Synopsis

The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) FY 2025 Survey of Public Defenders (SPD) is a new data collection to capture questions about the provision of public defense, including demographics, caseloads, clients, and access to resources, directly from attorneys. BJS’s history studying public defense dates back to 1986, and has periodically updated and modernized its knowledge of public defense field. In 1986 BJS looked more generally at criminal defense with the Criminal Defense System Study, and targeted studies at public defense with the National Survey of Indigent Defense Systems (NSIDS) as a probability sample in 1999 and a census in 2013. In response to lessons learned from the 1999 NSIDS, BJS also conducted the Census of Public Defender Offices (CPDO) in 2007, focusing on publicly-funded defender offices. Each of BJS’s prior collections examined public defense at the office level. After consideration of the results of these efforts, BJS determined that some questions about the provision of public defense. In 2021, the SPD survey instrument and sample design were created and pilot tested. In response to sampling challenges arising from an incomplete current frame of public defender offices, in 2025 BJS ran a new CPDO. The purpose of FY2025SPD solicitation is to use the 2025 CPDO and to implement lessons learned and recommendations from the pilot study into the full national collection of the SPD.
Response Date	Mar 02, 2026 12:00:00 AM EST
Posting Date	Jan 21, 2026 12:00:00 AM EST
Archive Date
Award Ceiling	1,000,000
Award Floor	N/a
Cost Sharing	No

Eligibility

Eligible Applicants

Private institutions of higher education, Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Small businesses, Independent school districts, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education

Additional Info on Eligibility:

N/a

Additional Information

Agency Name	Bureau of Justice Statistics
Link to Additional Information:	Download NOFO Here
Grantor Contact Information:	If you have difficulty accessing the full announcement electronically, please contact: GrantSolutions Help Desk Phone: 0000000000

CFDA Program(s)

• 16.734: Special Data Collections and Statistical Studies