St. Johns County Prisoner Reentry Project

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.

St. Johns County, through the sheriff's office, will utilize the 2009 Recovery Act JAG funds to establish a Prisoner Reentry Program. The St. Johns County Sheriff's Office established a task force comprised of county officials, community and faith-based organizations, non-profit organizations, workforce agencies, housing officials, correction officials, school board superintendent, local college administrators, court judges, attorneys, private citizens, drug and mental health experts, county jail officials, and the sheriff. The program's primary goal is to reduce recidivism over the next five years. The sheriff's office will use the funds to provide transportation for carrying post-release offenders to appointments, to support a community treatment coordinator position, to provide housing vouchers for qualified post-release offenders, and to fund administrative costs.

NCA/NCF