FY 09 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 Commonwealth of Puerto Rico will use its Fiscal Year 2009 Recovery Act JAG funds to preserve and create jobs and promote economic recovery by expanding the following programs areas: Law Enforcement, Prosecution and Courts, Prevention and Education, Corrections, Drug Treatment, and Technology Improvement. JAG Recovery Act funding will focus on the following activities: (1) Improving operational effectiveness of state and local law enforcement jurisdictions to control and deter crime; (2) Improving investigation and prosecution systems by strengthening the operational capacity and effectiveness of the criminal investigations and processing system; (3) Providing alternatives to imprisonment with effective follow-up and identification of juvenile and adult drug users; (4) Reducing the use of controlled substances in penal institutions by improving and expanding existing programs to rehabilitate criminal offenders; (5) Improving the operational effectiveness of forensic laboratories by enhancing the capacity of state forensic laboratories to conduct improved investigations and analysis of evidence related to violent crimes; (6) Reducing the flow of illegal drugs and narcotics by improving the operational effectiveness of law enforcement agencies; (7) Improving the criminal and juvenile justice system, through joint and integrated coordination to reduce the high rates of domestic violence, sexual offense and abuse of children, the elderly, and to provide witness protection; and (8) Establishing drug and alcohol addiction treatment programs for adults and juvenile offenders to provide comprehensive treatment services and reduce the use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.

NCA/NCF