Bureau of Justice Assistance

What Bureau of Justice Assistance does

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) is a federal grant-making agency established in 1980 within the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs, headquartered at 999 N. Capitol St., NE, Washington, DC. BJA administers federal funding, training, and technical assistance to state, local, and tribal criminal justice agencies, with statutory authority that no competing entity can replicate. The agency's portfolio comprises the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program as its flagship funding mechanism, the National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) supporting multidisciplinary teams that inventory, track, and test previously unsubmitted sexual assault kits using forensic genetic genealogy and CODIS integration, the Public Safety Officers' Benefits (PSOB) Program providing death, education, and disability benefits to fallen and catastrophically injured first responders via an online claims portal, and more than 20 additional grant, recognition, and clearinghouse programs spanning body-worn cameras, opioid response, behavioral health, restorative justice, tribal justice, and federal benefits denial.

BJA's technical footprint centers on federal criminal justice information systems including CODIS for DNA matching, the PSOB online claims portal at psob.bja.ojp.gov, and forensic platforms supporting DNA backlog reduction. Documented capabilities include anomaly detection to identify DNA samples missing from CODIS, forensic genetic genealogy combining DNA analysis with publicly available genealogy databases and traditional genealogical records to identify suspects in cold cases, and process automation for sexual assault kit inventory and tracking. Documented operational outcomes include more than 85,700 sexual assault kits tested and more than 1,640 convictions since SAKI inception, 116 forensic hits from the Cuyahoga County SAKI LODNA Task Force (including 81 cold hits from processing 3,069 individuals), and the first genetic genealogy jury trial conviction in Dallas County history.

BJA's business model is government appropriations-based rather than commercial. The agency receives funding through congressional appropriations to the Department of Justice and disburses grants competitively to state, local, and tribal applicants; the PSOB program processes death, education, and disability benefits paid from the federal PSOB fund. PSOB pricing is set annually, with a death benefit of $461,656.00 and monthly education assistance of $1,574.00 for qualifying deaths/disabilities occurring on or after October 1, 2025. Go-to-market is sales-led: state, local, and tribal governments apply through competitive grant programs, with State Administering Agencies (SAAs) sub-granting JAG funds to local jurisdictions and the PSOB Program operating a direct online claims portal for beneficiaries. In April 2025, approximately $145 million in DOJ grants, including BJA's Price of Justice initiative, were terminated by the Trump administration, representing a material recent funding disruption.

Name

Bureau of Justice Assistance

Legal name

Bureau of Justice Assistance

Website

https://bja.ojp.gov

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a federal agency within the U.S. Department of Justice that administers grants, training, and technical assistance to state, local, and tribal criminal justice agencies, including the JAG Program, SAKI, and PSOB benefits.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Others, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Federal Criminal Justice Grants: BJA administers federal grants to state, local, and tribal criminal justice agencies. Funding comes from congressional appropriations through the Department of Justice budget. Major programs include the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program, DNA Capacity Enhancement and Backlog Reduction program, and the National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI).
2. Public Safety Officers' Benefits (PSOB) Program: BJA administers death benefits ($461,656.00 for deaths occurring on or after October 1, 2025) and education benefits ($1,574.00 per month for full-time assistance) to survivors of fallen law enforcement officers, firefighters, and other first responders, and disability benefits to catastrophically injured officers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

BJA is a federal grant-making agency within the U.S. Department of Justice that administers competitive and formula grant programs, training, and technical assistance to state, local, and tribal criminal justice agencies. It also administers the Public Safety Officers' Benefits (PSOB) Program, paying statutorily set death, education, and disability benefits to survivors of fallen and catastrophically injured public safety officers, and operates federal clearinghouses that interface with the GSA System for Award Management.

Product overview

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) is a U.S. Department of Justice agency that provides federal funding, programs, and technical assistance to state, local, and tribal criminal justice systems. BJA's portfolio consists of multiple distinct programs and initiatives managed through its website at bja.ojp.gov. The core programs include the Public Safety Officers' Benefits (PSOB) Program offering death, disability, and education benefits via an online claims portal; the National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) supporting multidisciplinary teams to test unsubmitted sexual assault kits and investigate cold cases using forensic genetic genealogy; the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program as the leading source of federal justice funding; and recognition programs including the Law Enforcement Congressional Badge of Bravery and Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor. BJA also operates clearinghouse services (Denial of Federal Benefits, Defense Procurement Fraud Debarment) that interface with government exclusion databases, and manages specialized grant programs covering body-worn cameras, opioid response, mental health collaboration, crisis intervention, restorative justice, and community supervision. BJA's programs span corrections, courts, forensic sciences, law enforcement, mental health, and tribal justice, with additional podcast and multimedia resources for training and dissemination of best practices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI): Program providing funding to support multidisciplinary community response teams to inventory, track, and expeditiously test previously unsubmitted sexual assault kits; collect and test lawfully owed DNA; and produce protocols for collaboration among laboratories, police, prosecutors, and victim service providers.
• Public Safety Officers' Benefits (PSOB) Program
• Death in Custody Reporting Act (DCRA) Data Collection
• Law Enforcement Congressional Badge of Bravery (CBOB)
• Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor (MOV)
• Body-Worn Camera Partnership Program
• Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use Program (COSSUP)

