FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ??? ??????? BJA
Monday, October 30, 2001????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? 202/307-0703
?????????????? JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT AWARDS OVER ONE-HALF BILLION DOLLARS
?????????????? TO
JURISDICTIONS THAT INCARCERATE CRIMINAL ILLEGAL ALIENS
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- All 50
states, the District of Columbia and two U.S. territories will receive federal
funds totaling over $550 million from the Justice Department?s Office of
Justice Programs (OJP) to help pay the costs of incarcerating illegal aliens who
have committed serious crimes in the United States and have been convicted and
sentenced for their felony offenses.
The State Criminal Alien
Assistance Program (SCAAP), authorized under the 1994 Crime Act and
administered by OJP?s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) in conjunction with
the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), provides financial assistance
to states and localities in paying the costs of incarcerating illegal aliens in
state and local correctional systems.
While the size of the payments made through the SCAAP program is tied to
the number of criminal aliens incarcerated and to corrections officers?
salaries within a jurisdiction, the funds do not have to be used in prison
systems.? SCAAP funds go back into the
state?s or locality?s general fund and can be used for any purpose.
?The expenses of incarcerating
illegal criminal aliens are very real costs that deeply impact local and state
governments,? said Assistant Attorney General Deborah J. Daniels.? ?Since the 1994 Crime Act, OJP? has awarded approximately $3.3 billion to
states and localities to pay for housing criminal aliens.? Helping states bear these costs is just one
part of an overall strategy to manage and improve upon our existing network of
borders and enforce our current immigration policies.?
Program applicants increased by
25 percent this year, and awards increased from 413 in FY 2000 to 517 in FY
2001.? State and local awards to Arizona
($23 million), California ($225 million), Florida ($28 million), New York ($94
million) and Texas ($45 million) total approximately 75 percent of the
available FY 2001 funding.? Los Angeles
County and New York City were two of the largest localities to receive awards
totaling $29 million and $32 million, respectively.? In addition, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands and
Puerto Rico will receive funds.
?We?ve streamlined the electronic
application process and will continue to work closely with states and
localities to encourage program participation and ensure accurate and complete
reporting,? added Daniels.
Eligible applicants included
states and localities that exercised authority with respect to the
incarceration of an undocumented criminal alien. List of the FY 2001
SCAAP recipients. ?Additional
information about BJA or its programs can be found on its Internet Website
at:? https://ojp.gov/bja.
For additional information about the OJP and its programs, go to the OJP
Website at: https://ojp.gov.
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BJA01207
For additional information, contact Sheila Jerusalem at
202/616-3227
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