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.

The county of Wood will use its Fiscal Year 2009 Recovery Act JAG award to purchase a computerized records management system (MobileSynchRMS), mobile radios, laptop computers, one set of night vision goggles, and two rifle night scopes. The county determined that the purchase of equipment will be more advantageous to the sheriff's department than hiring additional personnel. Wood County is facing tough economic times and without the grant to purchase equipment, the sheriff's department will not be able to purchase equipment critical to its operation. The radios provide important communication among agencies and deputies and will allow Wood County deputies to relay necessary information to each other regarding indicators and warnings of possible disasters or emergencies. The current radios are either outdated or incompatible with radios used by other agencies. The MobileSynchRMS provides the ability for a computerized records management system. The system will be able add all case-related data automatically to Master Name index providing all background data on an individual.

NCA/NCF