State of Georgia - FY 2008 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program

The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program (JAG) allows states, tribes, and local governments to support a broad range of activities to prevent and control crime based on their own local needs and conditions. Grant funds can be used for state and local initiatives, technical assistance, training, personnel, equipment, supplies, contractual support, and information systems for criminal justice for any one or more of the following purpose areas: 1) law enforcement programs; 2) prosecution and court programs; 3) prevention and education programs; 4) corrections and community corrections programs; 5) drug treatment programs; 6) planning, evaluation, and technology improvement programs; and 7) crime victim and witness programs (other than compensation).

The Georgia Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC) will use their Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 JAG funds to implement programs that carry out the following purpose areas: (1) law enforcement programs; (2) prosecution and court programs; (3) prevention and education programs; (4) corrections and community corrections programs; (5) drug treatment programs; and (6) planning, evaluation, and technology improvement programs

Utilizing JAG funds, the CJCC will administer: (1) multi-jurisdictional drug task force initiatives (MJTF); (2) regional K-9 multi-jurisdictional resource teams; (3) state drug task force; (4) drug enforcement training; (5) Georgia Information Sharing and Analysis Center (GISAC ' Georgia's Fusion Center); and (6) criminal justice records improvement/information sharing/integrated justice.

At present, 22 MJTFs are funded across the state. Byrne/JAG funds will be used to support the State Drug Task Force and the regional K-9 task forces. CJCC will support the Georgia Bureau of Investigation's State Drug Task Force (SDTF), a mechanism to provide undercover operatives and surveillance units for Georgia law enforcement agencies to identify, detect, and establish cases against individuals responsible for the sale and distribution of narcotics in the areas where assistance has been requested. CJCC will continue to operate regional K-9 resource teams to improve the quality of K-9 resources across the state and increase their availability to smaller jurisdictions, including the MJTFs. Three regional teams will be based in Dawson, Augusta/Richmond, and Savannah/Chatham County.

The Georgia Public Safety Training Center (GPSTC) will continue to administer the State Drug Enforcement Training Program (DET) through its Georgia Police Academy Division. GPSTC is a comprehensive training complex for use by all state and local public safety units located on 620 acres in Monroe County, approximately 50 miles south of Atlanta. The Center is a comprehensive training complex designed to address the needs of state and local public safety and judicial personnel. The Georgia Information Sharing & Analysis Center (GISAC) will serve as the state's focal point for the collection, integration, analysis, and dissemination of information relating to terrorist threats and attacks against Georgia's citizens and property.

CJCC will continue to support the Georgia Crime Information Center (GCIC) Audit Program to ensure that all qualified arrestees are fingerprinted, the records submitted, and correct rules followed for access and dissemination of criminal history data.

In an effort to gather as much data as feasible to determine whether projects are effectively utilizing federal funds, the Council will continue to monitor sub-grantees quantitatively through financial evaluation and qualitatively through programmatic and performance evaluation.

NCA/NCF