Products and services

• National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) Federal funding and technical assistance program supporting multidisciplinary teams to inventory, track, and test previously unsubmitted sexual assault kits, collect lawfully owed DNA, and conduct cold case investigations and prosecutions using forensic genetic genealogy and CODIS database integration.
• Public Safety Officers' Benefits (PSOB) Program Federal benefits program providing death benefits ($461,656.00 for deaths on or after October 1, 2025), education benefits ($1,574.00 per month for full-time study) to dependents of fallen officers, and disability benefits to catastrophically injured public safety officers, with all claims filed via an online claims portal.
• Law Enforcement Congressional Badge of Bravery (CBOB) Federal recognition program that honors acts of bravery performed by federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement officers.
• Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor (MOV) Federal recognition program that recognizes extraordinary acts of heroism and bravery on the part of the nation's public safety officers.
• Death in Custody Reporting Act (DCRA) Data Collection Federal data collection program requiring states receiving JAG funding to report information regarding deaths of persons detained, under arrest, in process of being arrested, en route to incarceration, or incarcerated at municipal/county jails, state prisons, or local correctional facilities.
• Defense Procurement Fraud Debarment (DPFD) Clearinghouse Federal clearinghouse that maintains a repository of debarment records for individuals convicted of fraud or felony arising from DoD contracts and forwards information to the U.S. General Services Administration for inclusion in the System for Award Management exclusion lists.
• Denial of Federal Benefits (DFB) Program Federal information clearinghouse that provides state and federal courts the ability to deny federal benefits to individuals convicted of drug trafficking or drug possession and forwards sentencing data to GSA for inclusion in the SAM exclusion lists.
• Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program The leading source of federal justice funding to state and local jurisdictions, providing critical funding to support law enforcement, courts, corrections, and prevention programs.
• Body-Worn Camera Partnership Program Federal grant program for law enforcement agencies seeking to pilot, establish, or enhance body-worn camera policy and implementation practices.
• Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use Program (COSSUP) Federal grant program that aims to reduce the impact of opioids, stimulants, and other substances on individuals and communities by supporting comprehensive, collaborative initiatives.
• Connect and Protect: Law Enforcement Behavioral Health Response Program Federal grant program supporting law enforcement and behavioral health cross-system collaboration to improve public health and safety responses to individuals with mental health disorders or co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders.
• DNA Capacity Enhancement for Backlog Reduction (CEBR) Program Federal funding program to reduce DNA testing backlogs and expand forensic capacity at crime laboratories, supporting staffing, equipment upgrades, and software purchases.
• Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation (BCJI) Program Federal grant program for a strategic, community-led approach to crime reduction that leverages community knowledge and law enforcement support for prevention and intervention in crime hotspot areas.
• Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program (SCIP) Federal grant program providing funding for the creation and/or implementation of state crisis intervention court proceedings, extreme risk protection order programs, and related gun violence reduction programs.
• Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Federal initiative to reduce violent crime through prosecution and prevention efforts targeting the most dangerous criminals and crime hotspots.
• Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program (JMHCP) Federal grant program supporting cross-system collaboration between law enforcement, mental health providers, and community organizations to improve responses to individuals with mental health disorders.
• VALOR Officer Safety and Wellness Initiative Federal program focused on officer safety and wellness, providing training and resources to reduce officer injuries and enhance operational readiness.
• Missing and Unidentified Human Remains (MUHR) Program Federal grant program supporting efforts to identify missing persons and unidentified human remains through forensic analysis and database integration.
• Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence – Inventory, Tracking, and Reporting (SAFE-ITR) Program Federal grant program supporting inventory, tracking, and reporting of sexual assault forensic evidence to reduce backlogs and improve case management.
• Prosecuting Cold Cases Using DNA Federal grant program providing funding and technical assistance for investigating and prosecuting cold cases where DNA evidence may help identify perpetrators.
• Community Supervision Resource Center Federal resource center serving pretrial, probation, and parole supervision agencies and helping them align operations with best and evidence-based practices.
• National Center on Restorative Justice Federal resource center providing research, training, and technical assistance on restorative justice practices in criminal justice settings.
• Community Courts Initiative Federal grant program supporting state, local, and tribal governments to establish and enhance community courts that combine community and justice system power to address local problems.
• Patrick Leahy Bulletproof Vest Partnership (BVP) Program Federal grant program providing funding to state and local law enforcement agencies to purchase bulletproof vests for officers.
• Ashanti Alert Act National Notification System Federal alert system providing rapid dissemination of information about adults who have been reported missing along with suspect information in cases of suspected abduction.
• Law Enforcement Cyber Center Federal resource center providing resources and training for law enforcement on cybersecurity, digital forensics, and responding to cyber-enabled crimes.

