ARRA 2009 State Byrne JAG

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 Michigan Department of State Police intends to assist both state and local government with funding for projects that will provide needed assistance in areas which can offer outcomes most consistent with the goals of the Recovery Act. The general goals include the reduction of crime and an improvement in the administration of the criminal justice system, while creating and/or retaining jobs. Strategies to be used include funding multijurisdictional task forces, prescription and over-the-counter drug abuse community awareness programs, community policing and community prosecution strategies, technology enhancement projects, local correctional resources, and problem solving courts, including drug treatment, domestic violence, family dependency, and mental health.

Each strategy has goals that are specific to the projects, including: the removal of multijurisdictional narcotic offenders and conspiracies in the regional area; the reduction and solving of criminal activity; an increase in community awareness (both regionally and locally) regarding the increase in prescription and over-the-counter drug abuse/addiction among youth and adults; implementation of long-term crime prevention strategies within the target area that reduce crime and increase community involvement and confidence in the criminal justice system; improved operational effectiveness of law enforcement and prosecution through the use of crime analysis, vertical prosecution, community involvement and combined efforts; an increase in safety, productivity, communication, and efficiency for the criminal justice system and the service community; improved local correctional resources to resolve locally identified problems in jails and detention centers with an emphasis on offenders with substance abuse problems; a reduction in substance abuse among juvenile and adult offenders; and offering a systems approach that assists communities in responding to criminal justice issues unique to their jurisdiction.

NCA/NCF