DOJ cancels hundreds of grants for police, crime prevention initiatives

Mark Schiefelbein/AP

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Justice has canceled over 365 grants totaling approximately $811 million , disrupting funding for victim services and criminal justice reform programs across the country.

The decision is part of the Trump administration’s broader effort to reduce federal spending .

The canceled grants — worth a combined $811 million — were administered through the DOJ’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP), which awarded $4.4 billion in total funding during fiscal year 2023. The affected grants include those intended to provide assistance for sexual assault survivors, anti-human trafficking programs and juvenile justice initiatives, according to a Reuters report .

About $535 million was cut from programs run by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, which supports many local police departments and correctional facilities, according to data cited by Reuters . An additional $136 million was cut from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, and nearly $59 million in research grants funded by the National Institute of Justice were also terminated, the data shows.

Funding for hate crime tracking and community-based gun crime intervention strategies has also been impacted, according to the Washington Post . DOJ funding was also revoked for opioid response programs and youth intervention initiatives.

Attorney General Pam Bondi defended the decision on social media , calling the rescinded grants “wasteful” and emphasizing a renewed focus on outcomes that align with the administration’s law enforcement priorities.

“As a lifelong advocate for victims of crimes against women, I authorized the cancellation of grants for programs that do not align with the administration’s priorities,” Bondi said in a statement to Washington Post. “But we will continue to ensure that services for victims are not impacted.”

The cancellations came with little notice. DOJ officials began sending termination letters mid-April, instructing administrators to immediately cease operations tied to the affected funds. Some recipients reported losing access to funds that had already been allocated, forcing them to halt services abruptly, according to the Washington Post .

One affected grant, nearly $700,000, was aimed at studying the role of LGBTQ liaisons in police departments. Bondi publicly criticized the project online. Another $750,000 grant to support a victim-centered website was also eliminated.

The National PREA Resource Center, which supported efforts to prevent sexual violence in correctional facilities under the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA), also lost its funding. According to The Appeal , the DOJ cut all funding to the center effective immediately.

The center, operated by the nonprofit Impact Justice through a cooperative agreement with the DOJ, trained sexual assault auditors, tracked the outcomes of PREA investigations and provided education for incarcerated survivors. Its defunding, advocates say, eliminates a crucial resource for both prison leadership and the safety of those held in custody.

Some grants have since been reinstated after public pressure, including a hotline for crime victims and a domestic violence shelter network, but most remain in limbo.

DOJ leadership has indicated plans to consolidate its grant-making agencies under the OJP umbrella, aligning with a Trump-era executive order aimed at government efficiency. In a memo to staff, Deputy Assistant Attorney General Maureen Henneberg said resources would be redirected to “certain law enforcement operations, combating violent crime, protecting American children, supporting American victims of trafficking and sexual assault, and promoting coordination of law enforcement efforts at all levels of government.”

As law enforcement agencies and community organizations navigate the implications of these funding cuts, the DOJ maintains that the reallocation of resources aligns with its strategic priorities. The department asserts that the decisions aim to preserve services for victims while focusing on combating violent crime and enhancing coordination across law enforcement entities.

“How does this support law enforcement?” asked Monique Williams, executive director of Cure Violence Global, which lost $4 million in funding. “It’s a real shame.”

At this time, there is no indication that the recent grant cancellations impact programs administered by the COPS Office .

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