In fiscal year (FY) 2002, BJA supported a wide range of programs and initiatives to support local criminal justice strategies and bring safety to our communities. BJA provided this support to all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the 5 U.S. territories and thousands of local governments, organizations, institutions, and community groups. BJA funding and technical assistance are vital to many communities, some small and rural, others large and urban, which lack the resources to adequately fund every component of an effective criminal justice system.

BJA’s two largest grant programs—the Edward Byrne Memorial State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance Program and the Local Law Enforcement Block Grant (LLEBG) Program—are guided by the principle that federal dollars should support initiatives that work and that are backed by the communities they serve. Both programs emphasize local decisionmaking, and they have had a significant impact on the safety of millions of Americans by allowing states and local communities to craft their own responses to local crime and drug problems.

In FY 2002, BJA administered $500 million in Byrne formula grants and nearly $345 million in Byrne discretionary awards.¹ Formula funds were awarded to the states and territories, which then made subawards to state and local units of government and to nonprofit organizations. Discretionary funds were awarded directly to state and local jurisdictions, American Indian tribes, individual criminal justice agencies, and nonprofit organizations. BJA administered more than $330 million in LLEBG grants in FY 2002, making awards to more than 3,100 jurisdictions.

The State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP) provided $565 million in FY 2002 to states and units of general government that have authority over correctional facilities that incarcerated or detained undocumented criminal aliens for at least 4 consecutive days.