Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program FY 25 – Local Formula

Published

June 2, 2026 11:19 am

In this article

The U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), announced the availability of grant funds to local units of government through the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program on March 13, 2026. The total allocation for the City of Portland, Multnomah County and the City of Gresham is $570,594. Gresham will receive $48,810, Multnomah County $115,000, and the City $406,784.

The JAG program allows local governments to support a broad range of activities to prevent and control crime and to improve the criminal justice system. States and localities receive funds based on their resident population reported by the U.S. Census Bureau and on violent crime data reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting Program.

The program areas funded by JAG are:

• Law enforcement programs.
• Prosecution and court programs.
• Prevention and education programs.
• Corrections and community corrections programs.
• Drug treatment and enforcement programs.
• Planning, evaluation, and technology improvement programs.
• Crime victim and witness programs (other than compensation).
• Mental health programs and related law enforcement and corrections programs, including behavioral programs and crisis intervention teams.
• Implementation of state crisis intervention court proceedings and related programs or initiatives, including but not limited to mental health courts, drug courts, veterans courts, and extreme risk protection order programs.
• Programs to purchase and operate unmanned aircraft systems (as defined in section 44801 of title 49, United States Code) to benefit public safety.
• Programs to purchase and operate counter-UAS systems (as defined in section 44801 of title 49, United States Code) included on the list of technologies established by subsection (d)(2)(A)(iii) section 210G of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 124n(d)(2)(A)(iii)) to exercise the authority granted under subsection (a)(2) of such section.

More information may be found at Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program | Overview | Bureau of Justice Assistance

The City of Portland, as the lead applicant of the application, provides the opportunity for public comments on the proposals made in the application. To share comments or questions, please email and your message will be forwarded to the appropriate party.

Description of the Issues

City of Portland (Lead Applicant and Fiscal Agent)

Public Safety, Police Bureau and Community Safety

The Portland Police Bureau will purchase and outfit a specialized armored response vehicle to replace a 20-year-old armored vehicle assigned to the Special Emergency Reaction Team (SERT). SERT deploys to the Bureau's highest risk incidents, such as armed barricaded subjects, hostage situations, high-risk warrant service against violent offenders, active threats, and major events at heightened risk of targeted violence. In these extraordinary circumstances, armored protection is essential to the maintenance of public safety and good order, safeguarding both community members and officers from gunfire and other deadly threats. Replacement of this aging, mission-critical vehicle is essential to sustaining SERT's capacity to combat violent crime and protect the public. The replacement will be a commercial cargo van armored to meet SERT operational requirements. It will provide the same life-safety protection as the existing BearCat while presenting a significantly lower-profile appearance. SERT will continue to operate two Lenco G3 BearCats for incidents requiring overt heavy armor; the new vehicle will add critical response flexibility.

City of Portland's Office of Violence Prevention (OVP) will launch the Youth Empowerment & Allyship (YEA) program, a curriculum-based prevention initiative for boys and young men ages 14-19 in Portland neighborhoods experiencing elevated rates of violence. Specifically, the City will use JAG funds to hire a Project Coordinator to manage programmatic activities, and to support curriculum development, production of course materials, and events.

OVP works to address the complex factors that drive violence, particularly gun violence, by coordinating across government, non-profit, faith-based, and community partners.

The City's Gun Violence Reduction Strategy (GVRS) has contributed to a steep decline in homicide rates by focusing intervention resources on individuals at highest risk of gun violence involvement. However, this enforcement and intervention-focused strategy is not designed to address rising rates of intimate partner violence, dating violence, and related conflict among youth ages 14-19. YEA is the upstream prevention complement to GVRS, reaching young men before patterns of violence are established.

The YEA program will deliver a 9-session curriculum focused on healthy relationships, communication, boundary-setting, bystander intervention, and de-escalation. Initial implementation will focus on areas with higher concentrations of youth violence (East Portland, North Portland, and Southeast Portland) delivered through partnerships with Portland Public Schools and community-based organizations. The eligible service population of boys and young men ages 14-19 in Portland totals approximately 21,000-25,000 individuals; YEA will serve approximately 300 youth in its first year.

