DOJ Slashes Hundreds Of Grants To Restorative Justice, ‘Toxic’ Masculinity Programs

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has cut hundreds of grants for programs it believes do not advance the agency’s mission, including awards focusing on “racial equity” and “toxic” masculinity.

As part of its effort to slash funding out-of-step with the Trump administration’s agenda, Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cut over 360 grants, according to an agency official.

Organizations whose grants were ended can have the funding restored if they appeal within 30 days and prove that their program helps victims of crime, per the DOJ.

“Under Attorney General Bondi’s leadership, the Department of Justice is committed to ensuring its resources are spent on arresting criminals, getting drugs off the streets, and crucial litigation,” DOJ spokesman Gates McGavick said. “We will always protect victims of crime and legitimate law enforcement initiatives, but we will no longer spend millions on ‘listening sessions’ and ‘bridging socio-ecological contexts.”

Many of the examples cited by the DOJ were awards issued under the Biden administration.

One $2 million grant was awarded in 2022 for a “feminist, culturally specific nonprofit organization” to address “structural racism and toxic masculinities.” Another $5 million grant went to a group that promotes “racial equity in victim services” to conduct “listening sessions in targeted communities.”

Other canceled grants include a $1.5 million award for a “powerful 17-minute film documenting the journey of three Black police leaders” to “promote racial equity in police practice,” a $1.5 million award for “culturally and linguistically specific, trauma-informed, and accessible services” for “former justice-involved individuals” and a $1 million award to “bridge socio-ecological contexts” through partnerships with “culturally specific community-based organizations,” according to the DOJ.