Best Grants for Criminal Justice in Pennsylvania

County justice agencies running probation-based treatment and supervision programs in Pennsylvania can seek funding to support restrictive conditions of county probation. Grants from Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency help Pennsylvania criminal justice entities divert individuals with substance use or mental health disorders from jail or prison, reduce recidivism, and enhance community safety, with awards up to US $4,130,000.

County governments in Pennsylvania that operate adult probation and parole departments can apply for US $9,875 - US $2,677,554 to offset supervision and staffing costs. The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency provides these grants to support county adult probation services and collect data to assess program effectiveness and criminal justice system practices.

The Federal STOP Violence Against Women Formula Grant Program, administered by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, aims to enhance community responses to domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. By fostering collaboration among law enforcement, prosecution, and victim services, this program ensures a comprehensive approach to address these issues. With a focus on effective strategies and accountability for offenders, the grant encourages innovative solutions to protect and support victims, ultimately aiming to improve safety across communities in Pennsylvania.

Grants from Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency help Pennsylvania criminal justice and behavioral health agencies expand evidence-based supports for justice-involved people with substance use disorders, including opioid and stimulant use. Counties can apply for up to US $500,000 to improve cross-system coordination from law enforcement contact through reentry and supervision.

The STOP Statewide Training and Technical Assistance: Law Enforcement grant, funded by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, aims to enhance the capabilities of law enforcement in addressing domestic violence, stalking, and dating violence. This initiative provides essential training and technical assistance to ensure Pennsylvania's law enforcement officers can effectively respond to and mitigate these critical issues. Quarterly programmatic and fiscal reporting is required to monitor the grant's impact and efficacy.

The STOP Statewide Training and Technical Assistance grant aims to enhance knowledge of domestic violence, stalking, and dating violence in Pennsylvania. Funded by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, it supports non-profit and governmental organizations to develop statewide training programs for victim advocates, law enforcement, and prosecutors. The initiative includes the implementation of the Maryland Model of Lethality Assessment Program and requires quarterly reporting through Egrants.

The STOP Statewide Training and Technical Assistance: Prosecution grant, offered by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, aims to enhance the skills of Pennsylvania prosecutors in addressing domestic violence, stalking, and dating violence. This initiative provides essential training and technical assistance to various stakeholders, ensuring a coordinated response to these critical issues. By fostering collaboration and sharing best practices, the program seeks to improve overall community safety and support for victims.

Criminal justice and gun violence policy organizations in Pennsylvania can access funding through the Joyce Foundation for research, advocacy, and systems-change work. Grants support projects that reduce gun violence, address racial disparities in the justice system, and advance community-based violence intervention, with priority for efforts impacting the Great Lakes region and select initiatives in Pennsylvania.

The STOP Statewide Training and Technical Assistance: Sexual Assault Project, funded by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, aims to enhance the understanding of sexual assault within Pennsylvania. This initiative targets victim advocates, law enforcement, and prosecutors, ensuring they receive comprehensive training and technical support. By fostering collaboration among various stakeholders, the project seeks to improve responses to sexual violence and ultimately support victims more effectively. Reports are required quarterly through Egrants.

Violent Incident Clearance and Technological Investigative Methods (VICTIM) Program Grants

The goal and objective of Track 1:

NIBRS Readiness Grants is to increase the number of local law enforcement agencies submitting data to the Pennsylvania State Police and the U.S. Department of Justice through NIBRS, which is the successor federal crime data reporting system to the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) System. Despite recent investments to support local law enforcement agencies’ transition from UCR, Pennsylvania’s compliance rate with reporting data through NIBRS remains among the lowest of all states. With the U.S. Department of Justice (US DOJ) and Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) stating that all agencies must be NIBRS compliant in reporting no later than January 1, 2028, this solicitation seeks to offset the costs of some agencies seeking to meet that standard and increase Pennsylvania’s statewide NIBRS compliance rates.

The goal and objective of Track 2:

Implementation Grants is to afford local law enforcement agencies that are already NIBRS-compliant the opportunity to purchase technology, equipment, training, and other allowable activities to improve clearances rates of homicides and other violent crimes, including rape, aggravated assault, and robbery. NIBRS-compliant agencies will be expected to track measurable outcomes to show improvement in clearance rates related to one or more of these violent offenses.

Funding Availability:

A total of $3,425,000 in FY2026-27 State VICTIM Act funding is being announced to support this initiative.1

Under Track 1: NIBRS Readiness Grants, PCCD expects to fund approximately 20 grants with budgets not to exceed $50,000 over the 18-month project period. No less than $1,000,000 will be used to assist local law enforcement agencies who are not yet NIBRS compliant in achieving compliance (i.e., identified by the Pennsylvania State Police at the end of the project as a NIBRS reporting agency). Applicants that fail to achieve this standard by the final close-out report may be asked to return funding. Law enforcement agencies that have not received prior funding from PCCD for NIBRS compliance will be considered more favorably.

Under Track 2: Implementation Grants, PCCD expects to fund approximately five grants with budgets not to exceed $500,000 over the 18-month project period.

Governmental and non-governmental organizations in Pennsylvania seeking to improve crime and justice, community safety, or crime victim services can apply for this Byrne Justice Assistance (JAG) local initiatives grant. The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency funds projects that advance objectives in its 2026–2030 Strategic Framework for criminal justice and public safety.

Researchers and institutions conducting citizen security and criminal justice studies, including those relevant to Pennsylvania, can apply for Innovations for Poverty Action’s Citizen Security Research Initiative. Focus areas include crime and violence prevention, organized crime, drug trafficking, and strengthening law enforcement and justice systems, with awards ranging from US $75,000 - US $400,000 for rigorous evaluations and related research.

