Juvenile Community Alternatives Grant Program
Grant Status Closed
The Juvenile Community Alternatives Grant Program was established in Indiana Code § 31-40-5-6. Pursuant to statute (IC 31-40-5-3) the grant program has the following purpose areas: (1) to provide cost-effective, research-based alternatives in lieu of use of secure detention, out-of-home placement, and department of correction facilities in the community, (2) to reduce the use of secure confinement and out-of-home placement, and (3) to reduce recidivism and improve positive outcomes for children.
Eligibility
Public entities, nonprofit organizations, and nongovernmental organizations who provide services to youth involved in the juvenile justice system may apply for funding. An entity may apply, but will not be eligible for a grant until the entity has prequalified through a series of threshold requirements including:
- A review of the entity’s good standing with Indiana Department of Revenue (DOR), Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD), and Secretary of State (SOS).
- Any non-governmental entities must have an operating agreement or memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the referring entity prior to receiving funding.
- Each grant awarded must be overseen by the local regional Justice Reinvestment Advisory Council (JRAC) or another local collaborative body that includes juvenile justice stakeholders and engages in collaborative service planning for the county. For more Information about local Justice Reinvestment Advisory Councils and member requirements, please visit the Indiana Office of Court Services JRAC page. Contact information for existing local JRACs can be located in the JRAC Directory.
- All grant recipients must agree to report performance measures on a monthly or quarterly basis and are required to provide an aggregate report at the end of the grant cycle. Recipients will be required to maintain case-level data for the purposes of research and evaluation. The required performance measures are outlined in the Youth Justice Oversight Committee’s Grant Programs Report.
Eligible Entities
An entity is eligible to receive funding if it furnishes, agrees to furnish, or arranges with a third party to furnish all of the following services:
- Services or programs that offer alternatives to detention that offer the least restrictive means necessary to ensure the safety and protection of the individual, the family and the community while meeting all necessary requirements of supervision.
- Services or programs that have as goals: recidivism reduction and the promotion of positive outcomes through research-based intervention and that address the needs of the youth.
- Services or programs that provide cost effective research-based alternatives to secure detention, out-of-home placement, or placement with the department of correction.
Program Guidance
The Youth Justice Oversight Committee developed guidelines for program development that achieve the best outcomes for youth development.
The 2023 final report includes recommendations on best practices and next steps for enhancing Indiana's youth justice system.
- Award Period
- Unallowable Activities
- Evidence-Based
- Definitions
- Allowable Activities
- Costs
- Application Attachments
The award period for this grant shall be April 1, 2025 - March 31, 2027. Projects should begin on April 1, 2025, and must be in operation no later than sixty (60) days after this date. Failure to have the funded project operational within sixty (60) days from April 1, 2025, may result in termination of the grant and the de-obligation of all awarded funds.
All projects must conclude, and all funding obligations must be made no later than March 31, 2027. Outstanding expenses must be paid, and the final fiscal report must be submitted via IntelliGrants within thirty (30) days of March 31, 2027. Proof of payment for all expenses must be provided with the final fiscal report. Late fiscal and programmatic reports will not be accepted.
The following budget items listed below are ineligible and will not be supported by this program’s funding:
- Direct financial assistance to a client such as cash.
- Supplanting existing positions or offsetting existing expenses of the recipient.
- Lobbying.
- Fundraising (including financial campaigns, endowment drives, solicitation of gifts and bequests, and similar expenses incurred solely to raise capital or obtain contributions) and time spent procuring funding including completing federal and state funding applications.
- Purchase of real estate.
- Construction and physical modification to buildings, including minor renovations (such as painting or carpeting).
- Purchase of vehicles.
- Indirect cost rate and/or de minimis rate.
The U.S. Office of Justice Programs (OJP) strongly emphasizes the use of data and evidence in policy making and program development in criminal justice, juvenile justice, and crime victim services. OJP is committed to:
- Improving the quantity and quality of data and evidence OJP generates.
- Integrating evidence into program, practice, and policy decisions within OJP and the field.
- Improving the translation of evidence into practice.
The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) encourages the use of evidence-based programs and practices. Evidence-based programs and practices generally have one or more rigorous outcome evaluations that demonstrate effectiveness by measuring the relationship between the program and its intended outcome(s). This includes measuring the direction and size of a change in outcome and the extent to which a change may be attributed to the activity or intervention. The methodology of the evaluation should rule out, to the extent possible, alternative explanations for the documented change. Please refer to the CrimeSolutions.gov website and the OJJDP Model Programs Guide for more information about evidence-based programs in criminal justice, juvenile justice, and crime victim services.
For purposes of this solicitation, please be cognizant of the following definitions:
- “Juvenile justice” refers to activities concerning: (1) the prevention or reduction of juvenile delinquency; (2) the apprehension and adjudication of juvenile offenders; (3) the disposition of juvenile offenders including protective techniques and practices; (4) the prevention of child abuse and neglect; and (5) the discovery, protection, and disposition of children in need of services (Indiana Code § 5-2-6-1).
- “Youth” means any individual who is under juvenile court jurisdiction or is an age at which he or she could be subject to original juvenile court jurisdiction within the state of Indiana.
Allowable activities and costs are those that support the operations and services delivered to youth involved in the juvenile justice system. These activities include but may not be limited to:
- Services or programs that develop community alternatives.
- Services or programs that support the operations and service delivery of community alternatives to incarceration or alternatives to placement with the Department of Correction.
- Services or programs that are evidence based or restorative justice projects.
ICJI strongly recommends programs that are evidence based or considered to be promising practices. The selected program may be altered to meet the requirements of the applicant, but fidelity should be maintained as closely as possible. More information regarding rated programs and practices, as well as examples of model programs may be found here or here.