Quantifiable outcome

• Tested more than 85,700 sexual assault kits
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• RTI International (SAKI Training and Technical Assistance Provider)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRTI International serves as the national training and technical assistance (TTA) provider for the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI). The TTA provider assists jurisdictions in establishing sustainable change in practices, protocols, and policies related to untested SAKs and sexual assault response. RTI developed the SAKI TTA website (sakitta.org) providing learning opportunities, toolkits, and resources for practitioners.
• Criminal Justice Coordinating Council of Georgia (SAKI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Criminal Justice Coordinating Council of Georgia administers the statewide SAKI program, coordinating investigators, prosecutors, and victim advocates to investigate and prosecute sexual assault cases. The program includes a statewide investigator, statewide prosecutor, and statewide victim advocate.
• U.S. General Services Administration (GSA)coreTechnology or IntegrationBJA forwards information about individuals denied federal benefits to GSA for inclusion in the System for Award Management (SAM) Exclusions list. The DFB Clearinghouse and DPFD Clearinghouse both coordinate with GSA to maintain debarment lists.
• Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS)coreTechnology or IntegrationBJA coordinates with BJS for death-in-custody data collection. Federal law enforcement and correctional agencies report deaths to BJS annually under DCRA requirements. BJS previously collected MCI (Mortality in Correctional Institutions) data now partially transitioned to BJA.
• Cuyahoga County, Ohio SAKI LODNA Task ForcecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA BJA-funded task force demonstrating effective auditing and collection of missing DNA samples. The task force processed 3,069 individuals yielding 116 forensic hits including 81 cold hits, serving as a model for other jurisdictions.
• FBI Behavioral Analysis UnitcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with the FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit on Samuel Little cases, the most prolific serial killer in U.S. history. BJA worked with Dr. Williamson and the FBI to match confessions to cold cases across SAKI-funded jurisdictions.
• National Institute of Justice (NIJ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNIJ and BJA collaborate on forensic science research and body-worn camera studies. NIJ funds research partnerships including the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department BWC study conducted by CNA.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Office for Victims of Crime (OVC): Sister OJP component that administers federal victim-services grants (Victims of Crime Act fund, Antiterrorism and Emergency Assistance Program). Identical grant-administration business model and same OJP-wide statutory authority.
• SMART Office (Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking): Sister OJP component administering federal sex offender management and registration grants and providing training and technical assistance to state and local jurisdictions. Same operating model and shared grantee base as BJA.
• Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS): Sister OJP component that collects and publishes national criminal justice data, including the Death in Custody Reporting data that is co-administered with BJA. Federal statistical agency serving the same criminal justice field with the same parent structure.
• Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP): Sister OJP component that administers juvenile justice grants, training, and technical assistance to state, local, and tribal agencies. Same congressional appropriations model, same State Administering Agency distribution structure, same focus on state/local capacity building.
• Office on Violence Against Women (OVW): DOJ agency that administers formula and discretionary grants (STOP Violence Against Women, Sexual Assault Services Program, Justice for Families) to state, local, and tribal agencies. Overlapping victim-services and forensic grantmaking mission with BJA's SAKI and related programs.
• Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office): Sister DOJ agency that administers federal grants (COPS Hiring, COPS Technology, COPS Anti-Heroin Task Force) to state, local, and tribal law enforcement. Same statutory authority and SAAlike distribution model as BJA, with directly overlapping grantee constituencies.
• National Institute of Justice (NIJ): Sister OJP component that funds criminal justice research, evaluation, and technology standards (including BWC research partnerships). Directly comparable in operating under OJP, administering federal funding to the criminal justice field, and providing training/technical assistance products.

Broad incumbents

• Office of Justice Programs (OJP): Parent OJP office that houses BJA, NIJ, OJJDP, OVC, BJS, and SMART. Provides overarching policy direction, budget management, and inter-program coordination across the federal criminal justice assistance function BJA operates within.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DOJBJA
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/OJPOCOM
• Facebookfacebook.com/DOJBJA

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments1 record

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Frequently asked questions about Bureau of Justice Assistance