Multnomah County

District Attorney's Office Justice Integrity Unit

Multnomah County District Attorney's Office (MCDA) will partially fund a 'Deputy District Attorney 4' position at 0.22 FTE to lead Justice Integrity Unit (JIU) efforts. Community trust in the justice system is strengthened when a prosecutor's office has an effective mechanism for conviction integrity review. Multnomah County formed a JIU in 2021, joining more than 45 jurisdictions around the country that have recognized the importance of a mechanism to scrutinize past cases when concerns arise regarding the integrity of a conviction. The JIU brings intention and priority to post-conviction relief (PCR) hearings, Psychiatric Review Board (PSRB) Hearings, parole hearings, clemency petition reviews, consideration of returned non-unanimous jury verdict cases, and investigating claims of actual innocence, or instances where prosecutorial or law enforcement misconduct is alleged that is uncovered post-conviction. A fully responsive JIU can also proactively work on expunging the records of eligible people and assist people who owe fines or fees for past criminal legal involvement with an opportunity to forgive those debts under certain and appropriate circumstances. Addressing the collateral consequences of criminal legal involvement strengthens communities by removing barriers to essential resources like housing, lines of credit, driver's licenses, and better employment opportunities.

The activities on this program started in September 2021, with a JIU Senior Deputy who was experienced in all levels of casework, to head up this newly funded program and carry out the above goals and objectives. At the end of 2022, the Oregon Supreme Court determined that individuals who were convicted by non-unanimous juries have a right to request post-conviction relief (PCR). The JIU Senior Deputy has overseen any associated non-unanimous PCR litigation and created a policy regarding how returned non-unanimous jury verdict cases will be reviewed by MCDA. This policy requires that the JIU be involved in deciding whether to retry a case to ensure retrial is in the interest of justice. The JIU Senior Deputy has also served as liaison for any non-unanimous verdict cases returned to MCDA and facilitates assignment of the cases and their retrial evaluation workups.

In 2023, the Oregon Legislature passed Senate Bill 819 (SB 819), a law that permits the resentencing of individuals convicted of any felony, except aggravated murder, if the district attorney from the sentencing county agrees and the court determines that the original sentence no longer serves the interests of justice. MCDA began to track application / demographic information related to its review of SB 819 Applications. Specifically, MCDA tracks the number of SB 819 applications the JIU received and reviewed, MCDA's position (accept review, deny review, support resentencing), and the demographics of the people who have applied. The JIU Senior Deputy established data collection systems regarding the MCDA's position (oppose / support) in clemency cases and the demographics of those impacted by MCDA's position. Data for expungements (otherwise known as motions to set aside) is collected weekly by pulling data from our digital case management system, while data for all other JIU activities is collected through hand entry, and data for public records requests is collected through a form.

The JIU Senior Deputy established the data collection systems to track demographic information, MCDA's position (objecting / not objecting), as well as the results of the hearings in which we are objecting to an expungement motion. The JIU Senior Deputy facilitated the creation of a filtering database to assist in triaging SB 819 applications, which led to much faster progress in reviewing SB 819 applications. The JIU Senior Deputy drafted and implemented new policies and procedures relating to expungement motions and waiving fines / fees for individuals whose only barrier to having their convictions expunged are outstanding fines/fees owed to the court (excluding moneys owed such as restitution, child support, etc.). Due to the significant increase in volume of expungement motions received, the JIU Senior Deputy worked with the court to create a new procedure to streamline the granting of expungement motions. The JIU Senior Deputy also worked with community partners to create procedures for streamlining the expungement review process.

The JIU Senior Deputy formed the JIU Community Advisory Board (CAB), which is composed of five citizens from Multnomah County with varying experiences with the criminal justice system. This board is briefed on SB 819 applications that the JIU is considering and provide input and recommendations as to whether those applications should be supported. It will also assist in reviewing potential JIU-related policies prior to their implementation. Thus far, the CAB has considered SB 819 applications for 18 individuals. The CAB last met in March of 2025.

In January of 2025, JIU was reconfigured to process a broader array of functions for MCDA. All previous activities were retained, and four new activities were added: 1) arraignments, 2) processing public records requests, 3) fugitive filings, and 4) Out-of-State witness subpoenas.

