FY 2009 Recovery Act: Edward Byrne Memorial 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 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 Alaska Department of Public Safety will utilize their Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 Recovery Act Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) funds to add hire five State Troopers, one administrative assistant, and one prosecuting attorney to the Alaska State Troopers. These seven new positions are being added to make the following desired changes in the Alaska crime statistics: 1) Net increase in number of investigations of internet crimes against children; 2) Net increase in the number of investigations of sexual abuse cases; 3) Net increase in closure by arrest dispositions of sexual assault cases; 4) Net increase in the number of successful prosecutions of cyber crimes. Benefits will include increases in the numbers of successfully prosecuted internet crimes, as well as in the numbers of successfully prosecuted sexual abuse and sexual assault crimes. Coordination efforts include sub-granting JAG funds to local agencies for new law enforcement positions to fight internet crimes, sexual abuse crimes, and sexual assault crimes.

NCA/NCF