OPEN CFDA 16.735 ↗ Competitive Grant Competitive ~100h typical effort
BJA

FY26 Investigating and Prosecuting Sexual Assaults in Confinement Facilities Program

🏛 Bureau of Justice Assistance (USDOJ-OJP-BJA)

✓ Free, no account · Source: Grants.gov · Last verified Sep 4, 2026

⏰ Deadline
Sep 23, 2026 in 18 days
💰 Award amount
up to $2M
📍 Scope
National

Can you apply?

This grant is for state, local, and tribal law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies working to investigate and prosecute sexual assaults in confinement facilities. Eligible applicants include state and county prosecutors, law enforcement agencies, and tribal justice programs. Recipients must be government entities with authority to conduct criminal investigations or prosecutions. Funding supports investigative activities, prosecution, staff training, and initiatives that reduce sexual assault incidents and increase successful prosecutions in correctional and detention settings.

Eligible applicants
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Program description

This is a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for the BJA FY 2026 Investigating and Prosecuting Sexual Assaults in Confinement Facilities Program. This opportunity supports state, local, and tribal efforts to enhance their capacity to investigate and prosecute incidents of sexual assault in confinement facilities. State agencies, law enforcement, and prosecutorial agencies may utilize this funding for investigative and prosecutorial activities to decrease incidents of sexual assault in confinement facilities and increase the rate of successful prosecutions in such cases.

Who can apply

Eligible applicants

Demographic focus

How to apply

Application links

Key dates & requirements

Required documents

  • NOFO and application instructions
  • SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance)
  • Project narrative describing investigation and prosecution plan
  • Budget and budget justification
  • Organizational documentation (EIN, 501(c)(3) if applicable, government agency credentials)
  • Letters of support from corrections and partner agencies
  • Staffing plan and qualifications

Program contact

Funding track record

Recent awards under CFDA 16.735 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.

101
awards (3 yrs)
$99M
total funded
74
unique recipients
$978K
average award

Top 10 Largest Recent Awards

  1. $27,633,837
  2. $8,847,164
  3. $5,000,000
  4. $3,557,456
  5. $3,387,500
  6. $2,417,827
  7. $2,325,235
  8. $1,706,214
  9. $1,567,373
  10. $1,531,403

Top States by Funding

  • CA 5 awards $42.3M
  • DC 3 awards $4.6M
  • MA 4 awards $4.5M
  • FL 4 awards $3.2M
  • NY 4 awards $3.0M

Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.

Funding history

Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 16.735). How funding has trended year over year.

2024 $7,387,500
2025 $2,866,942

FAQ

Who can apply for this grant?

State and local prosecuting agencies, law enforcement agencies, and federally recognized tribal governments. Agencies must be publicly funded and authorized to investigate or prosecute criminal offenses.

What can I use funding for?

Investigative and prosecutorial activities related to sexual assault in confinement. This includes staff time, training, specialized equipment, and victim support services.

When is the deadline?

The deadline is September 23, 2026. This is a fixed deadline, not rolling.

How much funding is available?

Award amounts vary, but the program distributes significant funding. Check the full NOFO for specific award ranges and any geographic funding allocations.

What makes applications competitive?

Strong applications demonstrate clear investigation and prosecution gaps, detailed action plans, experienced personnel, and partnerships with victim advocacy organizations.

💡 Tips for applicants

  • Focus on demonstrated need. Show current sexual assault investigation and prosecution rates in your facilities.
  • Build partnerships with corrections staff, victim advocates, and medical professionals to strengthen your proposal.
  • Include a detailed implementation timeline with specific milestones and measurable outcomes for prosecution rates.
  • Address staff training comprehensively. Specialized training in trauma-informed investigation is highly valued.
  • Connect your work to national standards like PREA (Prison Rape Elimination Act) compliance initiatives.

⚠️ Common mistakes

Vague outcomes. Saying you will "increase investigations" without specifying targets or measurement methods gets rejected. Underestimating resource needs. Proposals that don't realistically cost out investigator time, training, and victim services lose credibility. Missing victim services component. Strong applications address support for survivors, not just prosecution.

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18 days left Sep 23, 2026
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