Attorney General Holder Announces Recovery Act Grant to Save or Create Justice Related...

Attorney General Holder Announces Recovery Act Grant to Save or Create Justice
Related Mississippi Jobs

$11 Million Recovery Act Grant Addresses Public Safety in the State

WASHINGTON, April 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- U.S. Attorney General Eric
Holder today announced that more than $11 million in Recovery Act funds will
go to the State of Mississippi to maintain or increase public safety in the
state, while creating or retaining jobs within the law enforcement community.
These Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program funds are
part of more than $4 billion in Justice Department Recovery Act funds
available to assist state, local and tribal law enforcement and for other
criminal justice activities that help to prevent crime and improve the
criminal justice system in the United States while supporting the creation of
jobs and much needed resources for states and local communities.

As submitted in their application, the Mississippi Division of Public Safety
plans to use the funds to support multi-jurisdictional drug task force
programs and initiatives, community crime prevention and treatment programs;
drug court operations; juvenile justice programs; cold case initiatives; law
enforcement training programs; crime labs; and victims of domestic violence,
sexual assault and child abuse. Mississippi is required to provide a portion
of the $11 million to the local jurisdictions.

"By addressing Mississippi's economic challenges while simultaneously meeting
the state's public safety priorities, these funds represent the best of what
the Recovery Act can do for our communities," Attorney General Eric Holder
said. "This vital funding will help fight crime and build safer communities,
and we look forward to continued work with Mississippi to address these
criminal justice goals."

The procedure for allocating JAG grants is based on a formula of population
and violent crime statistics, in combination with a minimum allocation to
ensure that each state and territory receives an appropriate share of funding.
Sixty percent of the allocation is awarded directly to a state and 40 percent
is set aside for units of local government. States are required to sub-grant a
portion of the funds to local units of government, such as a city, county,
township or town. Faith-based and other community organizations are also
eligible to receive pass-through funding from the state, as are Tribal
governments.

Local Recovery Act JAG awards will be announced at a later date. The deadline
for local units of government to submit their Recovery Act applications to the
Department of Justice is May 18, 2009.

The JAG Program is the primary provider of federal criminal justice funding to
state and local jurisdictions and is managed by the Department's Office of
Justice Programs' Bureau of Justice Assistance. 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. 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. For more details on the
JAG Program or to track the use of Recovery Act funds, visit
www.ojp.gov/recovery. For more details on how to apply for the state managed,
pass-through funding, visit http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/saa/index.htm.

The Office of Justice Programs, headed by Acting Assistant Attorney General
Laurie O. Robinson, provides federal leadership in developing the nation's
capacity to prevent and control crime, administer justice, and assist victims.
OJP has five component bureaus: the Bureau of Justice Assistance; the Bureau
of Justice Statistics; the National Institute of Justice; the Office of
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; and the Office for Victims of
Crime. Additionally, OJP has two program offices: the Community Capacity
Development Office, which incorporates the Weed and Seed strategy, and the
Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and
Tracking (SMART). More information can be found at www.ojp.gov.

SOURCE Office of Justice Programs - US Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs - US Department of Justice, +1-202-514-2007, TDD:
+1-202-514-1888