Upshur County Safe Schools 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.

Upshur County will use its Fiscal Year 2009 Recovery Act JAG award in the amount of $35,140 for their Safe Schools Project. The Project will provide delinquency prevention programs for seven public school districts and two private schools on thirty campuses for approximately seven thousand students from Pre-Kindergarten through high school. The county will use the funding to contract ten off-duty law enforcement personnel to work on the project. The safe schools off-duty officers will provide presentations in classrooms and mentor students, parents, and school staff in county schools. The county will also purchase a laptop computer, printer, projector, and software. The county will utilize the remaining funds for supplies such as copier paper and ink for the printer. All areas of the criminal justice system in the county, including the District Court, law enforcement, juvenile justice system, and Justice of Peace Courts will participate in this effort to prevent delinquency and provide positive choices and direction for students.

NCA/NCF