FY 2009 Justice Assistance Grant Program

The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program (JAG) allows states and units of local governments, including tribes, to support a broad range of activities to prevent and control crime based on their own state and 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, including 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 and enforcement programs; 6) planning, evaluation, and technology improvement programs; and 7) crime victim and witness programs (other than compensation).

The disparate jurisdictions consisting of the city of Corvallis and Benton County will use their Fiscal Year 2009 JAG award in the amount of $14,681 for support personnel. The city of Corvallis, serving as the fiscal agent, intends to utilize the allocation toward funding a Chief Deputy Medical Examiner position, employed by the Benton County District Attorney's Office. The Chief Deputy Medical Examiner will be responsible for conducting death investigations in conjunction with law enforcement, providing expert witness testimonies, supplying legal documentation for court trials and appearances, presenting training on a local and statewide basis on death investigations and other related matters, participating on specialized teams involving violence, and overseeing the operation of the Benton County Medical Examiner's Office. This position is necessary, as the county pathologists will no longer respond to the scene of unattended deaths with law enforcement.

NCA/NCF