FY2010 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant 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 Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement (LCLE) serves as the State Administering Agency for Louisiana and will use Fiscal Year 2010 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) funds in the amount of $5,375,318 to assist units of local government to carry out specific programs that help prevent, fight, and prosecute crime; as well as offer a high probability of improving the functioning of Louisiana's Criminal Justice System. The state conducts annual surveys among law enforcement, prosecution/courts, and crime lab facilities that provide indicators of drug use, trends, prices, arrests, and conviction statistics. The Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement staff and the eight regional law enforcement planning councils will use the following strategies to address the areas of greatest need in an effort to enhance anti-crime and drug control law enforcement services in Louisiana: 1) establish and/or continue programs to impact drug control and violent or non-violent crime and related prosecution problems of the local jurisdictions across the state; 2) address recidivism by strengthening those areas of the criminal justice system where emphasis on prevention of crime and drug abuse intervention, treatment, and rehabilitation has been deficient; and 3) respond to needs for specialized law enforcement, prosecutorial/judicial systems' training and improvement, and enhancement of forensics laboratories. LCLE will retain ten percent of JAG funds for administrative purposes and will use remaining funds to support projects within the allowable JAG purpose areas in the following districts: Northwest ($376,236); North Delta ($264,820); Red River ($323,067); Evangeline ($355,577); Capital ($528,286); Southwest ($344,063); Metropolitan ($537,768); and Orleans (656,633). The Edward Byrne Memorial JAG Award provides resources that will aid state and local units of government enforce drug control laws and improve Louisiana's criminal justice system with an emphasis on violent crime and serious offenders.

NCA/NCF