The transition from justice system involvement back into society is fraught with challenges. Reducing recidivism, providing second chances, expanding opportunity and ending the cycle of crime and confinement require a willingness to invest in community-based solutions, including treatment and other services for individuals with behavioral health disorders, a challenge given particular urgency by the continued rise in overdose deaths in America.

Over the last two years, the Office of Justice Programs has made substantial investments in programs that support partnerships between justice system officials, health and mental health professionals, and community providers designed to reduce arrests, divert individuals from the justice system and deliver treatment and other support to those in need. We have also continued our long-standing commitment to community reintegration by providing funding for adult and juvenile reentry programs.

Thank you for your partnership as we work to provide safe alternatives to arrest and incarceration, address the needs of those who come into contact with the justice system and help individuals make a successful transition back into their communities.

Over the past two decades, juvenile justice reform efforts designed to intervene in young people’s lives with developmentally appropriate strategies have helped make communities safer by holding young people accountable, providing opportunities for development and reducing reoffending.

The Office of Justice Programs’ Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention is making critical investments in programs that are designed to make youth contact with the system rare, fair and beneficial. We are working to expand alternatives to detention and incarceration, whenever possible, by focusing on community-based alternatives that advance community safety, reduce reoffending, and keep young people connected to their homes and communities. We are supporting evidence-based juvenile justice reforms and reinvestments designed to reduce reoffending and racial disparities and improve outcomes for youth.

Thank you for your partnership as we work to make our country safer for our children and expand the horizon of opportunity for all our young people.

Data from the FBI shows that hate crimes rose almost 12% in 2021. We share in the collective responsibility to root out prejudice and ensure that hate and bias do not find expression in violence or other harms. The Office of Justice Programs and the Department of Justice are working to extend our resources into communities that have been targeted by hate and support their efforts to prevent the violence and other acts of hate fomented by racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia and religious intolerance.

Over the last two years, we have awarded more than $32 million in grants to address the rise in hate crimes. These grants help improve the investigation and prosecution of hate crimes, expand services to hate crime victims and support research and evaluation to bring a better understanding of the nature of hate crime offending and victimization.

Thank you for your partnership as we work together to bridge the gaps of empathy, root out intolerance in all its forms and send a clear message that the future belongs to every American.

Gun violence has taken a massive toll on American society. Between inhumane acts of mass homicide and the senseless murders that occur every day in communities across the nation, families regularly face the fear that they or a loved one may become the next victims. Historically marginalized communities and neighborhoods with the least resources have been hit the hardest.

The Office of Justice Programs is investing unprecedented, dedicated resources in programs designed to reduce gun crime and community violence. Last September, we awarded $100 million in grant funding under our Community Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative to support site-based programs, training, technical assistance and research across the country. This is the largest targeted federal investment in these strategies in history.

Thank you for your partnership, and we look forward to working with you to strengthen our communities, break the cycle of trauma and violence, and achieve a just and equitable society for all Americans.

A fair and equitable system of justice is one that honors the needs, respects the rights and elevates the voices of all crime victims. The Office of Justice Programs remains committed to working with states and with local and tribal communities to provide trauma-informed, victim-centered and culturally responsive services to survivors and to prevent further victimization by the system.

In addition to funding thousands of local victim assistance organizations and victim compensation programs in every state and territory and the District of Columbia, OJP’s Office for Victims of Crime is supporting innovative efforts designed to interrupt the cycle of trauma and victimization and expand access to high-quality victim services in historically marginalized and underserved communities.

Thank you for your partnership, and we look forward to working with you to meet the needs of crime victims throughout America.

Proven and sustainable public safety strategies rest on a solid foundation of evidence. The Office of Justice Programs is committed to building a strong infrastructure of research and data to help meet the most pressing safety and justice challenges our communities are facing.

Recent investments from our science components—the National Institute of Justice and the Bureau of Justice Statistics—are helping to drive innovation and reform in the criminal justice arena. NIJ’s focus on inclusive research—grounding scientific investigation in the insights and experiences of practitioners—and BJS’s strong and steady commitment to data collection on a host of crime and justice topics are bringing greater clarity to the complex public safety issues facing Americans today.

Thank you for your partnership, and we look forward to working with you to put science at the center of public safety in America.

Public safety and equal justice are twin goals, each reinforcing the other. The Office of Justice Programs has been working across its program offices to advance reforms that promote community safety while promoting racial equity and improving access to justice.

In his budget request to Congress for fiscal year 2024, President Biden, proposed $15 billion over 10 years to support reforms aimed at curbing unnecessary arrest and incarceration, expanding justice system alternatives and reducing racial disparities.

The ambitious Accelerating Justice System Reform initiative is described in the Safer America Plan. At OJP, work is well underway to create an ecosystem of evidence-based prevention, intervention and diversion programs that can build stronger, safer communities while achieving more equitable outcomes. Our commitment is reflected in many of the funding solicitations we have announced for fiscal year 2023.

Thank you for your partnership, and we look forward to continuing our work together as we reimagine public safety, advance racial equity and expand access to justice for all Americans.