Federal Funding Terminated for CEPP-Led Programs Supporting Community Supervision & Pretrial Justice

On April 22, 2025, the Center for Effective Public Policy (CEPP) received notice from the U.S. Department of Justice that its funding for two major initiatives—the Community Supervision Resource Center (CSRC) and the Rural Pretrial Practitioner Fellowship (RPPF)—had been terminated, effective immediately. Several other smaller programs that CEPP worked on with partner organizations were also defunded. These initiatives provided essential guidance and support to the criminal justice field on critical issues such as behavioral health, crisis response, gender-responsive services, and reentry support. All these cuts are part of a sweeping federal rollback that impacted more than 350 organizations working to advance justice, equity, and public safety across the nation.

What This Means

The loss of federal funding jeopardizes essential infrastructure that supports jurisdictions nationwide in implementing evidence-based practices, training staff, and building local capacity—especially in rural and under-resourced communities.

Community Supervision Resource Center

The CSRC, which provides tools, technical assistance, and virtual trainings to the field, has ceased all programmatic activity:

• The CSRC website and online community will remain live for now, but without new updates, resources, or moderation.
• All free training under the CSRC has been suspended.
• No-cost technical assistance support to 40+ jurisdictions ends immediately.

Here is CEPP’s full message about the loss of the CSRC. If you value the CSRC’s contributions to the field, we invite you to sign on in support of its continuation.

Rural Pretrial Practitioners Fellowship (RFFP)

The RPPR, designed to strengthen rural pretrial systems through mentorship and leadership development, has also been halted. The program was recently selected as a recipient of a FY24 Bureau of Justice Assistance Encouraging Innovation grant, a clear recognition of its value and potential. Its termination is a major setback for rural jurisdictions, which already face:

• Limited funding and staffing
• Scarce community-based services
• Minimal access to pretrial-specific training and support

The Fellowship aimed to address these persistent challenges and foster sustainable, local leadership in rural justice systems. Its sudden loss is not just disappointing—it undermines critical momentum in an area that often lacks focused investment.

Here is CEPP’s Advancing Pretrial Policy and Research (APPR)’s full message about cutting the RPPF. APPR is CEPP’s pretrial justice initiative sponsored by Arnold Ventures.

Where We Go From Here

CEPP remains committed to serving both the community supervision and pretrial fields. We are actively exploring new funding sources to keep essential tools and training accessible to practitioners nationwide, particularly in rural and underserved areas.

Our April 30 webinar on Strengthening Community Supervision proceeded as planned. Nearly 400 people logged on to hear from our pretrial, parole, and probation leaders. You can view the recording here.

Our Commitment Remains

This moment is challenging—but it’s not the end. CEPP and our partners are not going away. Our mission to advance equitable, effective justice systems and support practitioners in their vital work is more important than ever.

If these programs made a difference in your work or community, we invite you to share your voice with decision-makers and help advocate for continued investment in justice innovation.

In partnership,  

The Center for Effective Public Policy