The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) has announced the solicitation for the FY 2023 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program (JAG). As the State Administrative Agency (SAA) of the JAG program, the Bureau has prepared Guam’s FY 2023 JAG Program Narrative. The application submission deadline to the Bureau of Justice Assistance through the JustGrants System is August 30, 2023.
In compliance with the solicitation requirements to ensure the opportunity to comment on the application is made available for review to the governing body of the state, the public and criminal justice stakeholders, enclosed is Guam’s FY 2023 Byrne JAG Program Narrative for review. Click here to download the draft program narrative.
Guam’s plan reflects how the FY 2023 Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant Program will be used to address improving the functioning of Guam’s criminal justice system. Prior year JAG Program Narratives were developed following the priority areas defined in the Guam FY 2019-2022 Multi Year Strategy for Drug Control, Violent Crime and Criminal Justice Systems Improvement. The Bureau, with guidance and input from the National Criminal Justice Association (NVJA), will be engaging stakeholder involvement in the development of a new strategic plan to address improving the effectiveness and efficiency of Guam’s criminal justice systems and to guide Byrne Justice Assistance Grant Program funds in support of critical programs needed to prevent or reduce crime and violence on Guam, information technology to improve Guam’s Criminal Justice Information Systems and treatment and rehabilitation programs to address substance abuse and recidivism. The strategic plan will be developed with input from a broad range of identified stakeholders, will describe evidence-based approaches that will be used for planning, program implementation; and will illustrate how Guam will allocate or prioritize funding.
The new updated strategy, when completed, will pull together limited resources and target them to programs to prevent or reduce crime and violence and which will permit capacity building, which could not have otherwise been implemented.
In the interim of a new updated Strategy for Drug Control, Violent Crime and Criminal Justice Systems Improvement for Guam and following the FY 2023 Byrne JAG State Solicitation requirements, the Bureau will prepare a State Annual Report that will provide a summary update of program implementation efforts as detailed in the statewide strategic plan and will 1) discuss the changing circumstances in the state, if any, since the strategic plan was adopted; 2) describe how the state plans to adjust funding within and among each of the JAG Program areas; 3) provide an ongoing assessment of need; 4) discuss the accomplishment of the goals identified in the strategic plan; and 5) reflect how the plan influenced funding decisions in the previous year.
Further, as called for in the FY 2023 Byrne JAG Program State Solicitation, the Bureau is also in the process of developing the Death in Custody Reporting Act (DCRA) State Implementation Plan. The DCRA Implementation Plan will address the process that Guam utilizes for collecting and reporting DCRA program data with the Guam Police Department, the Guam Department of Corrections, the Guam Department of Youth Affairs and the Marshals Division, Judiciary of Guam.
The FY 2023 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program Narrative will continue to address the funding priorities identified in the 2019-2022 Strategy for Drug Control, Violent Crime and Criminal Justice Systems Improvement until a new updated strategy is in place. The priorities identified were based on the needs of Guam’s criminal justice programs throughout the island. The priority areas identified are Technology Improvement, Treatment and Rehabilitation, Law Enforcement, Prevention and Education, and Corrections and Community Corrections.
Should you have any comments or concerns with Guam’s FY 2023 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program Narrative application, please provide your written comments to the Bureau by no later than 5:00 pm on Thursday, September 21, 2023. If we do not receive any comments by then, the Bureau will assume that you concur with the Guam’s FY 2023 JAG application.
Your continued support of our JAG Program is greatly appreciated. Should you require additional information, please do not hesitate to contact either myself or Ms. Millie Erguiza, Senior Planner, at 472-4201/2/3 or by email at lolalg@bsp.guam.gov or millie.erguiza@bsp.guam.gov.
