Award Information
Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2009, $308,059)
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.
The Harrison County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) will use its award to expand jail operations from a 12-day misdemeanor facility to a full-service jail. HCSO will use its funds to hire and train three corrections officers and a jail administrator. The expansion of jail operations will reduce the number of prisoner transports and allow patrol deputies to carry out more criminal patrols, investigations, and other assigned duties. The financial rewards realized by housing prisoners in county, reducing the number of prisoner transports, and generating revenue by housing other county's prisoners will pay for the retention of the current administrator and other positions.
The grant will also benefit the local judicial system. The courts and prosecutor, working with HCSO to reduce the burden of incarceration, have adopted alternative sentencing options, such as electronic monitoring and community-based control sanctions. The ability to incarcerate a wide range of offenders will broaden the options available to the county prosecutor and judges.
CA/CF