Funding for law enforcement and drug task force personnel - $18,711,919

ADECA will administer $18,711,919 in Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant funds made available by the U.S. Justice Department as part of the stimulus act.

Approximately $10,315,789 of the allocation will be used to fund personnel to staff local law enforcement agencies and drug task forces across the state. ADECA will send grant application requests to police and sheriff’s departments as soon as funding is approved by the U.S. Justice Department. Grant funds will be for retention of employees or new hires not presently in the 2009 budget. Grant funds must supplement and not supplant existing programs.

$6,524,937 of the allocation will support Department of Corrections programs. The remaining funds will be used for grant administration, monitoring and oversight.

Additional Byrne grant funding of $11,571,836 will be available to public and private agencies in Alabama from the U.S. Justice Department. This funding will be awarded and managed directly by the Justice Department. ADECA has no jurisdiction over these funds. For more information, visit www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/recoveryJAG/recoveryallocations.html.

Violence against women prevention - $2,200,000

Under the stimulus plan, ADECA will receive $2.2 million in additional funding to support programs that address violent crimes against women. The program’s main objectives are to develop and implement effective law enforcement and prosecution strategies to combat violent crimes against women and develop and enhance services provided to victims. Entities eligible for the grant funds are state, local and tribal courts, local and tribal governments and nonprofit victim-services programs.

Crime victims’ assistance - $809,000

Additional funds of $809,000 have been allocated to help crime victims in Alabama through ADECA’s Victims of Crime Assistance Program. The program seeks to give crime victims access to professional assistance, with priority given to victims of child abuse, domestic violence and sexual assault. Public and private nonprofit organizations that provide direct services to crime victims are eligible for grant funds.

As of late June, ADECA has awarded the majority of the grant funds to nonprofit organizations throughout the state that provide assistance to crime victims.