Pennsylvania's FY2008 JAG Application

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; and 6) planning, evaluation, and technology improvement programs.

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania will use their 2008 JAG funds to support the following initiatives: homeland security, law enforcement and systems, targeted community revitalization, and crime prevention.

Planned projects within these initiatives include: 1) Enhancement of County Criminal Justice Advisory Boards (CJABs) consisting of judges, county commissioners, district attorneys, police chiefs, probation officers, wardens, victim services, directors of health and human services, and others with the stature to influence the administration of justice within a county. The CJABs are chaired with a designated policymaker and meet on a regular basis to address the needs of the county's criminal justice system; 2) School-based Gang Violence Reduction Programs including funding for school resource officers and Gang Resistance Education and Training. The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) will assist police departments and school districts willing to work cooperatively to promote enhanced school safety and security. Through this funding, PCCD will support the development of either School Resource Officer (SRO) or Gang Resistance Education and Training (G.R.E.A.T.) programs; 3) Pennsylvania State Police 'Operation Triggerlock' will be used to allow Pennsylvania Weed and Seed local law enforcement officers to receive additional law enforcement assistance from Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) in the 15 targeted areas. Resources of the criminal justice system will be coordinated in a strategy to remove violent offenders, felons, illegal drugs, illegal firearms, and nuisance bars from Weed and Seed communities; 4) Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and Victim Services will be funded in support of statewide training, especially training on the new juvenile court rules in order to enhance juvenile case processing capability across the state, which includes both prosecution and defense capabilities, and to ensure that juvenile cases are handled in an effective, efficient and coordinated manner; 5) Juvenile Justice and Juvenile Court Training will support the development of practice tools and implementation guides, that will aid county juvenile justice systems toward full integration of the Balanced and Restorative Justice (BARJ) principles of Competency Development, Accountability, and Community Protection; 6) Gender Specific Services will foster development and deliverance of training for juvenile justice professionals that raise awareness and recognition of behaviors in girls that were symptomatic of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as a result of prolonged exposure to violent traumatic events such as physical and sexual abuse; and 7) Competitive Categories will be funded in the areas of organizational capacity building, innovative initiatives, and training initiatives.

NCA/NCF