On April 7, 2021 the White House briefing room announced that Biden, acting outside of Congress, will invest billions more of US taxpayer dollars in Community gun control, through grants and awards than were first announced above on April 7, 2021.226 These gun control grants are renamed “Community Violence Intervention (CVI).”
- The DOJ, in its FY21 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) program, will award $484 million in grants for gun control on September 30, 2021.
- The DOJ, in its $18.9 million Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation (BCJI) program, will award $18.9 million in grants for gun control.
- The DOJ will make gun control a priority focus area in its FY21 Cops Hiring Program, a $156 million competitive grant program, that will be awarded on September 30, 2021.
- The DOJ will give priority to applicants, who propose gun control strategies, will award $8 million in grants in the FY21 Smart Policing program, which will be awarded on September 30, 2021.
- The DOJ issued guidance to clarify that community-based organizations, with gun control proposals, are eligible for the $12.75 million Second Chance Act Community-Based Reentry Program. This grant program was posted January 14, 2021.
- The DOJ will make it clear to all judicial districts that they can support gun control programs through their Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) grants program. Grant requests were posted on May 3rd 2021.
- The DOJ will support gun control through its FY21 Strategies to Support Children Exposed to Violence program, a $7 million grants gun control program which will be awarded September 30, 2021.
- The DOJ will give priority to gun control applicants, in its $11 million Comprehensive Youth Violence Prevention and Reductions Programs. The awards will be made by September 30, 2021.
- The DOJ will continue to promote gun control via webinars and training through the National Gang Center.
- The DOJ will support gun control in its FY21 School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP), a $53 million competitive grant program that funds equipment, technology, and training to address gun control. Awards will be made by September 30, 2021.
- The DOJ will support gun control through its FY21 Hospital-Based Victim Services program. This is $2 million in grants for programs that link the victim services field and medical facilities. The awards will be made by September 30, 2021.
- The DOJ will support gun control through the Office for Victims of Crime’s (OVC) new Center for Culturally Responsive Victim Services program, which will provide $3 million in grants. The award will be made by September 30, 2021.
- The DOJ OVC will announce that over $1 billion dollars going to the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) can be used by any state for gun control efforts.
226 FACT SHEET: More Details on the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investments in Community Violence Interventions, from The Whitehouse Briefing Room, April 7, 2021 https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/04/07/fact-sheet-more-details-on-the-biden-harris-administrations-investments-in-community-violence-interventions/