ATTORNEY GENERAL HOLDER ANNOUNCES RECOVERY ACT GRANT TO SAVE OR CREATE JUSTICE RELATED PUERTO RICO JOBS

$21.6 Million Recovery Act Grant Addresses Public Safety in the Commonwealth

WASHINGTON – U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder today announced that more than $21 million in Recovery Act funds will go to Puerto Rico to maintain or increase public safety in the commonwealth, 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 territory, 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 communities.

As submitted in their application, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico plans to support the state and local law enforcement jurisdictions' operational effectiveness to control and deter crime; the criminal investigations and processing system operational capacity and effectiveness; alternatives to imprisonment with effective follow-up and identification of juvenile and adult drug users; improvements in and expansion of programs to rehabilitate criminal offenders; the enhancement of state forensic laboratories to conduct improved investigations and analysis of violent crime evidence; reduction of illegal drugs; reduction of domestic violence, sexual offense and abuse of children, the elderly, and to provide witness protection; and the establishment of drug and alcohol addiction treatment programs for adults and juveniles.

"By addressing Puerto Rico's economic challenges while simultaneously meeting the commonwealth'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 the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico 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, territory and local jurisdiction receives an appropriate share of funding.

The JAG Program is the primary provider of federal criminal justice funding to state, territory, tribal 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.

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.

###