SJI Newsletter

October 2020 | Volume 31, No. 1

SJI Priority Investment Areas Announced for FY 2021

Each fiscal year, SJI allocates significant financial resources to support its Priority Investment Areas

(PIAS). The PIAs are applicable to all grant types, and the categories within allow for greater 

flexibility to be responsive to current and emerging court trends. These broad PIAs are closely 

aligned with SJI’s mission in both statute and policy. SJI strongly encourages potential grant 

applicants to consider projects addressing one or more of these PIAs, and to integrate the following 

factors into each proposed project:

• Evidence based, data-driven decision making

• Cross sector collaboration

• Systemic approaches (as opposed to standalone programs)

• Ease of replication

• Sustainability

For FY 2021, the Priority Investment Areas are listed below in no specific order:

Opioids and Other Dangerous Drugs, and Behavioral Health Responses

Behavioral Health Disparities

Research indicates that justice involved persons have significantly greater proportions of mental, 

substance use, and co-occurring disorders than are found in the public. SJI supports cross-sector 

collaboration and information sharing that emphasizes policies and practices designed to improve 

court responses to justice-involved persons with behavioral health and other co-occurring needs. 
Promoting Access to Justice and Procedural Fairness

Self-Represented Litigation

SJI promotes court-based solutions to address increases in self-represented litigants; specifically 

making courts more user-friendly by simplifying court forms, providing one-on-one assistance, 

developing guides, handbooks, and instructions on how to proceed, developing court-based self-help 

centers, and using Internet technologies to increase access. These projects are improving outcomes 

for litigants and saving valuable court resources.

Language Access

SJI supports language access in the state courts through remote interpretation (outside the

courtroom), interpreter training and certification, courtroom services (plain language forms, websites, 

etc.), and addressing the requirements of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Omnibus

Crime Control and Safe Streets Act.

Procedural Fairness

A fundamental role of courts is to ensure fair processes and just outcomes for litigants. SJI promotes 

the integration of research-based procedural fairness principles, policies, and practices into state 

court operations to increase public trust and confidence in the court system, reduce recidivism, and 

increase compliance with court orders.

Reducing Disparities and Protecting Victims, Underserved, and Vulnerable Populations

Human Trafficking

SJI addresses the impact of federal and state human trafficking laws on the state courts, and the 

challenges faced by state courts in dealing with cases involving trafficking victims and their families. 

These efforts are intended to empower state courts to identify victims, link them with vital services, 

and hold traffickers accountable.

Rural Justice

Rural areas and their justice systems routinely have fewer resources and more barriers than their 

urban counterparts, such as availability of services, lack of transportation, and smaller workforces. 

Programs and practices that are effective in urban areas are often inappropriate and or lack 

supported research for implementation in rural areas. SJI supports rural courts by identifying 

promising and best practices, and promoting resources, uniquely designed for rural courts and court 

users.

Guardianship, Conservatorship, and Elder Issues

SJI assists courts in improving court oversight of guardians and conservators for the elderly and 

incapacitated adults through visitor programs, electronic reporting, and training.

Disparities in Justice

SJI supports research and data-driven approaches that examine statutory requirements, policies, 

and practices that result in disparities for justice-involved persons. These disparities can be because 

of inequities in socio-economic, racial, ethnic, gender, age, health, or other factors. In addition to 

identifying disparities, SJI promotes systemic approaches to reducing disparities.
Advancing Justice Reform

Criminal Justice Reform

SJI assists state courts in taking a leadership role in reviewing fines, fees, and bail practices to 

ensure processes are fair and access to justice is assured; implementing alternative forms of 

sanction; developing processes for indigency review; promoting transparency, governance, and 

structural reforms that promote access to justice, accountability, and oversight; and implementing 

innovative diversion and re-entry programs that serve to improve outcomes for justice-involved 

persons and the justice system. 

Juvenile Justice Reform

SJI supports innovative projects that advance best practices in handling dependency and

delinquency cases; promote effective court oversight of juveniles in the justice system; address the 

impact of trauma on juvenile behavior; assist the courts in identification of appropriate provision of 

services for juveniles; and address juvenile re-entry.

