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 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 Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet (KYJPSC) will utilize its Fiscal Year 2009 Recovery Act JAG award to assist state and local units of government and nonprofit agencies to create and augment projects that will concentrate on substance abuse. It is also the goal of the KYJPSC to preserve and create jobs and promote economic recovery that will stabilize state and local government budgets in order to minimize reductions in essential services. The KYJPSC strategy includes placing funding priority on programs that tackle substance abuse through prevention, intervention, and enforcement. These priorities are closely aligned with the National Drug Control Strategy, as well as those of the Kentucy Office of Drug Control Policy. In addition, KYJPSC will give funding priority to programs which demonstrate the strongest likelihood of achieving job creation/preservation as well as programs which can be started and completed expeditiously. The KYJPSC will also utilize these funds for overtime for public safety officers, enhanced surveillance and enforcement activities, training opportunities, upgrade of forensic and communications equipment, purchase of computer and software technology, prevention programs, drug court and reentry initiatives, etc. These funds will support long-term investments in public safety which address substance abuse, criminal justice systems' operational effectiveness, and enhance other law enforcement initiatives to protect Kentucky citizens.

NCA/NCF