FY 09 Recovery Act JAG Project

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 disparate jurisdictions consisting of Hinds County and the city of Jackson, Mississippi will share this Recovery Act JAG award in the amount of $1,633,850. JAG funds will be used to support the needs of the local law enforcement agencies in the areas of renovations, training, personnel, equipment, transportation, supplies, and information systems to assist in the prevention and control of crime. The city of Jackson, serving as the fiscal agent, will use their funds ($898,617.50) to manage the grant award, repair the roofs of their crime lab and training academy, purchase new equipment for the crime lab, purchase new police cruisers, replace outdated computers in the police department's communications division, and purchase other essential equipment to improve law enforcement efforts throughout the city. The city's share of the funds includes 10 percent of the joint allocation, which will be used for administrative purposes. Hines County will use its funding ($735,232.50) to hire attorneys and special prosecutors, to upgrade the technology of the Sheriff's Department, and to purchase new police cruisers.

NCA/NCF