The Criminal Justice program facilitates assessments of criminal justice needs, develops strategic plans and sub-grant programs in consultation with Advisory Groups to address those needs, provides technical assistance to criminal justice professionals on several priority areas, and staffs the Statewide Criminal Justice Coordinating Council. OJA’s criminal justice program also serves as the Governor’s liaison to Wisconsin’s tribal nations on criminal justice issues.
OJA initiatives—including work with local Criminal Justice Coordinating Councils, implementation of Treatment Courts and Diversion Programs, and technical assistance with criminal justice Evidence Based Practices—are a direct result of priorities identified by the criminal justice community and OJA in strategic planning.
In its role as the State Administering Agency, OJA’s Criminal Justice program administers a collection of federal funding sources and state criminal justice grants that can be leveraged to help Wisconsin address the needs of law enforcement, state justice agencies, prosecutors, courts, counties, and corrections. OJA applies for federal formula and discretionary grants on behalf of the state for criminal justice improvement projects.
OJA has also served as a policy laboratory for the state legislature to test programs—such as Treatment Alternatives and Diversion—and as a mechanism to implement policy solutions (such as distribution of Digital Recording of Custodial Interrogation grants). OJA currently manages several state funded criminal justice grant programs.