division of Procurement Services, via email, to Proposals@maine.gov. Applications must be received by April 7, 2022, no later than 11:59 p.m., local time. Applications received after the 11:59 p.m. deadline will be ineligible for award consideration for that annual application enrollment period.

Assistance in Writing Proposals

The following links furnish non-Maine.gov websites that provide information that may be of value to those organizations and agencies in writing responses to an RFP.

The State of Maine is not responsible for the content of those websites. Links to non-governmental sites are provided as informational resources only. A link from Maine.gov does not constitute or imply endorsement, recommendation, or favoring of any specific commercial product, viewpoint, or service referenced on those external websites.