APRI Highlights - Spring 2002

Hot Topics

Debra Whitcomb

Director, Grant Programs and Development

As community leaders, prosecutors are acutely aware of local challenges related to public safety and quality of life. More likely than not, you’ve generated a “wish list” of innovative programs and interventions that might make a difference.

As chief law enforcement officials, prosecutors are acutely aware of changing patterns in criminal activity and emerging issues in criminal justice. More likely than not, you know that your staff and allied professionals would benefit from APRI’s training or technical assistance in a number of critical areas.

Unfortunately, price tags are attached to programs, training and technical assistance. The president’s budget request for Fiscal Year 2003 indicates a strong preference for distributing funds through “block” and “formula” grants to the states. Perhaps more than ever, prosecutors will need to tap into these sources to support local efforts to improve the response to crime.

The largest source of formula grants for criminal justice purposes is the Edward Byrne Memorial State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance Program, administered through the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) within the Department of Justice. Each state, territory and the District of Columbia is eligible for a prescribed amount determined by population, totaling about $500 million in FY 2002. Byrne funds can be used for any of 28 legislatively authorized purposes, of which several explicitly include prosecutors.

Units of local government are also eligible for Local Law Enforcement Block Grants (LLEBG) to underwrite projects to reduce crime and improve public safety. In FY 2001, Congress appropriated $523 million for this program, which is also administered by BJA. Award amounts are determined by the number of UCR Part I violent crimes reported to the FBI.

Opportunities for funding under the Byrne and LLEBG programs may soon be changing, however. The president’s budget request for FY 2003 consolidates them into a new Justice Assistance Grant Program, funded at $800 million. APRI will keep you posted on the progress of the FY 2003 budget.

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) administers a similar formula grant program based on each state’s juvenile population. Eligible states, territories and the District of Columbia may use these grants to support a variety of programs within 15 approved program areas. In FY 2002, OJJDP allocated more than $76 million in formula grants.

OJJDP also administers the Juvenile Accountability Incentive Block Grants program (JAIBG). Like the formula grants, these funds are allocated to states based on the population of youth under age 18. There are 12 authorized purpose areas, of which several pertain directly to prosecutors. More than $215 million was allocated to the states under the JAIBG program in FY 2002.

Because the process for distributing formula and block grant funds varies from state to state, prosecutors are advised to contact the office or entity that has been appointed by the governor to fulfill this function. To identify your state contact, call BJA at (202) 616-6500 or OJJDP at (202) 307-5924.

Fact Sheets describing the formula and block grants available under the Byrne and LLEBG Programs, OJJDP’s Formula Grant Program, and the JAIBG Program can be found on-line at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA and www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org.