Award Information
Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2009, $501,019)
The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) solicits applications for initiatives which assist law enforcement in rural states and rural areas. The program helps rural states and rural areas to prevent and combat crime, especially drug-related crime, and provides for national support efforts, including training and technical assistance programs strategically targeted to address rural needs.
The Assistance to Rural Law Enforcement to Combat Crime and Drugs Program, administered by BJA, helps rural states and rural areas prevent and combat crime, especially drug-related crime, and provides for national support efforts, including training and technical assistance programs strategically targeted to address rural needs. In addition, priority consideration will be given to local law enforcement agencies in rural areas where the unit of local government is not eligible to receive a direct allocation from the Recovery Act Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program or received a direct allocation that was $50,000 or less. Applicants were invited to submit a proposal under any one of the following categories to: (1) combat rural crime; (2) improve rural law enforcement investigations; (3) enhance rural detention and jail operations; (4) facilitate rural justice information sharing; or (5) develop a national training and technical assistance program.
Under Category 3, the Lincoln and Sagadahoc Multi-County Jail Authority will use its award to support jail operations. Funds will help reduce the number of pre-trial inmates in the jail, reduce the risk of recidivism, and improve the function of the criminal justice system by reducing redundancies and streamlining functions, providing a better cost-benefit ratio for taxpayers and ultimately, more effectively combating crime and drug use in the rural towns. This will be accomplished by increasing the number of pre-release defendants who are safely released to the community with case management and supervision services. Creating, implementating, and evaluating a risk assessment tool will provide accurate pre-trial investigations for post-arraignment release. The Jail Authority will contract with the Muskie School for Public Service to create and validate the tool.
CA/CF