On April 22, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice announced the termination of $811 million in funding to various programs nationwide that provide essential services for youth. This decision affects initiatives related to mental wellness, rehabilitation, and school safety. In New Jersey, community-based violence intervention and prevention (CBVIP) programs have been particularly impacted, losing over $35 million in federal funding. This cut is expected to affect a significant portion of the state's more than two million children.
The State of New Jersey highlights that "CBVI programming reached more than 16,000 community members through strategic partnerships with schools, community events, group and one-on-one programs, and responses to violent incidents." These efforts have contributed to a decrease in school referrals to police for weapons and a reduction in gun violence across the state. Crime data from 2024 indicates a 16% decline in shootings compared to 2023—a record low since tracking began in 2009—following a previous decrease of 13% from 2022 to 2023.
The cuts will primarily affect youth in economically insecure communities across New Jersey, victims of crimes, organizations addressing root causes of violence, caregivers of affected youth, students statewide, faculty and staff at educational institutions, youth diverted from detention into rehabilitative programming, those seeking mental wellness support, as well as law enforcement agencies.
In terms of key impacts within New Jersey: there are currently 1,379,988 students enrolled in schools throughout the state who may face increased challenges related to discipline and safety due to these funding cuts. The youth arrest rate has decreased by 26% since 2020; however without CBVIP's assistance law enforcement may struggle maintaining this trend. Additionally job losses resulting from CBVIP reductions could exacerbate economic insecurity among families contributing further towards an already rising population experiencing food insecurity among children.
For further information on this topic contact Isaiah Fudge at ifudge@acnj.org.
