FY 2009 Recovery Act Justice Assistance Grant 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.

The California Emergency Management Agency (CalEMA) will use its Recovery Act JAG award to support local level multi-jurisdictional, multi-disciplinary task force programs designed to: reduce the amount of illegal drugs on California streets; remove children from illicit drug environments; eradicate marijuana gardens on public and private lands; reduce the number of weapons being transported across California borders for illegal activities; and dismantle the trafficking organizations that commit these crimes.

CalEMA plans to utilize a portion of the Recovery Act JAG funds to address the current needs and emerging drug and crime trends being faced by California law enforcement. These funds will allow California law enforcement to concentrate on the widespread apprehension, prosecution, adjudication, detention, and rehabilitation of offenders who violate state and local laws by enabling law enforcement agencies to create and/or retain between 275 and 300 positions over the next four years.

CalEMA will also fund, track, and report other activities such as the number of law enforcement positions created/retained, the number of state and/or local initiatives funded, the types and amounts of illegal drugs seized, the number of children removed from illicit drug environments, the amount and type of equipment purchased, and the number of training hours received by law enforcement personnel.

NCA/NCF