SACRAMENTO (Nov. 8, 2018) – The Board of State and Community Corrections approved the release of the Request for Proposals for the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant, pending the final judgment in a lawsuit between California and the federal government.

The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant provides federal funding, which the BSCC has used to support education and prevention programs, law enforcement programs, and prosecution and court programs including indigent defense.

The approximate $17 million in grant funding has been subject to legal challenge in California v Sessions after the Department of Justice sought to withhold grant funds from jurisdictions with so-called “sanctuary” policies.  On November 2, the U.S. Department of Justice released the 2017 JAG award to the BSCC after the United States District Court for the Northern District of California held that California’s laws do not violate federal immigration law and that the grant conditions imposed by U.S. Department of Justice were unconstitutional.  A final judgment in the case is expected to be entered in the next few weeks.

Under the most recent JAG grant cycle, which began in 2015, California awarded 32 local three-year grants.

The Board approved release today of the RFP for a new three-year grant cycle, subject to future funding availability. The BSCC has submitted applications for 2017 and 2018 federal funding but has not yet received the 2018 award.

The BSCC plans to hold a bidders’ conference in January 2019, has set a deadline of March 28, 2019 for proposals to be returned to the BSCC, and plans to make awards in August 2019.

For more information please contact Field Representative Daryle McDaniel at daryle.mcdaniel@bscc.ca.gov or Communications Director Tracie Cone at tracie.cone@bscc.ca.gov or 916-322-1054