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.

Osceola County will use its Fiscal Year 2009 Recovery Act JAG award to support the following six programs. The first program, implemented by Osceola Mental Health, Inc. dba Park Place Behavioral Health, is for the expansion of the agency's Adult Substance Abuse Program, RES I. The Program will fund one intensive in-patient treatment bed in the RES I Substance Abuse Program, a 28-day inpatient program, as well as one FTE bilingual substance abuse specialist.

Judicial Corrections Services administers the Day Reporting Center Osceola. Through a relationship with the Osceola County Corrections Department, the Day Reporting Center Osceola helps reintegrate individuals back into the community following release from jail. It also provides an alternative to jail for misdemeanants. The center combines the benefits of intensive supervision with re-entry, while ensuring public safety.

The Osceola County Sheriff's Office will implement the Sheriff's Adventure Camp Development Project. The Sheriff's Adventure Camp serves at-risk youth of Osceola County. The program is necessary to prevent incidents of criminal behavior among youth.

The First Baptist Church of Kissimmee administers Transformation Ministries of Osceola County. The program is committed to the goal of providing a loving faith-based environment where women leaving a correctional facility suffering from physical, mental, and substance abuse issues can receive treatment, mentoring, and counseling.

Introduction to Computers ' Vocational Training Program offers inmates vocational training and work readiness skills to increase economic stability and provide an alternative to criminal behavior.

Sewing Seeds for the Future ' Vocational Training Program offers inmates work readiness skills through vocational training to increase economic stability and an alternative to criminal behavior.

NCA/NCF