The Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) was enacted in 2005. JAG allows states and local governments to support a broad range of activities to prevent and control crime and to improve the criminal justice system. The JAG fund distribution formula is based on population and reported violent crimes. While the majority of the funds are allocated to municipalities, counties may utilize grant funds if the county provides more than 40% of the costs of pre-trial detention and/or prosecution of violent offenders. JAG disparities are certified by the Director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), based in part by input from the state’s Attorney General. Hennepin County is a certified disparate agency and as such received a portion of the grant allocation.

The JAG program requires all eligible entities within each county to submit a joint application. Four municipalities in Hennepin County have been awarded 2021 JAG funds. Amounts shown are minus the 5% administrative fee award awarded to the county as the fiscal agent/administrator: Bloomington ($20,360.40), Brooklyn Center ($14,027.70), Brooklyn Park ($35,351.40), Minneapolis $274,447.36), Richfield ($9,899.95) Minneapolis was allocated $506,828.00, and after the disparate agency applied, will be awarded $274,447.36. For the City of Minneapolis, through the disparate justification provision of the federal law Hennepin County will receive negotiated $207,039.24, which includes $25,341.40 in administrative funding.  

From all four cities through the disparate justification provision of federal law Hennepin County will receive a total of $236,572.19, this includes $4,191.55 combined from the cities of Bloomington, Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park, and Richfield for administrative funding. As required, Hennepin County will submit joint applications and will manage the grant on behalf of recipient jurisdictions. There is no match requirement for this award.

Hennepin’s share of the funds will be used in Community Corrections and Rehabilitation ($103,519.62) for Juvenile Probation, Adult Probation, and Adult Specialized Supervision Services as well as micro-contracts with vendors to provide case management services to justice-involved individuals and help to provide pathways to exit the cycle of violence. The County Attorney’s Office fund ($103,519.62) will be used to support the work of a Detective to improve evidentiary information gathering and successful prosecution of alleged felony complaints. The administrative fund will be used in County Administration ($29,532.95) to provide supplemental funding for the Hennepin Justice Integration Program (HJIP). Supplemental Appropriations are not needed at this time as expenditures will be included as a part of the 2022 and 2023 budget submissions.