JAG funding is authorized through the Federal Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and is made available to the states to fund innovative programs to address drug and violent crime issues. Funding is utilized to support a number of state, county, and local law enforcement related programs that are designed to improve New Jersey’s criminal justice system.

The Department of Law and Public Safety develops a statewide criminal justice strategy for the use of the funds awarded under JAG. Funding priorities are determined by Strategic Plan with input received from a wide variety of law enforcement agencies.

BJA also provides funds directly to local law enforcement agencies under JAG.

The Cops-in-Shops Summer & College Initiative program was initiated by the Attorney General in February 1996. The program is a cooperative effort between the Division of Highway Traffic Safety (HTS) and the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC), with funds supplied by HTS. This program allows undercover law enforcement officers to join forces with local retail establishments to deter the sale of alcohol to underage individuals and to stop adults from attempting to purchase alcohol for people under the legal age. This grant is a noncompetitive grant and the applicant must meet certain criteria.

Title II Formula Funds provide support to state and local delinquency prevention and intervention efforts and fund juvenile justice system improvements. Title II requires compliance with the four core requirements of the JJDP Act in order to receive full funding without penalty. The requirements are: 1) deinstitutionalization of status offenders; 2) removal of juveniles from adult jails and lockups; 3) sight and sound separation of juvenile and adult offenders; and 4) addressing disproportionate minority contact with the juvenile justice system.  New Jersey is in compliance with all of these requirements.  Funds are distributed to community-based organizations or units of local government through Notices of Availability of Funds (NOAFs).

The main purpose of NCHIP is to demonstrate the Department of Justice's continuing commitment to building an accurate and useful National system of criminal records. Projects funded by NCHIP are determined by the CJIS Advisory Committee which is comprised of representatives from the Department of Law & Public Safety, with members from the Office of the Attorney General, the Divisions of State Police and Criminal Justice and the Juvenile Justice Commission. It also includes representatives from the Governor’s Office, Administrative Office of the Courts, Department of Corrections, Office of Information Technology, Office of Management and Budget, Victims of Crime Compensation Board, New Jersey County Jail Warden’s Association, State Parole Board, as well as the State Chiefs of Police Association.  The CJIS Committee provides a coordinated approach to criminal justice information sharing, monitors work as it proceeds on individual projects, and meets monthly to ensure that the duplication of effort does not occur. Participants with different primary interests regularly discuss integration problems and propose Statewide solutions.  With funding provided through NCHIP awards, the State of New Jersey has been able to create one of the nation's most advanced criminal justice information sharing systems.

In FY 1996, Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, initiated the Residential Substance Abuse Treatment for State Prisoners Program. The monies are used to fund residential substance abuse treatment programs within state and local correctional facilities in which prisoners are incarcerated for a period of time sufficient to permit six to twelve months of treatment.

Funds under this program have been awarded to the Department of Corrections and the Juvenile Justice Commission to operate adult and juvenile treatment programs. Funding is also allocated for local correctional facilities that meet the criteria defined by the U.S. Department of Justice.

The purpose of this Program is to save the lives of law enforcement officers by helping States, units of local government and tribal governments equip their officers with bulletproof vests.

Funding is provided by the Department of Justice directly to local agencies. The Program Development and Grants Unit oversees the funding provided by the Bureau of Justice Assistance for State level agencies that submit an application. Federal funds may be used to pay up to 50 percent of the costs of the purchased bulletproof vests.

On behalf of the Governor, the Division of Highway Traffic Safety (DHTS) is responsible for developing and implementing the New Jersey Highway Safety Program which consists of a comprehensive plan to reduce traffic crashes and deaths and injuries, and property damage resulting therefrom. The Plan is reviewed by the Attorney General and when approved, is submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). When approval is received from NHTSA, the DHTS is responsible for administering the federal highway traffic safety funds and processing and administering grants of these moneys to State agencies, political subdivisions, and eligible non-profit entities. Funds received initiate projects in the following areas: alcohol and other drug countermeasures, police traffic services/speed control, occupant protection, pedestrian safety, motorcycle safety, youth traffic safety programs, community traffic safety programs, school bus safety, traffic records, and roadway safety.

Section 405 funds can be used for the implementation of specific traffic safety-related projects in the following areas: 405b Occupant Protection, 405c Traffic Records, 405d Alcohol and Impaired Driving, 405e Distracted Driving, 405f Motorcycles, and 405h Non-Motorized Safety (pedestrians and bicyclists). Funds are awarded on an annual basis to State agencies, political subdivisions, and eligible non-profit entities. Grant funding through this program is designed to further the achievement of objectives set forth in the annual Highway Safety Plan.

The STOP Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Grant Program provides the Department of Law and Public Safety a formula grant allocation under the Violence Against Women Act, authorized for funding in the 1994 Crime Bill. Federal rules allow 10% of the total VAWA award to be used to administer the grant program. The balance of the funding must be allocated as follows: 25% to law enforcement, 25% to prosecution, 30% to victims’ services, 15% discretionary and 5% to courts. Pursuant to federal regulations, the Department formed a statewide VAWA Advisory Committee to aid in the development of an Implementation Plan, approved by the Office of Violence Against Women, to ensure continuation of services, opportunities for program expansions and introduction of new programs.

Funding received under the EMPG program is utilized by the Division of State Police for the salary, fringe benefits, equipment, supplies, and indirect costs associated with Enlisted and Civilian staff positions of the Office of Emergency Management (OEM). Funding also supports OEM staff attendance at a variety of federally-sponsored conferences and training courses as well as instructional fees. EMPG funding is also subgranted to the 21 county OEM offices and the municipal OEM offices. Pass-through funding provided to county and municipal OEM offices is used to maintain effective local emergency management preparedness and response programs. Funding supports the development, maintenance, and communication of plans, procedures, and supporting documents.

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The Office of Victims of Crime (OVC) provides the Department of Law and Public Safety formula allocation under the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Victim Assistance Grant Program. The Department awards these funds to subgrantees who provide direct services to crime victims. VOCA guidelines allow for up to 5% of each year’s grant to be used to administer the Program.  VOCA enumerates the types of direct services eligible for funding under this grant program. A minimum allocation of 10% must be awarded to subgrantees providing direct services to crime victims in each of the four categories: sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, and underserved populations as victims with disabilities, language barriers, living in isolated locations and homicide survivors (as determined by the state grantee). VOCA funds are awarded to each of the 21 County Prosecutors’ Offices of Victim-Witness Advocacy, SART/FNE programs and DCJ programs (NJ VINE, Bias Crimes, Victim Services). The Department also provides direct funding to non-profit agencies to support delivery of services to crime victims through a competitive Notice of Availability of Funds (NOAF).