Washington D.C. – U.S. Senator Herb Kohl (D-WI) announced today that the Department of Justice will provide $30,056,993 in funding to Wisconsin under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program (Byrne/JAG). The funding was included the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

           “Many people are being laid off and prevention programs are being cut, but by putting money back into the system, we can help create jobs and expand essential programs that work to keep families protected and keep our kids on the right track,” Kohl said.

           The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program has helped keep Wisconsin communities safe by providing critical funding to state and local governments for crime prevention and enforcement programs.  The Byrne/JAG Program supports state and local drug task forces, community crime prevention programs, substance abuse treatment, prosecution initiatives and many other local crime control programs. Over the last eight years, funding for this critical program has been targeted for cuts, undermining our state and local law enforcement agencies’ efforts to battle crime. Police departments have had to downsize. Local prosecutors have been laid off. Drug task forces have been eliminated. Prevention and intervention programs have had to scale back their services. This funding will serve two critical goals: putting people back to work and securing our neighborhoods from violent crime.

           Senator Kohl has been a long time proponent of the Byrne program and has fought to restore this funding.

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