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 Nevada Department of Pubic Safety (NDPS) will utilize its Fiscal Year 2009 Recovery Act Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) award in the amount of $13,801,023 to support the following priorities: 1) target drug trades to take drugs off the street, disrupt major drug trafficking organizations, seize the assets of traffickers, discover and dismantle methamphetamine laboratories and marijuana grows, identify gang members, and the violent crime associated with the drug trade; 2) provide drug testing programs, community action programs, drug and gang prevention and education programs, information sharing and coordination among agencies to facilitate intervention activities; and 3) provide activities that will encompass alternative sentencing programs, programs to identify and direct individuals into drug treatment, aftercare programs, and mandatory drug testing. Special emphasis will focus on programs that create a relationship between law enforcement, courts, faith-based communities, and health care providers.

The NDPS also proposes to fund several new programs that were not funded in 2008. The new programs include: a K-9 program for rural Nevada that will be coordinated through the Nevada Highway Patrol and Highway Drug Interdiction as well as the local police departments and sheriff's offices; drug treatment and counseling for those on parole and probation identified as high risk of re-offending due to drug addictions; Nevada Partners Against Risk's standard training and policies for all law enforcement; GangNet Intelligence for Nevada's law enforcement officers; and a Statewide Records Management System. Through the Recovery Act JAG funded programs, the NDPS anticipates the retention and hiring of gang and task force personnel; an increase in drug and gang cases and arrests from task forces; consistent and effective law enforcement training; enhanced detentions and courts; an increase in drug treatment counseling; and intelligence led policing through technology.

NCA/NCF