The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) was signed into law by President Obama on February 17, 2009. It is an unprecedented effort to jumpstart our economy, create or save millions of jobs, and put a down payment on addressing long-neglected challenges so our country can thrive in the 21st century. The Act is an extraordinary response to a crisis unlike any since the Great Depression, and includes measures to modernize our nation's infrastructure, enhance energy independence, expand educational opportunities, preserve and improve affordable health care, provide tax relief, and protect those in greatest need.

The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program, administered by Office of Justice Program's Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), allows states and local governments to support a broad range of activities to prevent and control crime and improve the criminal justice system.

The procedure for allocating Justice Assistance Grants grants is based on a formula of population and violent crime statistics, in combination with a minimum allocation to ensure that each state and territory receives an appropriate share of funding.   BJA determines the total allocation a particular state will receive in JAG funds.  Forty percent (40%) of this allocation is awarded directly to local units of government within that state.  The other sixty percent (60%) is awarded to the State Administering Agency (Department of Public Safety, or DPS).  Units receiving a direct award are then ineligible to apply for funding through DPS.