FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? OJP

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2001??????????????????????????????????????????? ????????? ????????????? ??????????? 202/307-0703

 

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT AWARDS MARYLAND OVER $122 MILLION? IN 2001

 

WASHINGTON, DC -- In Fiscal Year 2001, the Department of Justice (DOJ) awarded more than $122 million to the State of Maryland to fight crime, promote public safety, prevent juvenile delinquency, equip and train emergency responders and assist crime victims.? DOJ?s first annual funding report highlights the funds provided to the state through the Department?s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).??????????? Maryland?s funding was part of a total of more than $5 billion that the Justice Department awarded to all 50 states, the District of Columbia and the five territories.?

?The Justice Department is an active partner with state and local governments and non-profit agencies in making communities safe places to live and work,? said Attorney General John Ashcroft.? ?This $122 million demonstrates our solid commitment to Maryland?s significant local efforts.?

More than $93 million awarded to Maryland went to law enforcement, by far the largest funding category.? $18.1 million went to juvenile justice programs, $8.3 million to victims?

programs, $1.6 million to community-based initiatives and $1.3 million to substance abuse programs.? The summary includes both large grants awarded by formula to Maryland and discretionary grants that are most often awarded on a competitive basis to non-profit or community agencies.? Because many of the formula programs use population as a determining factor, heavily populated states received larger awards than less populated states.

? ????????? The law enforcement category includes funding for a range of needs, from hiring police officers to training emergency first responders to purchasing equipment.? Juvenile justice funds include money for improving states? juvenile justice systems, promoting delinquency prevention through programs such as mentoring and funding in areas as diverse as preventing child abuse and reducing gang violence.? The majority of funding for victims? programs goes directly to the states to provide compensation and assistance for crime victims or to combat domestic violence. Substance abuse funds are used for prevention and drug treatment programs, including drug courts, while a large portion of community-based funding is provided through the neighborhood-focused Weed and Seed initiative.

?This report is a useful tool that allows state and local policymakers to see what federal resources are available within their states to promote public safety,? continued Ashcroft.? ?They can then determine additional needs or tap into existing programs.?

Maryland?s Fiscal Year 2001 funding report and the reports for other states are?

available only on OJP?s Website at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/fy2001grants/.? For more information about Maryland?s funding contact the Maryland State Administering Agencies located on OJP?s Website at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/state.htm.? Information about OJP and its programs is available on OJP?s Website or by calling the National Criminal Justice Reference Service at

1-800/851-3420.? Media should contact Linda Mansour in OJP?s Office of Congressional and Public Affairs on 202/616-3534.

###

OJP02026