Family and Civil Justice Reform

SJI promotes court-based solutions for the myriad of civil case types, such as domestic relations, 

housing, employment, debt collection, which are overwhelming court dockets. 

Transforming Courts

Emergency Response and Recovery

Courts must be prepared for natural disasters and public health emergencies, such as pandemics. 

SJI supports projects that look to the future of judicial service delivery by identifying and replicating 

innovations and alternate means of conducting court business because of pandemics and natural 

disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes, and wildfires.

Cybersecurity

Courts must also be prepared for cyberattacks on court systems, such as denial of service and 

ransomware attacks on court case management systems, websites, and other critical information 

technology infrastructure. SJI supports projects that assist courts in preparing for, and responding 

to, these attacks, and share lessons-learned to courts across the United States.

Technology

SJI promotes and supports innovative technology projects that will improve court processes and 

procedures, including technology projects that: streamline case filing and management processes, 

thereby reducing time and costs to litigants and the courts; provide online access to courts to 

litigants so that disputes can be resolved more efficiently; make structural changes to court 

services that enable them to evolve into an online environment. 

Training, Education, and Workforce Development

State courts require a workforce that is adaptable to public demands for services. SJI supports 

projects that focus on the tools needed to enable judges, court managers, and staff to lead their 

courts in future reform efforts.
Implementing the CDC Eviction Moratorium Order

On September 4, 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an order to halt most 

evictions through December 31, 2020, in order to curb the spread of COVID-19 by keeping evicted 

people from becoming homeless, or crowding into apartments with friends and relatives.

Under the order, “a landlord, owner of a residential property, or other person with a legal right to 

pursue eviction or possessory action, shall not evict any covered person from any residential 

property in any jurisdiction to which the order applies.” The Order does not apply to an area with a 

moratorium on residential evictions that provides the same or greater level of public health 

protections, and does not preclude jurisdictions from imposing additional requirements that provide 

greater public-health protections. The order does not relieve the individual of the obligation to pay 

rent, make housing payments, or comply with other obligations under the housing contract, nor does 

the order preclude fees, penalties, or interest as a result to pay on time under the applicable contract.

To halt an eviction the tenant, and each adult listed on the lease or housing contract, must provide 

an executed Declaration Attachment A of the Order, to the person or entity with the right to have 

them evicted or removed from the property.

The tenants are required to pay rent and abide by the rest of the terms of the lease or housing 

contract, and can be evicted for reasons other than not paying rent or making a housing payment, 

including:

1. Engaging in criminal activity while on the premises;

2. Threatening the health or safety of other residents;

3. Damaging or posing an immediate and significant risk of damage to property;

4. Violating any applicable building code, health ordinance, or similar regulation relating 

to health and safety;

5. Violating any other contractual obligation, other than the timely payment of rent or

similar housing-related payment (including non-payment or late payment of fees,

penalties, or interest).
Across the country, judges and court administrators are responding differently, and state court 

leaders have been asked to provide guidance on how best to apply the order.

NCSC Principal Court Management Consultant Danielle Hirsch who is monitoring how states are 

implementing the CDC order, said courts must strive to ensure consistent and uniform application 

of the law.

“Given the pressing and serious nature of the eviction crisis facing the country,” Hirsch said, “court 

systems should promulgate court orders, education and training, self-help resources, and 

procedures to assist with handling eviction filings in accordance with the CDC order.”

NCSC recommends the following steps for implementing the order:

• Supplement the CDC order with a state or local order. The order can include changes

to pleading and summons requirements, amendments to eviction forms, and

instructions regarding the declaration forms that the CDC order requires tenants to

submit. Orders that may be considered models come from the Texas Supreme Court

and Rhode Island District Court.

• Devise a plan to educate judges and other court employees about the CDC order.

• Communicate with landlords and tenants about the order. Alaska and Utah, for

example, have done a good job of providing information to tenants who are not

represented by lawyers.

• Reach out to lawyers and other stakeholders. Massachusetts, Tennessee, and Texas

have held large stakeholder meetings to address this issue.

• Set up eviction diversion programs. This is happening in many places nationwide, such

as Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Washington, and Kentucky.

