Byrne 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 Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) will use their Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) funds to make grants to support state and local law enforcement; prosecution and judicial programs; crime prevention and education programs; corrections and community corrections programs; drug treatment programs; and planning, evaluation and technology improvement programs. The State of Virginia will focus the FY 2008 JAG funds on the following four priority issue areas: 1) enhancing the safety of citizens, promoting multidisciplinary partnerships, and encouraging communities to adopt comprehensive crime prevention strategies; 2) enabling state and local units of government to expand, enhance, and coordinate criminal justice programs and sanctions; 3) enhancing and coordinating training opportunities for criminal justice professionals throughout the state; 4) and assuring that the state's criminal justice efforts are planned and implemented in a coordinated manner. The DCJS will achieve these goals by establishing and enhancing school resource officer programs; designing and implementing training or technical assistance for criminal justice personnel and agencies to improve their responses to crime; improving cooperation and coordination among the components of the criminal justice system in efforts to combat community crime and violence, and facilitate services for crime victims; establishing community partnerships to promote prevention and early intervention programs; and promoting the use of crime analysis and regional information sharing by localities as tactical and strategic planning tools.

The DCJS will also provide JAG funds to analyze criminal and juvenile justice data, including arrest, jail, court, and disposition information, to identify trends; provide training for criminal justice professionals in specialized law enforcement areas, crime prevention, victims' services, crime analysis, forensics, substance abuse, drug enforcement, mental health issues, cultural sensitivity, and the impact of biased policing; and continue the development and periodic updating of a statewide criminal justice plan. Administrative funds will be used by the DCJS for salaries, travel, equipment, and supplies for grant administration of the JAG funds.

NCA/NCF