Jessica Grisler serves as a program manager for the NCJA Center for Justice Planning. In this position, she provides program management support to a portfolio of programs including the Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (Byrne JAG) and the Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program (Byrne SCIP). Jessica provides technical assistance to state administering agencies, local criminal justice advisory boards and councils in the development of comprehensive strategic plans and the implementation of evidence-based programs and practices.

Jessica brings over 8 years of experience in the criminal justice field. Prior to joining NCJA, Jessica was a project manager overseeing the Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation (BCJI) program at the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP). In this role, she worked with 36 grantees throughout the country to employ collaborative problem-solving processes to implement a wide range of crime prevention and intervention strategies. During her time at the IACP, she also worked on BJA’s Anti-Human Trafficking program and helped with curriculum development for the “Effective Strategies to Investigate and Prosecute Labor Trafficking’ training for detectives, prosecutors, and victim service providers. Jessica also has experience working in local government communications and media, as well as community outreach.

Jessica received her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Delaware and her master’s degree in public administration from George Mason University. Jessica is a Court Appointed Special Advocate in Fairfax County, where she was appointed by a judge to ensure that the needs and best interests of children abused or neglected are advocated for in juvenile court proceedings.