WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, U.S. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) and 47 of his Senate colleagues sent a bipartisan letter calling for full funding for the Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (Byrne JAG) program. The program is the leading source of criminal justice funding for state, local, and tribal governments and provides support for a range of programs related to crime prevention, law enforcement, prosecution, corrections, and mental and behavioral health. Some of the newest programs funded by Byrne JAG are aimed at increasing officer safety and wellness and teaching de-escalation tactics and the duty to intervene.
“One of the highest responsibilities of government is to protect its citizens and ensure public safety,” wrote the Senators. “As such, Byrne JAG’s strength in flexibility is paramount to fighting crime. States and local communities use Byrne JAG funds to focus on the most pressing issues facing them. . . . Byrne JAG-funded programs facilitate cross-governmental intelligence and information sharing on terror and criminal threats, drug and human trafficking organizations, and sexual predators. This collaboration is essential to address today’s criminal networks that cross city, state, and even international boundaries.”
“Furthermore, crime control and prevention can be truly successful only when the criminal justice system is in balance, with all of the parts functioning effectively,” the Senators continued. “Byrne JAG’s flexibility allows state and local governments to target their most pressing needs in law enforcement, prevention, pretrial services and treatment, courts, corrections, crime victims’ services, prosecution and defense, and post-incarceration reentry services.”
Full text of the letter is available here.
“One of the highest responsibilities of government is to protect its citizens and ensure public safety,” wrote the Senators. “As such, Byrne JAG’s strength in flexibility is paramount to fighting crime. States and local communities use Byrne JAG funds to focus on the most pressing issues facing them. . . . Byrne JAG-funded programs facilitate cross-governmental intelligence and information sharing on terror and criminal threats, drug and human trafficking organizations, and sexual predators. This collaboration is essential to address today’s criminal networks that cross city, state, and even international boundaries.”
“Furthermore, crime control and prevention can be truly successful only when the criminal justice system is in balance, with all of the parts functioning effectively,” the Senators continued. “Byrne JAG’s flexibility allows state and local governments to target their most pressing needs in law enforcement, prevention, pretrial services and treatment, courts, corrections, crime victims’ services, prosecution and defense, and post-incarceration reentry services.”
Full text of the letter is available here.
###
