Douglas County JAG Allocation Technology Improvements

This grant program is authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5) (the 'Recovery Act') and by 42 U.S.C. 3751(a). The stated purposes of the Recovery Act are: to preserve and create jobs and promote economic recovery; to assist those most impacted by the recession; to provide investments needed to increase economic efficiency by spurring technological advances in science and health; to invest in transportation, environmental protection, and other infrastructure that will provide long-term economic benefits; and to stabilize state and local government budgets, in order to minimize and avoid reductions in essential services and counterproductive state and local tax increases. The Recovery Act places great emphasis on accountability and transparency in the use of taxpayer dollars.

Among other things, it creates a new Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board and a new website ' Recovery.gov ' to provide information to the public, including access to detailed information on grants and contracts made with Recovery Act funds.

The Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program funded under the Recovery Act is the primary provider of federal criminal justice funding to state and local jurisdictions. Recovery JAG funds support all components of the criminal justice system, from multi-jurisdictional drug and gang task forces to crime prevention and domestic violence programs, courts, corrections, treatment, and justice information sharing initiatives. Recovery JAG funded projects may address crime through the provision of services directly to individuals and/or communities and by improving the effectiveness and efficiency of criminal justice systems, processes, and procedures.

The Douglas County Board of Commissioners will use the Recovery Act JAG funds to support the Douglas County JAG Allocation Technology Improvements project. The goal of the project is to enhance planning, evaluation and technology improvements. Two projects will focus on technology within prosecution and court projects, while the third project will enhance technology within a corrections program. Overall, the funds will be used to retain jobs in a difficult economic climate by easing budget constraints for technology requirements with increasing case loads. More specifically, the Douglas County Sheriff's Department will use grant funds for a Video Visitation VisManager Scheduling System. The purchase of this VisManager equipment integrates a system already in place at the jail. The District Attorney's Office will enhance the victim witness web site. Victims will be able to interact online with office staff after the contractor makes the upgrade. The District Attorney's Office and the Solicitor's Office will use the funds to upgrade current technology capacities. The major deliverables will be technology upgrades that will improve efficiency with a decreased budget, as well as the retention of current jobs and employees. The departments will coordinate the use of information, funds and reporting collaboratively and with Douglas County Finance.

NCA/NCF