OJJDP FY 2023 Juvenile Justice Emergency Planning Demonstration Program for Juvenile Justice Residential Facilities | O OJJDP 2023 171783

Opportunity Information: Apply for O OJJDP 2023 171783

The OJJDP FY 2023 Juvenile Justice Emergency Planning Demonstration Program for Juvenile Justice Residential Facilities is a discretionary federal grant opportunity from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) within the Office of Justice Programs (OJP). It is designed to help state, local, and Tribal juvenile justice residential facilities strengthen their emergency planning so they can better protect youth and staff during emergencies while maintaining continuity of care, safety, and communication. The opportunity sits within OJP and OJJDP priorities that emphasize civil rights and racial equity, increased access to justice, support for victims and people impacted by the justice system, stronger community safety, and building public trust. OJJDP frames this work within its broader juvenile justice vision: treating children as children, serving children at home with their families and in their communities whenever possible, and expanding opportunities for system-involved youth.

A central expectation of this solicitation is that emergency planning is not treated as a purely administrative or security function. OJJDP is explicitly pushing applicants to build a juvenile justice approach that is centered on the strengths, needs, and voices of youth and families, including people with lived experience. Applicants are required to explain how they will integrate and sustain meaningful youth and family partnerships in both the project plan and the budget, rather than treating engagement as a one-time consultation. OJJDP describes youth and family partnership as something that can happen at multiple levels: at the individual level (such as case planning and direct service delivery before, during, and after a youth has contact with a system), the agency level (policy and program development, implementation, evaluation, staffing advisory bodies, and even budget development), and the system level (strategic planning, system improvement initiatives, advocacy strategies, and reform efforts).

Within the specific context of juvenile residential facilities, the grant focuses on emergency planning that accounts for the reality that youth are living in congregate care settings and can be especially vulnerable during disasters, facility incidents, public health emergencies, and other disruptive events. OJJDP highlights that facilities should plan not only for physical safety measures (like evacuation strategies) but also for continued meaningful engagement with families and supportive community members when emergencies happen. That includes practical, written procedures for ongoing notification and communication so family members know what is happening, where a young person is located if movement occurs, and how contact will be maintained during disruptions. The solicitation encourages applicants to prioritize these family-connection strategies as a core part of emergency planning, not an add-on.

The opportunity also gives concrete examples of what partnership can look like in this setting. One highlighted approach is establishing or leveraging an existing advisory group that includes family members of youth currently in the facility and/or youth who are currently or were previously housed there. OJJDP suggests that these advisors can play a real role in drafting, reviewing, and improving emergency procedures, including evacuation planning and communications protocols. The underlying message is that plans are more likely to be realistic, humane, and workable when the people most affected by them have input into how they are designed and implemented.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a grant (funding instrument type: Grant) under the law, justice, and legal services category, with CFDA number 16.823. The funding opportunity number is O-OJJDP-2023-171783. The award ceiling is $250,000 per award. The original closing date for applications was July 24, 2023, and the opportunity was created on June 6, 2023. Eligible applicants are broad and include state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Tribal governments; Tribal organizations (other than federally recognized Tribal governments); nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other entities. The solicitation also specifically notes that Tribal institutions of higher education are eligible to apply, reinforcing the intent to include Tribal communities and institutions in building emergency preparedness capacity for juvenile residential settings.

Overall, the grant is best understood as a planning and system-improvement investment aimed at making juvenile residential facilities more prepared for emergencies while aligning emergency preparedness with modern juvenile justice values: youth-centered practice, family partnership, equity, and maintaining supportive relationships even during crises. Applicants are expected to show, in a practical and budgeted way, how emergency planning will be strengthened and how youth and families will be meaningfully engaged in shaping, reviewing, and sustaining those plans.

• The Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "OJJDP FY 2023 Juvenile Justice Emergency Planning Demonstration Program for Juvenile Justice Residential Facilities" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.823.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-06-06.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-07-24. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $250,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.

Apply for O OJJDP 2023 171783

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