City of St. Louis Recovery Act JAG 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.

The city of St. Louis will use it Recovery Act JAG award to assist the Circuit Court Attorney's Drug Crime Task Force that provides enhanced drug crime prosecutions, a Family Court for juveniles that provide mental health services, detention alternative, and a one-stop teen service center. The project will support a Circuit Court archival records system to archive required records for compliance with state statutes, and provide for enhanced youth empowerment services by employing two gang abatement officers who will engage at-risk youth to prevent further gang activity and promote healthy behaviors. Grant funds will be used to provide alcohol and drug screening and intense treatment for drug addicted, inner city residents who are identified as first time non-violent felony offenders. In addition, the city will purchase a computer interface system with the ability to exchange data between the jail management system and the court database in order to facilitate the monitoring of jail time and assist in the docketing process. The remaining grant funds will be used to provide enhanced trash violation enforcement, prosecution and public awareness of illegal and/or hazardous waste dumping in the City.

NCA/NCF