For more resources on navigating the novel coronavirus visit the NCSC Pandemic

Resource Center.
SJI Launches Online Grant Management System

On October 1, 2020, the State Justice Institute (SJI) launched the Grant Management System

(GMS) to better serve applicants and grantees, and further improve the grant-making process. The 

GMS is an online, end-to-end system, that spans the entire grant lifecycle. The GMS provides 

applicants and grantees with the ability to apply for and manage grants, including fulfilling reporting 

requirements and requesting reimbursement of grant-funded activities.

Beginning in FY 2021, all new grant applications submissions must be submitted through the GMS. 

Additionally, all grantees from FY 2021 forward are required to manage their awards in the GMS. 

Grantees with open awards made prior to FY 2021, may elect to create a new account and complete 

all requirements in GMS. While not required, current grantees are encouraged to utilize the new 

system. 

The launch of GMS represents a considerable investment by SJI, and reinforces our commitment to 

improving the grant application and management process, and advancing the use of technology by 

state courts. Users may access GMS at gms.sji.gov to create an account and begin new applications, 

or manage current grant awards. SJI staff are available to answer questions and provide support, 

and can be reached at contact@sji.gov. A series of brief videos are also available for GMS users. 

Additional resources include a Grant Application Guide and a Grant Management Guide.
SJI Initiates Court Pandemic Response

and Recovery Grant Opportunity

The State Justice Institute (SJI) is seeking to fund projects that assist state courts in their response 

to, and recovery from, COVID-19, with a look towards the future of court operations. In addition to 

meeting all other application requirements, SJI will give priority consideration for funding to projects 

that focus on institutionalizing and/or replicating practices that were implemented during the 

pandemic. Read the formal solicitation here.

Applications for this opportunity must be submitted via the SJI Grant Management System (GMS). 

Applications will be reviewed, and if approved, awarded on a rolling basis in FY 2021. Visit the 

Virtual Learning section of the Funding Toolkit for State Courts and Justice System Partners to learn 

more about SJI funding, including a podcast about this funding opportunity. Email contact@sji.gov

with questions regarding this solicitation.

Special Note on Prohibited Costs for this Solicitation:

No grant funds or cash match may be used to pay the salary and related costs for a current or new 

employee of a court or other unit of government because such funds would constitute supplanting 

state or local funds in violation of 42 U.S.C. 10706(d)(1); this includes new employees hired 

specifically for the project. Grant funds cannot be used for the purpose of purchasing software and/

or equipment, such as software and/or equipment for conducting remote hearings, as these are 

considered basic court operations.
Funding Toolkit Offers Intensive Federal

Grant Application Development Series

As part of SJI’s ongoing commitment to support court access to federal grant funds, we are pleased 

to announce that 16 courts have been selected to participate in an intensive federal grant application 

development series. This series is sponsored by SJI in collaboration with Rulo Strategies. The 

virtual training series will integrate traditional grant training and technical assistance (TTA) with 

intensive, one on-one support to assist selected sites in the development of a federal application for 

the FY 2021 grant season. Courts from the following states/territories will be participating in this 

initiative:

• Arizona

• Delaware

• Georgia

• Hawaii

• New Hampshire

• New Jersey

• Ohio

• Pennsylvania

• Tennessee

• Wisconsin

Congratulations to these courts on their selection! If you missed the deadline to apply, but are 

interested in this grant training, some of the course materials will be made available on the SJI 

Funding Toolkit in mid-November. Stay tuned for additional details.
Despite presenting challenges to numerous court processes, the pandemic also afforded opportunities 

for courts to implement innovations that are making family courts more accessible, efficient, high 

priority – and less adversarial. The innovations are part of the Conference of Chief Justices/

Conference of State Court Administrators Family Justice Initiative (FJI), which is celebrating many 

milestones:

• Passage of a CCJ/COSCA resolution that supports FJI’s “bold, national

recommendations”

• Release of an online report that serves as a repository for courts that have

effectively responded the needs of families before, during, and after the pandemic

• The launch of redesigned web pages that provide guidelines, recommendations,

and best practices

FJI, established in 2017 with funding from SJI, is supported by the National Center for State Courts

(NCSC), the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System

(IAALS), and the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ).

