John R. Justice Grant Program

The US Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs has approved Florida’s application for funding under the FY 11 John R. Justice (JRJ) Grant program in the amount of $244,351. Funds will not be available for distribution until the Department of Justice has approved the state’s grant budget.

Florida will begin the process on November 10, 2011, by providing the required documents for submission of applications on the Florida Department of Education (FDOE) website.

Congress enacted the John R. Justice Prosecutors and Defenders Incentive Act, codified at 42 U.S.C. §3797cc-21, and named for the late John Reid Justice of South Carolina, to encourage qualified attorneys to choose careers as prosecutors and public defenders and to continue in that service. Student loan debt is consistently cited as the overwhelming reason why attorneys decline or leave positions as prosecutors and public defenders. The John R. Justice (JRJ) Grant Program provides loan repayment assistance for local, state, and federal public defenders and local and state prosecutors who commit to continued employment as public defenders and prosecutors for at least three years. The JRJ Program is administered by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). The Florida Department of Education (FDOE) is the State Administering Agency.

Applicants will find all of the required documents for submission on the Florida Department of Education's Office of Student Financial Assistance website.