Allowable Costs
Personnel, employee benefits, and cost of supplies and travel to perform the activities listed below are allowable costs. Overtime for grant funded staff is an allowable cost, but to claim the increased rate, there must be a separate line item in the budget that includes the overtime rate of pay.
- Costs for program materials such as pamphlets, handouts, booklets, or brochures.
- Culturally and linguistically appropriate services such as interpreters and/or having documents translated into other languages.
- Technical assistance with respect to adherence to or application of model programs.
- Placement advocacy to assist in locating and securing safe alternatives to incarceration or out of home placement.
- Medical advocacy including referrals for mental healthcare services, and funding for any mental healthcare services, including services delivered via telehealth and related out of pocket costs that would otherwise be the responsibility of the youth or family.
- Counseling and support services, and childcare services for youth and families who are engaged in a community alternatives program.
Administrative Costs
Administrative costs are an allowable expense but are limited to 10% of the total grant funded budget. Administrative costs include time to complete program required time and attendance sheets and programmatic documentation, reports, and required statistics; administrative time to collect and maintain satisfaction surveys and needs assessments used to improve services delivery within the funded project.
Administrative costs should not be a separate line item in the budget. During the application process, there will be a section to state the anticipated percentage of time each position will spend on administrative duties for this program. This percentage is included with the percentage of time worked on the funded project and cannot exceed 10% of the total grant funded budget.
Travel Costs
Expenses and reimbursements for in-state and out-of-state travel must follow the most current Indiana Department of Administration State Travel Policy or the subrecipient’s travel policy, whichever is more restrictive. Learn More.
Contractors and Consultants
A consultant evaluates an organization’s needs and provides professional advice and a contractor provides goods or performs services. When a recipient contracts for work or services, the following is required:
- All contractual services must be obtained through a procurement method. Verification of this method must be supplied upon completion of the contract. Information about the procurement process can be found here.
- All consultant and contractual services shall be supported by written contracts signed by all parties stating the services to be performed, rate of compensation, and length of time over which the services will be provided.
- A copy of all written contracts for contractual or consultant services shall be attached in IntelliGrants to the grant file upon their ratification.
- Payments shall be supported by statements outlining the services rendered, date of service, and cost of service.
Program Costs
Program costs must meet the following criteria:
- Costs must be necessary and reasonable for the stated purpose of the grant.
- Costs must be in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. Learn more.
- Costs must be consistent with policies and procedures of the grant program and applied uniformly.
- Costs must be adequately documented with supporting materials including receipts, invoices, timesheets, paystubs, etc. The ICJI supporting documentation policy can be found here.
- Total Agency Budget: If the applicant agency is a nonprofit organization or nongovernmental entity, please complete and upload a “Grantee Basic Budget (nonprofit Applicant budget form)”. Be sure to complete both the Organizational tab and the Employee tab. The form can be found on the ICJI website here. This does not apply to units of government.
- Sustainability Plan: Please attach a document detailing the applicant’s plan to maintain the program once the grant fund period expires.
- Timeline: Please attach a timeline for the completion of the project and/or expenditure of the grant funds.
- Collaboration Plan: Any county participating in the program is required by IC § 31-40-5-5 to have its local or regional justice reinvestment advisory council, or another local collaborative body that includes stakeholders across the juvenile justice system, oversee each grant award to the county and engage in collaborative service planning for the county.
- Letters of Endorsement: Please attach at least one letter of endorsement from your local or regional justice reinvestment advisory council, or another local collaborative body with juvenile jurisdiction in the counties to be served by the program.
- Multiple Counties Served: If the application is one that will serve multiple counties, the breakdown of percentages provided to each individual county shall be specified. Individual plans for each county are required.
- Audit Record: Include your most recent State Board of Accounts or independent audit.
- Miscellaneous
- If applying for funds for personnel costs, attach the relevant job descriptions.
- If applicable, attach other requested information.
IntelliGrants Reporting
Juvenile Justice subrecipients are required to submit quarterly programmatic and fiscal reports in IntelliGrants. Upon submission, an ICJI grant manager will then review and approve or deny the reports. Each program report and fiscal report must be approved by ICJI prior to seeking reimbursement.
Webinar on the 2025-2027 Juvenile Community Alternatives Grant Program RFP
ICJI’s Youth Services Division conducted a webinar on the 2025-2027 Juvenile Community Alternatives Grant Program request for proposal.
The webinar included a basic overview of the program, important highlights, and what to know before applying. There was also an opportunity to ask questions from the division. Registration is not required.
Funding Availability
Awards provided by this solicitation are for a twenty-four-(24) month period of funding. This program is funded by the Indiana General Assembly through the state’s biennial budget. Grant award amounts are determined by funding formula based on county population as follows:
The formula allots a base amount of $75,000.00 per grant per county. Additional funds in the amounts of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000 are added to the base amount based on county population, with smaller counties receiving more funding to comply with the statutory requirement to focus on rural counties. County population is determined by the 2020 United States Census. To find your county population, please visit the 2020 Census Demographic Data Map Viewer.
Technical Assistance
For technical assistance with submitting an application, contact the ICJI Helpdesk, which is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET, except state holidays. ICJI is not responsible for technical issues with grant submission within 48 hours of grant deadline.
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Model Programs Guide
The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention’s (OJJDP’s) Model Programs Guide (MPG) contains information about evidence-based juvenile justice and youth prevention, intervention, and reentry programs. It is a resource for practitioners and communities about what works, what is promising, and what does not work in juvenile justice, delinquency prevention, and child protection and safety. Click the link to view the Model Programs Guide.
EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICES: The Office of Justice Programs has training and guidance for evidence-based practices. Read the guidance here.