The project’s first phase included a national assessment of domestic relations case processing in 

urban courts. Phase two included the development of national Principles for Family Justice Reform. 

Following CCJ’s approval of the Principles, project partners launched Phase Three to implement the 

Principles in four pilot jurisdictions: Miami-Dade, Florida; Cuyahoga County, Ohio; Pima County, 

Arizona; and King County, Washington.

Soon after the pilot sites began improvement efforts, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The four sites met 

virtually in June 2020 to share progress and reevaluate needs as a result of the pandemic. Some of 

the “silver linings” the sites identified include: improved communication with parties as court staff 

walked parties through the processes remotely; improved scheduling options, giving parties 

autonomy to schedule their hearings online; and increased use of remote proceedings that resulted 

in improved appearance rates and party satisfaction. Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Marion 

County, Indiana have since joined the FJI implementation efforts.

Family Justice Initiative Progress:

New Resources Available
“We all recognize the strains brought on by the pandemic,” said Alicia Davis, FJI project manager 

and NCSC principal court consultant. “It is encouraging to see how these courts and others are 

redesigning processes to meet the needs of families.”

SJI Releases FY 2021 Grant Guideline

SJI recently released the Grant Guideline for FY 2021. The Grant Guideline appears as part of the

National Archives and Records Administration’s Federal Register, and sets forth the administrative, 

programmatic, and financial requirements for applying for and administering SJI grants.

Fiscal Year 2021 Deadlines for Project, Technical Assistance, and Curriculum Adaptation Grants are 

as follows:

• 1st Quarter – November 1, 2020

• 2nd Quarter – February 1, 2021

• 3rd Quarter – May 1, 2021

• 4th Quarter – August 1, 2021

• Affording family cases the same prestige and respect as other court matters

• Aggressively triaging cases as early as possible

• Simplifying court procedures to allow self-represented litigants to engage in the justice

system and are treated fairly

• Ensuring that self-help information and services are available both in person and remotely

• Offering families a choice of dispute resolution options

• Promoting the well-being of families through the life of their case as the primary desired case

outcome

Alaska Chief Justice Joel Bolger, FJI chair, said he hopes this resolution “will help family courts 

respond to the common barriers presented by high caseloads, limited staffing, complex procedures, 

and narrow service options, and increased numbers of self-represented litigants. The COVID-19 

pandemic brings new urgency around the need for family courts to implement positive adaptations 

and support continuous innovation.”

The FJI team – taking into consideration adaptations courts made as a result of the pandemic –

identified supplemental recommendations, which CCJ and COSCA endorsed in Resolution 4 in 

July. The new recommendations include:
SJI Board of Directors

Chair

John D. Minton, Jr.

Chief Justice

Supreme Court of Kentucky

Frankfort, KY

Vice Chair

Daniel J. Becker

State Court Administrator

(ret.) Utah AOC

Salt Lake City, UT

Secretary

Gayle A. Nachtigal

Senior Circuit Court Judge

Washington County Circuit

Court Hillsboro, OR

Treasurer

David V. Brewer

Justice

Oregon Supreme Court

Salem, OR

Jonathan Lippman

Chief Judge of New York (ret.)

of Counsel

Latham & Watkins, LLP

New York, NY

Chase T. Rogers

Chief Justice (ret.)

Supreme Court of Connecticut

Partner

Pitney Day, LLP

Hartford, CT

Wilfredo Martinez

Senior Judge

State of Florida

Orlando, FL

Marsha J. Rabiteau

Executive Director

Center for Human Trafficking Court 

Solutions Bloomfield, CT

Hernan D. Vera

Principal

Bird Marella P.C.

Los Angeles, CA

Isabel Framer

President

Language Access Consultants, LLC

Copley, OH

Jonathan D. Mattiello

Executive Director

The State Justice Institute is a federally-funded, non-profit corporation established by

federal law in 1984 to improve the quality of justice in the state courts.

Share the News

SJI uses Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to promote the work of its grantees 

and also shares information of interest to the entire state court community.

If your organization’s work complements ours, let us know and we will share.