BJS FY25 Survey of Public Defenders (SPD)
Agency: Bureau of Justice Statistics
Assistance Listings: 16.734 -- Special Data Collections and Statistical Studies
Last Updated: January 21, 2026
Description
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.
Eligibility
Eligible applicants
Business
- Small businesses
- For-profit organizations other than small businesses
Education
- Private institutions of higher education
- Independent school districts
- Public and state institutions of higher education
Nonprofit
- Nonprofits non-higher education without 501(c)(3)
- Nonprofits non-higher education with 501(c)(3)
Additional information
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Grantor contact information
Description
Contact Phone Number
AskBJS@usdoj.gov
Contact Email
Documents
No documents are currently available.
Link to additional information
Closing: March 2, 2026
Award
$1,000,000
Program Funding
1
Expected awards
$--
Award Minimum
$1,000,000
Award Maximum
Funding opportunity number:
O-BJS-2025-172531
Cost sharing or matching requirement:
No
Funding instrument type:
Cooperative agreement
Opportunity Category:
Discretionary
Opportunity Category Explanation:
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Category of Funding Activity:
Information and statistics
Category Explanation:
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History
Version:
2
Posted date:
January 21, 2026
Archive date:
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