FY 2008 Ohio Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant

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 Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services (OCJS) will use their Fiscal Year 2008 Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) funds to continue support for multi-jurisdictional task forces, law enforcement initiatives, prevention and education programs, corrections and community corrections initiatives, prosecution, court, and victim services programs, technology improvements, and research and evaluation.

The multi-jurisdictional task forces will continue to provide a coordinated response to crimes of drug trafficking and elements of violent crime. Law enforcement initiatives will include innovative criminal justice programming for local communities, programs targeting special needs victims, and programming for sanctioned offenders. The prevention and education program area will address preventing illegal drugs and reducing violent crime. Corrections and community corrections initiatives will continue to focus on reducing jail and prison populations by providing offenders with intervention, recovery management, education, and treatment services. Prosecution, court, and victim services programming will focus on victim services and support for court security systems, training for prosecutors and court personnel, and community mediation programs. Funding decisions on technology improvement projects will continue to be based on the project's ability to integrate and coordinate its goals with ongoing state and local information sharing projects. Research and evaluation projects will provide state and local officials and criminal justice practitioners relevant information on the state's criminal justice issues. The evaluation and assessment of programs will document the strengths and weaknesses, successes and failures; identify needs and/or gaps in services; allow for comparisons across communities, states, or to the national average; help plan for improvements and set benchmarks for the future; offer justification for and accountability of the use of public funds; and provide useful information for leveraging other resources. The administrative funds will be used to pay a portion of the salaries for OCJS staff that work on JAG funded activities, travel costs, and other JAG related administrative needs.

NCA/NCF