Arizona Drug, Gang, and Violent Crime Control Program

The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program (JAG) allows states and units of local government, including tribes, to support a broad range of activities to prevent and control crime based on their own state and local needs and conditions. Grant funds can be used for state and local initiatives, technical assistance, training, personnel, equipment, supplies, contractual support, and information systems for criminal justice, including for any one or more of the following purpose areas: 1) law enforcement programs; 2) prosecution and court programs; 3) prevention and education programs; 4) corrections and community corrections programs; 5) drug treatment and enforcement programs; 6) planning, evaluation, and technology improvement programs; and 7) crime victim and witness programs (other than compensation).

The Arizona Criminal Justice Commission (ACJC) will use the 2010 JAG funds to support five priorities established from public comment, stakeholder input, and identified gaps in state resources. The established priorities are as follows:

Priority #1 supports multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional drug, gang, and violent crime task forces, their tandem prosecution projects and statewide civil forfeiture efforts. This collaboration results in the streamlined process of interdiction and apprehension of drug, gang, and violent crime offenders, followed by prosecution's efforts in conviction and asset forfeitures of offenders.

Priority #2 supports improvements to criminal justice information sharing projects. This includes vertical information sharing (from the locals to the state) and lateral information sharing (among agencies within the same jurisdiction or region). The projects are funded to improve the accuracy and completeness of criminal history record information and to allow agencies to share criminal justice information to assist with ongoing investigations. This component is critical to identifying and prosecuting criminal offenders that cross jurisdictions.

Priority #3 supports drug adjudication and criminal justice system support services. It provides support for additional services, including drug forensic laboratory services, which provide analysis and presentation of evidence for court proceedings; enhancement of corrections and community correction services for inmate processing and security; support to the superior court and probation departments to keep up with the additional cases that result from the drug task force investigations; and model residential drug treatment programs in correctional facilities.

Priority #4 supports proven prevention and education programs that focus on substance abuse problems. Preventing crime is preferable to adjudication of a criminal offender in terms of both human and financial costs.

Priority #5 supports other projects eligible for funding under the JAG program. These projects will improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the criminal justice system and will include the following: state and local initiatives, technical assistance, training, personnel, equipment, supplies, contractual support, and information systems for criminal justice, as well as criminal justice-related research and evaluation activities.

NCA/NCF