Bill > HR2669

This bill establishes a new grant program through the Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance aimed at reducing local jail incarceration rates and addressing equity disparities in the criminal justice system. The bill authorizes grants to partnerships between local governments, territories, Indian tribes, and nonprofit organizations to develop and implement strategic plans for decreasing jail populations. Grant recipients must collect and analyze criminal justice data, create public-facing reduction plans, and implement various strategies such as reducing cash bail, expanding pretrial services, ensuring early legal counsel, creating diversion programs, and adopting evidence-based practices to minimize incarceration. The grants are structured in two phases: planning grants of up to $100,000 for one year and implementation grants ranging from $500,000 to $3 million over six years, with funding decreasing annually. Recipients are required to reduce jail incarceration rates by at least 5% in the first year, 10% in subsequent years, and 50% by the end of the grant period, while also addressing racial and ethnic disparities. The bill prioritizes jurisdictions with high incarceration rates and includes provisions for oversight, with potential grant termination if reduction goals are not met. Additionally, the bill provides detailed definitions of key terms like diversion, evidence-based practices, and equity disparities, and authorizes $20 million annually for planning grants and $100 million annually for implementation grants from fiscal years 2026 through 2030.

Justice

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/2669/all-info