The Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program provides reimbursement-based funding to assist state and units of local government in developing and implementing programs, activities and technologies to prevent and control crime and improve the criminal justice system resulting in a lasting impact for the state of Indiana.
As designated by the federal granting agency, JAG funds may be used for state and local initiatives, technical assistance, training, personnel, equipment, supplies, contractual support, information systems for criminal justice, and criminal justice related research and evaluation activities that will improve or enhance:
- Law enforcement programs
- Prosecution, and court programs
- Prevention and education programs
- Corrections and community corrections programs
- Drug treatment and enforcement programs
- Planning, evaluation, and technology improvement programs
- Mental Health programs related to law enforcement and corrections
Funded programs or initiatives may include multijurisdictional drug and gang task forces, crime prevention and domestic violence programs, courts, corrections, treatment, justice information sharing initiatives, or other programs aimed at reducing crime and/or enhancing public/officer safety.
In FY2024, priority funding consideration will be given to activities that highlight one of the following areas:
- Law Enforcement Accreditation, Policy Development, and Training - includes law enforcement accreditation and developing and maintaining policies and law enforcement training focused on addressing those areas most likely to promote trust, transparency, and accountability, including use of force, racial profiling, implicit bias, procedural justice, and duty to intervene.
- Technologies to Support Transparency and Information Sharing between Law Enforcement and Communities - includes software and hardware solutions designed to enhance agency transparency with the capability of facilitating information sharing with the public, promoting an agency's work, and developing data-driven programs that improve public safety and build trust. Examples could include, but are not limited to, the sharing of information about crime statistics, locations of criminal activity, aggregated information regarding internal affairs complaints, resolutions of cases and issues in the community, support for community surveys, and outreach to residents to gather feedback.
- Priority to Evidence-Based and/or Best Practices - ICJI understands the importance of the collection and analysis of sound, relevant criminal justice data. Qualitative and quantitative data should be used in conjunction with program evaluations to measure program effectiveness and determine whether outcome goals have been achieved. Priority is given to programs that formulate their processes, activities, effectiveness, and outcomes, in conjunction with evidence-based practice standards, as indicated on resources such as the National Institute of Justice's website, CrimeSolutions.gov It is important to move toward evidence-based programs and focus funding on programs that work and produce results. New and innovative programs should be designed using evidence-based practices, when applicable. Adjustments or deviations from the evidence-based practice, as it is customized to the Indiana program, should be identified during the planning stages.
- Innovative Forensic Technologies such as Rapid DNA for Booking Stations - includes the implementation of Rapid DNA technology in booking stations within the State of Indiana. Rapid DNA, or Rapid DNA analysis, is a term used to describe the fully automated (hands free) process of developing a DNA profile from a reference sample mouth swab in 1-2 hours without the need of a DNA laboratory and without any human intervention. The overall goal of the Rapid DNA initiative is to immediately enroll qualifying arrestees in CODIS and search unsolved crimes of special concern in near real time during the booking process. Please contact ICJI for more information related to the prerequisites for agencies to participate in Rapid DNA.
$3,326,740 was awarded to fifty projects in 2022. Recipients can be seen here: https://www.in.gov/cji/drug-and-crime/edward-byrne-memorial-justice-assistance-grant-jag-program/
Ineligible activities and cost items include, but are not limited to, the following: