FY 2009 Recovery Act JAG Program

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.

Harrison County will use its Fiscal Year 2009 Recovery Act JAG award to develop the Bridges Diversion and Prevention Program. The goals of the program are to: create safer communities by increasing the education, training levels, and employability of youthful offenders and discouraging their participation in behaviors that may lead to criminal activities; reduce the regional jail fees paid by the County Commission; reduce the criminal case rates among youthful offenders between the ages of 18 and 25; reduce recidivism rates within the target group; and reduce the county truancy rate. Reducing truancy rates of juveniles will help in abating future criminal activity and lead to less risk taking behaviors.

Strategies utilized to achieve these goals include, but are not limited to providing a Youth Leadership Development Academy designed to instill confidence and responsibility in program participants; developing a 'Stay-In-School' program that will help reduce the drop-out and truancy rates; offering computer and technology camps for program participants in conjunction with post-secondary schools to encourage learning and career exploration opportunities; overseeing career-centered community service that will give program participants real work experience in a field they are interested in pursuing; hosting life skills and alcohol and drug awareness workshops to teach participants to make good choices and see consequences of negative behavior; facilitating job readiness and job search activities to increase the employability of participants; hosting personal expression activities so participants have a socially acceptable outlet for their creativity; developing and overseeing a mentoring program staffed by community volunteers for participants to have a positive role model; coordinating with the Harrison County Public School system to develop an anti-truancy program; hosting crime prevention and avoidance counseling workshops; and other activities deemed applicable by staff.

NCA/NCF