Title: FY 2000 State Criminal Alien Assistance Program. Series: Fact Sheet Author: Bureau of Justice Assistance Published: June 2000 Subject: Criminal Aliens, Crime Costs, Funding Resources 3 pages 5,280 bytes ------------------------------- Figures, charts, forms, and tables are not included in this ASCII plain-text file. To view this document in its entirety, download the Adobe Acrobat graphic file available from this Web site or order a print copy from BJA at 800-688-4252. ------------------------------- FY 2000 State Criminal Alien Assistance Program The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) provides federal assistance to states and localities for the costs of incarcerating certain criminal aliens who are being held as a result of state and/or local charges or convictions. Aliens claimed must be convicted of either a felony or two misdemeanors that occurred prior to or resulted in the current custody. For FY 2000, $585 million has been made available for this program. The program is authorized and governed by the provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1990, as amended, 8 U.S.C. 1251(i), originally enacted as section 20301 of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (Public Law 103-322). Eligible Applicants States and localities with correctional facilities that incarcerate or detain, for 72 hours or longer, persons accused or convicted of crimes are eligible to apply for State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP) funds. The phrase states and localities" encompasses the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and nearly 3,000 counties and cities with jail facilities. These jurisdictions may apply for program funds or may, by formal delegation, allow their correctional agencies to apply directly for funding. Application and Payment Processes The FY 2000 SCAAP application and payment processes will be managed through an innovative Web-based, electronic system. Applicants will apply, transmit inmate data, and receive payment via this Internet system. Applicants must provide information on inmates claimed and costs incurred. Cost calculations are based on financial records kept by the jurisdiction. The formal application requires potential applicants to submit salary information for its full- and part-time permanent and contractual corrections officers as well as information regarding total inmate population. Applicants must deduct any payments received from other jurisdictions to cover costs of housing inmates and should include any payments made to other jurisdictions to house their inmates. The Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), BJA's partner in SCAAP, is primarily responsible for verifying information on alien inmates to determine which inmates, whose records are submitted by applicants, qualify as undocumented criminal aliens. Information about inmates who are being claimed as possible qualifying aliens, including length of stay, must be provided by applicants in a specified format that can be compared with INS records. The new Internet system will include details about the format. An applicant's final claim for award is calculated by multiplying the total number of days served by qualifying aliens incarcerated in the applicant's facility by the applicant's actual average inmate cost per day. The sum of the final claims for all applicants is divided into the available appropriation to determine a payment percentage on the dollar of each claim. Payment amounts for applicants are calculated based on that payment percentage. In prior years, payment percentages have ranged from 16 to 60 percent. These percentages, however, should not be taken as an indicator of final payment amounts for FY 2000 as the number of applicants has increased steadily each year. Payment is made electronically. Jurisdictions may use SCAAP funds for any lawful purpose. Obtaining Applications and Technical Assistance All eligible jurisdictions will be notified directly of the availability of funds through a brochure sent out by mail. This brochure will provide the Web address and timeline for the FY 2000 SCAAP funding cycle. The U.S. Department of Justice Response Center is tasked with the first-line response to all SCAAP inquiries; BJA program staff and data-information contractors act as backup for more complex or technical questions during the application period. Sources for Further Information For more information about SCAAP, call U.S. Department of Justice Response Center 1-800-421-6770 or 202-307-1480 Response Center staff are available Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. eastern time. OJP Grants Management System (GMS) Hotline 1-888-549-9901 GMS staff are available Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. eastern time. SCAAP information is available on the Internet via the Office of Justice Program's home page at www.ojp.usdoj.gov. For more information about BJA programs and funding, contact Bureau of Justice Assistance Clearinghouse P.O. Box 6000 Rockville, MD 20849-6000 1-800-688-4252 World Wide Web: www.ncjrs.org Clearinghouse staff are available Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. eastern time. Ask to be placed on the BJA mailing list. ------------------------------- FS 000260 June 2000