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Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program

BJA Commemorates Officer Edward R. Byrne

 

As we mark the 30th anniversary of the line-of-duty death of Officer Edward R. Byrne, the Bureau of Justice Assistance wants all justice professionals to know the story and sacrifice of Officer Byrne, for whom a federal grant program is named. BJA pays tribute to Officer Byrne and all of our nation’s law enforcement. Learn about Officer Byrne.

 

JAG Funding Supports Jacksonville Reentry Program

Alex May (right) stands with Matthew Duncan for a photo after each earned their GED with the help of the DAWN Program.  Photo courtesy Shelletta Baker
Alex May (right) stands with Matthew Duncan for a photo after each earned their GED with the help of the DAWN Program. Photo courtesy Shelletta Baker.

At 19, Alex May knew she was hanging out with the wrong people.

Looking back, she admits that she didn't do enough to change the bad habits she held—the habits that eventually landed her in the Duval County correctional system.

Beginning in March 2014, May was in-and-out of the county jail over the next 20 months. The Jacksonville, Florida, native faced drug-related and other charges...

Supporting Victims of Sex Trafficking in Portland

New Options for Women connects women with needed services to escape 'the game.'

From left to right: New Options for Women (NOW) Staff Members Robin Miller, Kendra Harding, and Kelly Clark. Photo Courtesy Kendra Harding.
From left to right: New Options for Women (NOW) Staff Members Robin Miller, Kendra Harding, and Kelly Clark. Photo Courtesy Kendra Harding.

For Robin Miller, the job as case manager at the New Options for Women (NOW) Program in Portland, Oregon, is a rewarding one as she helps women escape the commercial sex trade industry.

But there's also a fair share of heartbreak and tears involved.

After all, Miller herself is a survivor of...

BJA-funded Forensic Video Analysis System Supports Evidence Collection in Charleston, SC

New technology assisted the City of Charleston Police Department in identifying suspect in Mother Emanuel AME Church shooting

Charleston Police
Charleston Police

Following the tragic shooting of nine African-American churchgoers attending a bible study at Mother Emanuel AME Church in June 2015, law enforcement in Charleston, South Carolina acted quickly to identify Dylann Roof as their suspect.

Using surveillance footage from the church, law enforcement pulled photos of Roof...