Grant Performance Measures

MCDA is committed to continuing to employ evidence-based practices to ensure the goals of the JIU program are fully realized. To that end, MCDA will demonstrate success through performance measures that include the capture and reporting of the activities outlined in the above narrative. In addition, MCDA will track the outcomes of those activities, to ensure that results are consistent with the goals of the position. Prior to receiving this grant, MCDA had not tracked the number of conviction-related reviews it performed; the JIU Senior Deputy has been working to establish a centralized intake process and data collection system.

Activity	Data Collection Method	Jan 1, 2025 - Dec 31, 2025
Participation in post-conviction relief cases	Hand count	39 (actual)
Participation in parole hearings	Hand count	4 (actual)
Review of post-conviction relief petitions	Hand count	18 (actual)
Potential Impeachment Disclosure reviews	Hand count	27 (actual)
Review expungement motions	Rolling log	9,082 (actual)
Review SB 819 Applications	Hand count	125 (actual)
Review Clemency Petitions	Hand count	1 (actual)

City of Gresham

East Metro SWAT Precision Rifle Replacement

The East Metro SWAT will replace precision rifles that have exceeded their recommended service life. East Metro SWAT is a multiagency tactical response team comprised of sworn officers from the Gresham Police Department and deputies from the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office. The team provides regional coverage to the cities of Gresham, Troutdale, Fairview, Wood Village, and unincorporated Multnomah County.

Multnomah County faces ongoing public safety challenges involving armed subjects, barricaded individuals, and high-risk warrant service in densely populated urban and suburban settings. This project will enhance officer and public safety, ensure reliable and accurate equipment during high-risk incidents, and strengthen regional collaboration in Oregon's most populous county. East Metro SWAT is routinely deployed to incidents that present a heightened risk to community members, responding officers, and suspects.

A key risk mitigation tool during these incidents is the use of precision rifles by trained SWAT personnel. These rifles allow officers to provide controlled overwatch, protect civilians and fellow officers, and resolve volatile situations with the highest possible level of precision. East Metro SWAT's existing inventory of precision rifles has exceeded the manufacturer's recommended service life, with individual rifles having logged more than 10,000 rounds. Extended use beyond service thresholds leads to barrel erosion, resulting in reduced accuracy and decreased muzzle velocity. These performance degradations significantly diminish reliability and effectiveness.

An inaccurate precision rifle presents a catastrophic risk during SWAT operations. Reduced accuracy directly undermines the team's ability to safely resolve high stakes incidents and increases the potential risk to community members and officers. In the densely populated environments served by East Metro SWAT, the consequences of degraded equipment are unacceptable.

Without replacement, continued reliance on worn rifles will further erode operational effectiveness and elevate public safety risk. JAG funding is essential in providing East Metro SWAT with reliable rifles to be used to safely resolve complex and high-risk incidents.

Coordination of Related JAG Funds

No issues arose in administering previous fiscal years' JAG awards. The cities of Portland and Gresham and the county of Multnomah do not anticipate any coordination of Fiscal Year 2024 JAG funded projects.

Reporting of Required Accountability Measures

The grantee and subrecipients will report on their relevant quarterly performance metrics and semi-annual Goals & Objectives in accordance with the applicable JAG Accountability Measures in the BJA Performance Measurement Tool (PMT).

Budget Summary
Note: Any errors detected on this page should be fixed on the corresponding Budget Detail tab.
	Year 1		Year 2 (if needed)		Year 3 (if needed)		Year 4 (if needed)		Year 5 (if needed)
Budget Category	Federal Request	Non-Federal Request	Federal Request	Non-Federal Request	Federal Request	Non-Federal Request	Federal Request	Non-Federal Request	Federal Request	Non-Federal Request	Total(s)
A. Personnel	$77,589	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$77,589
B. Fringe Benefits	$58,006	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$58,006
C. Travel	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0
D. Equipment	$271,189	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$271,189
E. Supplies	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0
F. Construction	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0
G. Subawards (Subgrants)	$163,810	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$163,810
H. Procurement Contracts	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0
I. Other	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0
Total Direct Costs	$570,594	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$570,594
J. Indirect Costs	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0
Total Project Costs	$570,594	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$570,594
Does this budget contain conference costs which is defined broadly to include meetings, retreats, seminars, symposia, and training activities? - Y/N No