Byrne-jag program

Byrne JAG funds may be used for state and local initiatives, technical assistance, strategic planning, research and evaluation, data collection, training, personnel, equipment, forensic laboratories, supplies, contractual support, and criminal justice information systems that will improve or enhance the following program areas:.

Prosecution and court programs, including indigent defense;. Crime victim and witness programs other than compensation. Because Byrne JAG is flexible, states and local communities are able to use the funding to address needs and fill gaps across the entire criminal justice system. This is a hallmark of the Byrne JAG program and one that is vitally important. See reports on the impact of Byrne JAG on the criminal justice system.

The DOJ guidance imposed three new immigration-related conditions on the funds: that grant applicants will 1 comply with federal law governing information-sharing 8 U. Several states and localities have challenged these new conditions in federal court arguing that the executive branch exceeded its authority by adding new conditions to Byrne-JAG without congressional assent, while raising several logistical concerns making it difficult for jurisdictions to satisfy the conditions.

To date, there is a split among the federal courts as to whether the new conditions are unlawful, with most federal courts — including the U. Courts of Appeals for the Third, Seventh , and Ninth Circuits — ruling that the new conditions are improper. The U. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit has held that the Trump administration had the authority to impose the new conditions.

New York City Police Officer Edward Byrne was assassinated in while on protection duty outside the home of an immigrant witness who was cooperating with authorities in a drug trafficking investigation. When the U. Department of Justice DOJ established a grant program which provided funding for criminal justice efforts, it was named the Edward Byrne Memorial Grant Program in his honor.

That program was later merged into Byrne-JAG. Path to Public Safety. Share questions. Get more information. Get involved. Who is eligible? All 50 states; S. How are funds allocated? What can Byrne-JAG funds be used for?