BJA is committed to assisting all jurisdictions in meeting the FY 2001 SCAAP application deadline of 5 p.m. e.t. Monday, July 16, 2001. These two helplines will be staffed by program staff and technical support personnel who are trained in the SCAAP program processes. BJA encourages all SCAAP applicants to use the help desk as necessary to ensure they meet the July 16 deadline.

The Bureau of Justice Assistance announces the opening of all critical deadlines for the FY 2001 State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP). Please print out and keep a copy of these dates for your reference.

Critical Deadlines for SCAAP Applicants

Legislative Authority

If the chief executive officer of a state (or, if appropriate, a political subdivision of the state) exercising authority with respect to the incarceration of an undocumented criminal alien submits a written request to the Attorney General, the Attorney General shall enter into a contractual arrangement that provides for compensation to the state or political subdivision of the state, as may be appropriate, with respect to the incarceration of the undocumented criminal alien. For FY 2001, $551 million has been made available for this program. The State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP) is authorized and governed by the provisions of the Omnibus Appropriations Act, Public Law 106-113, Division B, Section 1000(a); Immigration and Nationality Act, 8 U.S.C. 1252, Section 242 as amended; Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, Public Law 103-322, Title II, subtitle C, Section 20301.

Eligible Applicants

States and units of general government that have authority over correctional facilities that incarcerate or detain undocumented criminal aliens for a minimum of 72 consecutive hours are eligible to apply for SCAAP funds. The phrase "states and units of general government" encompasses the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and nearly 3,000 counties and cities with jail facilities. The chief executive officer (CEO) of these jurisdictions must directly apply or delegate authority to another jurisdictional official to apply on behalf of the jurisdiction. User accounts for SCAAP may only be established by government officials within the applying jurisdictions; no nongovernment officials may establish user accounts on behalf of applying jurisdictions. When establishing a user account, for the purpose of SCAAP, sheriffs or chiefs of police are not considered CEOs, but may serve as the contact persons establishing the SCAAP user accounts on behalf of their CEOs. All applications must be filed in the name of the state or unit of general government and must include the name and official title of the jurisdiction's CEO and reliable electronic mail (e-mail) addresses for the jurisdiction's CEO and any designated program contact.

Online Application and Payment Processes

For the second consecutive year, the FY 2001 SCAAP application and payment processes will be managed through an innovative web-based, electronic system that was premiered during the FY 2000 SCAAP funding cycle. Applicants will apply, transmit inmate data, and receive payment via this system.

Establishing a User Account/Application Period

SCAAP applicants that received payments from the FY 2000 funding cycle MUST use the same account (user ID and password) that was used in FY 2000. If you should experience user ID and/or password problems, please call 1-888-549-9901, option #5.

FY 2001 will use a 4-week applicant account registration period and a 6-week application period. The first 4 weeks will allow users to apply for their user accounts. All new user accounts MUST be applied for within this 4-week period to allow sufficient time for the BJA review/approval process. All completed applications MUST be submitted prior to the end of the 6-week application period. There will be no exceptions.

While waiting for BJA approval of their user accounts, applicants can start and complete their applications. Applications may only be submitted after the user account approval has been received. The posting of any final payments requires that all data are received and processed at one time; extending the application period for any applicant would delay the determination of payment amounts for all applicants.

To establish a user account in GMS or to log in to GMS with a current user account, click here.

Required Data Submissions

The reporting period for FY 2001 is July 1, 1999, to June 30, 2000.

Jurisdictions that apply for SCAAP funds must provide information—for the prescribed reporting period—on undocumented criminal alien inmates, the total reporting period salary information for all full- and part-time permanent and contracted correctional officers, and information regarding total inmate population. Applicants must deduct any payments received from other jurisdictions or the Federal Government, including, but not limited to, the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) and the U.S. Marshals Service, to cover costs of housing inmates. Applicants should also include information relating to costs for undocumented criminal aliens that are housed in other locations at a cost to the applicant. Consistent with the FY 2000 SCAAP guidance, ALL inmate data must be submitted in the prescribed SCAAP format, regardless of whether the inmate data are typed into the on-screen data entry forms or uploaded from the applicant's data files.

FY 2001 Data Review

INS, BJA's partner in SCAAP, has primary responsibility for verifying alien inmate data to determine which inmates qualify for inclusion in the formula process. Information about inmates who are being claimed as possible qualifying aliens, including length of stay, must be provided by applicants in a specified format so INS can conduct its verification. The SCAAP web site and the SCAAP Internet application system include specific details about the required data format for uploaded files and also provide a data entry system for direct submission of inmate records.

FY 2001 Funding

Annual SCAAP payment amounts are determined using a sampling of actual inmate, cost, and facility data for a specified sampling or reporting period. Whereas the relationship between data gathered and the payment amounts may not have been clear in prior years, information on the new Internet-based system clarifies that SCAAP is not a traditional reimbursement program. Payment amounts are not partial reimbursements of the actual cost, facility, and inmate data collected. SCAAP uses prior data, from a specified sampling period, to determine applicants' annual relative percentages of available funding. All applicants' relative percentages must be determined at one time. To facilitate this process, BJA developed an electronically managed formula to determine relative percentages and implemented it during the FY 2000 SCAAP funding cycle. After the current year's percentages are determined, the system applies the percentage values to the available funding for that fiscal year to determine actual payment amounts.

Payment calculations are based solely on the information provided by the jurisdiction through the electronic application system as verified by INS. The final inmate and facility factors for all applicants are considered in relation to the available appropriation to determine an applicant's percentage of the total SCAAP allocation for the current fiscal year.

Actual payment amounts from prior fiscal years should not be taken as indicators of payment amounts for FY 2001, as the factors across applicants the number of eligible applicants, and the appropriated amount of funds may vary.

Payments will be made electronically. Jurisdictions may use SCAAP funds for any lawful purpose. There are no post-payment reporting requirements for SCAAP.

Sources for Further Information

For more information about SCAAP:

Call the OJP GMS Hotline 1-888-549-9901, option #4. GMS staff are available Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. e.t.

or

Contact the U.S. Department of Justice Response Center at 1-800-421-6770 or 202-307-1480. DOJ Response Center staff are available Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. e.t.

For more information about BJA programs and funding, contact:

Bureau of Justice Assistance Clearinghouse
P.O. Box 6000
Rockville, MD 20849-6000
1-800-688-4252
Web site: www.ncjrs.gov

Clearinghouse staff are available Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. e.t.