FY 2009 Northern Mariana Isands Recovery Act:Edward Bryne Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Formula 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 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 main goal of the Northern Mariana Islands' (CNMI) FY 2009 Recovery Act Justice Assistance Grant Program is to provide full support to law enforcement and criminal justice state agencies through the creation of forty-five (45) new Full-Time Employee (FTE) positions. The FTE's requested will directly impact ongoing programs as well as the safety of the Guam community. CNMI will employ available JAG funds to continue to support and implement law enforcement and criminal justice agencies with the highest priority placed on the following purpose areas: 1) Preserve and create jobs and to promote economic recovery and 2) To stabilize the local government budgets in order to minimize and avoid a decline in the delivery of essential services or an increase in local taxes. CNMI is committed to report measurable results in all criminal justice system components, including: multi-jurisdictional drug and gang task forces, crime prevention programs, law enforcement programs, domestic violence programs, courts, corrections, treatment and justice information sharing initiatives.

NCA/NCF