Juvenile Defender Training Initiative Grant

The Juvenile Defender Training Initiative 2026–2028, administered by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD), seeks to enhance the skills, knowledge, and effectiveness of juvenile defenders across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. This initiative is supported through federal Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) funds and reflects the Commonwealth’s commitment to providing constitutionally effective and comprehensive legal representation for youth in the juvenile justice system. The training program will target systemic improvement through education, practical tools, and best practices aimed at strengthening leadership and administration in juvenile defense work. The primary objective of the initiative is to deliver structured and consistent training and technical assistance statewide. This includes, but is not limited to, training on the Pennsylvania Juvenile Act, court procedural rules, adolescent development, communication strategies with youth, evaluating youth competency, and understanding collateral legal issues such as education, mental health, and child welfare. Training topics are also expected to cover detention standards and effective treatment strategies for youth with special needs. The initiative mandates the development and updating of educational materials to maintain relevance in defender practices. The program is designed to support a single grantee organization over a two-year project period, from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2028, with a total award ceiling of $150,000. Funding is restricted to eligible program activities, which include statewide training, technical assistance delivery, and the maintenance or creation of relevant guidance documents like the Pennsylvania Juvenile Collateral Consequences Checklist. Expenses not directly tied to these training activities—such as general supply purchases, meals for participants, or land acquisition—are expressly ineligible under this program. All applications must be submitted through the PCCD’s Egrants platform no later than 11:59 PM on April 15, 2026. Prior to submission, agencies must register both the organization and at least two users in Egrants, one of whom must hold an E-signature role. The application components include sections such as Project Design and Implementation, Applicant Overview, Budget Detail, and Impacts and Outcomes. Each section carries specific point values that will be used during competitive scoring. To be eligible for funding, applicants must demonstrate capacity to deliver statewide training and technical assistance to juvenile defenders and must be in good standing with PCCD. While previous experience implementing PCCD-funded initiatives is considered during application review, prior funding history is not a requirement for eligibility. Subgrantees will be required to submit quarterly fiscal and programmatic reports, including metrics such as number of trainings conducted, hours of training delivered, and evaluation responses. Technical questions about Egrants can be directed to the Help Desk, while questions about the funding announcement must be submitted via email no later than April 9, 2026. Selected applicants will be notified through Egrants and will be required to electronically sign their award contracts after PCCD’s final review. This funding opportunity represents a significant step toward advancing equitable and high-quality defense services for youth across Pennsylvania.