As previously shared in the April
2 CSAC Bulletin, the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of
Justice Assistance (BJA) released a Coronavirus Emergency
Supplemental Funding (CESF) solicitation on March 30, 2020. The
CESF program provides funding to states, local units of
government, and tribes to prevent, prepare for, and respond to
the coronavirus.
Allowable projects and purchases include, but are not limited to,
overtime, equipment (including law enforcement and medical
personal protective equipment), hiring, supplies (such as gloves,
masks, sanitizer), training, travel expenses (particularly
related to the distribution of resources to the most impacted
areas), and addressing the medical needs of inmates in state,
local, and tribal prisons, jails, and detention centers.
Additional information about the CESF solicitation is
available here.
Approximately $35 million is available directly from BJA to
specified California local government agencies that apply
by May 29, 2020. The amount of available
funding varies and a list of eligible jurisdictions is
available here.
To date, many local government agencies have not applied for
funding. Per the
attached letter, the Board of State and Community
Corrections (BSCC) is strongly urging local governments that are
eligible to apply for this emergency funding to do so. BJA has
also developed a list of FAQs available here.
