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 Governor of the State of Florida has designated the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) as the State Administering Agency for the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program (JAG). The Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 Recovery Act JAG funds will be an important part of Florida's overall strategy to address the impact of current economic conditions on the state's criminal justice system.

The FDLE will focus the FY 2009 Recovery Act JAG award on programs within the approved JAG purpose areas. Law enforcement programs will focus on providing support for basic law enforcement functions. The purposes of these programs include eradicating marijuana, dismantling clandestine laboratories, disrupting illicit commerce, targeting white collar, computer, and organized crimes, and apprehending fugitives. Prosecution and court programs will enhance prosecution of violent and organized crimes. Projects may support or enhance specialty courts such as drug courts, teen courts, mental health courts, civil drug courts, community courts, and family/dependency courts.

Prevention and education programs will include anti-drug and anti-gang education programs such as D.A.R.E. and G.R.E.A.T. JAG funds will support school resource officers, community crime prevention, and community policing. Corrections and community corrections programs will support programs designed to provide additional public correctional resources and improve the correction system. Programs may include institutional and community treatment projects. Drug treatment programs will identify and meet the treatment needs of adult and juvenile drug-dependent and alcohol-dependent offenders.

Planning, evaluation, and technology improvement programs will include a wide range of projects to support all components of the criminal justice system. Projects may include crime analysis, DNA analysis, planning and evaluation at the local level, and criminal justice information systems and records improvement. Finally, crime victim and witness programs will provide assistance to victims and witnesses. Projects may support victim advocacy programs and focus on children involved in the criminal justice system.

NCA/NCF