U.S. Attorneys G. Zachary Terwilliger and Thomas T. Cullen on Friday announced Virginia has been awarded more than $10.8 million in Department of Justice grants to respond to the public safety challenges posed by the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19).
The can be used in a variety of ways – including for staffing, overtime, protective gear or medical care in jails and prisons, according to a news release from the DOJ.
The grants, to the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services, and to the city of Petersburg, are available under the Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding program, authorized by the recent stimulus legislation signed by President Trump. The Justice Department is moving quickly, awarding grants on a rolling basis and aiming to have funds available for drawdown as soon as possible after receiving applications.
The Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding (CESF) Program allows states, U.S. territories, the District of Columbia, units of local government, and federally recognized tribal governments to support a broad range of activities to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus.
Funded projects or initiatives may include, but are not limited to, overtime, equipment (including law enforcement and medical personal protective equipment), hiring, supplies (such as gloves, masks, sanitizer), training, travel expenses (particularly related to the distribution of resources to the most impacted areas), and addressing the medical needs of inmates in state, local, and tribal prisons, jails, and detention centers.
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal and juvenile justice systems.
More information about OJP and its components can be found here.