Organizations and individuals improving criminal or civil justice systems in Pennsylvania can receive US $15,000 awards recognizing proven, innovative programs. The Foundation for Improvement of Justice provides U.S. justice reform and crime prevention leaders with national recognition, a medal, certificate, and trip to an Atlanta awards banquet for impactful work that can serve as a model for others.

Law school graduates and early-career attorneys pursuing public interest legal work in Pennsylvania can receive up to US $67,000 to serve disadvantaged clients through nonprofit civil legal services organizations. Independence Foundation supports criminal justice system reform and related legal services via the Honorable Phyllis W. Beck Public Interest Law Fellowships in Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery Counties.

Researchers and research institutions studying community safety and criminal justice policies in the U.S., including Pennsylvania, can apply for up to US $500,000 from Arnold Ventures. Focused on rigorous causal designs using real-world behavioral outcomes, this opportunity prioritizes scalable policy-relevant studies and often favors early-career or previously unfunded investigators.

Researchers with doctorates studying behavioral science, decision making, and criminal justice contexts in the U.S., including Pennsylvania, can seek up to US $200,000 for social science research projects. With a mission to advance rigorous social science, Russell Sage Foundation provides support for work on policing, criminal legal systems, housing, employment, immigration, and racial/ethnic relations.

Early-career social science faculty researching U.S. criminal justice, inequality, or related social policy can apply for $35,000 - $50,000 in one-year project funding from the Russell Sage Foundation. Focused on economic mobility and systemic barriers, this program may support Pennsylvania scholars examining crime, legal systems, or criminal justice reform using innovative data and methods.

Organizations and individuals working on community and restorative justice projects in Pennsylvania can apply for mini-grants up to US $500 to support practical initiatives and outreach. Grants from National Association of Community and Restorative Justice help U.S.-based criminal justice system reform efforts led by current NACRJ members, with added visibility and networking in the restorative justice community.

U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofits running neuroscience-related mental health programs can apply for Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine’s Therapeutic Giving: Neuroscience funding to improve access to care and health equity. Pennsylvania organizations working on criminal justice system reform, crisis intervention, or stigma reduction around mental illness may be eligible for support of recovery-focused or early intervention initiatives.

NACRJ member organizations and individuals in Pennsylvania working on community and restorative justice can apply for the National Association of Community and Restorative Justice’s Impact Grant, with awards up to US $3,000 for larger-scale initiatives, capacity-building, and innovative projects. Eligible criminal justice reform efforts may also gain visibility and networking within the restorative justice community.

Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations in Pennsylvania running neuroscience-related programs can seek funding to improve access to care, advance health equity, and strengthen frontline mental health workforces. Grants from Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine help support initiatives on mental illness, crisis intervention, and mental health and the criminal justice system, especially those addressing disparities and high unmet need.

The Pittsburgh Foundation's Equity and Social Justice Grants aim to combat mass incarceration by prioritizing community-led solutions. With a history of supporting vulnerable populations, these grants focus on civic participation and systemic policy changes. Organizations eligible for funding must be 501(c)(3) charities located in or serving Allegheny County. Grant amounts range from $10,000 to $150,000, emphasizing the importance of leadership from those directly affected by injustice.

The Greater St. Cloud Public Safety Foundation Scholarship, offered by CommunityGiving, aims to support high school seniors, college students, and non-traditional students from Benton, Stearns, or Sherburne County in Minnesota. Eligible applicants should have a GPA of 2.5 or higher and pursue a degree in Criminal Justice or First Responder programs. This scholarship fosters leadership and community involvement, ensuring a lasting impact on public safety and local services.

Researchers studying how to improve the use of research evidence in criminal justice, juvenile justice, or related youth systems in Pennsylvania and across the U.S. can apply for grants of US $25,000 - US $50,000. William T Grant Foundation supports studies benefiting young people ages 5–25 and offers additional capacity-building and networking opportunities.

Graduating seniors from Westfield High School, Westfield Vocational Technical High School, or St. Mary’s High School in Westfield pursuing degrees in criminal justice, education, or nursing can receive up to US $3,000 for college costs. Grants from Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts help students offset tuition, fees, room and board, and related expenses.

Graduating high school seniors planning to study criminal justice can receive scholarship support through the Deputy Wayne and Carol Krieger Scholarship, honoring a former sheriff’s deputy. Focused on higher education in criminal justice, this award from Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation may benefit students interested in future work on crime and justice issues, including in Pennsylvania.

Robin V. Jensen Memorial Scholarship Fund

Robin Virginia Jensen was born on January 9, 1986, in Corvallis, Oregon to Ronald and Deborah Jensen. She was an honor roll student at Crescent Valley High School, where she excelled in volleyball, track and field, and swimming. Robin worked as a lifeguard at Osborn Aquatic center, and in her free-time enjoyed riding her bike. Robin started taking classes at Oregon State University the summer after she graduated from Crescent Valley and was enrolled to begin full-time studies at OSU in the fall. She planned to pursue a degree in forensic science and dreamed of a career in criminal justice. She had been a cadet for three years at the Corvallis Police Department.

On the evening of August 10, 2004, Robin was riding her bicycle home from work and was struck by a car. She died the next day at age 18.

Robin’s mother, Debbie Jensen, helped organize the annual Ride of Silence in Robin’s memory. The event is a silent bike ride through Corvallis meant to honor cyclists who have been killed or injured by motorists. In 2006, Robin’s parents created this scholarship fund to further honor the memory of their daughter. The scholarship provides tuition for a Benton County high school student pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree at an institution of higher education with an emphasis in Forensic Science or Criminal Justice. It also benefits the City of Corvallis Police Cadet program and supports bicycle safety programs in Benton County.

This scholarship is renewable.