2009 Justice Assistance Grant Program (ARRA)

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 American Samoa Criminal Justice Planning Agency (CJPA) will utilize its Fiscal Year 2009 Recovery Act Justice Assistance Grant award funds to further the goals of continuing public safety and increasing job development and economic growth. The CJPA will hire personnel in the fields of law enforcement, criminal justice, and substance abuse treatment coupled with expenditures for equipment, supplies, and contracted human services. This will stimulate economic activity and income to the territory of American Samoa. All these expenditures will be made in coordination with local and federal law enforcement and human service agencies. In accordance with the ARRA goal of stabilizing state and local government budgets, funding will be used to procure goods and services that will create and preserve jobs and/or promote economic recovery.

NCA/NCF