U.S. Congressman Garret Graves (South Louisiana) announced Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office is receiving a $749,022 grant from the from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to aid their efforts in preventing and controlling crime. On September 24, 2020, Graves announced the East Baton Rouge, Ascension Parish and Livingston Parish Sheriff Offices were receiving a combined $222,190 from DOJ.
"I spoke with Sheriff Craig Webre this morning and know this grant will be a major boost to keeping Lafourche communities safe from crime. In the long run, this grant bolsters more safety, protection for our businesses, and elevates for families a sense of security in their own homes from violent crimes and theft," Graves said. "This was an extremely competitive program and the sheriff's office did a great job thinking through all the various components that went into it. We will keep working with DOJ to find streams of funding so the peacekeepers of our communities have the resources they need to continue to protect and serve."
About the Grant:
Title of Project: FY 20 Improving Community Supervision Outcomes Through Swift, Certain, and Fair Responses
Amount of Award: $749,022
Project Description:
The Innovative Responses to Behavior in the Community: Swift, Certain, and Fair (SCF) Supervision Program provides state and local parole and probation agencies with information, resources, and training and technical assistance to improve responses to offender behavior in accordance with the principles of swiftness, certainty, and fairness to prevent recidivism and reduce crime in their jurisdictions.
The overall purpose of the SCF Program is to expand those principles and test new implementations of SCF responses to increase probation and parole success rates. Additionally, the SCF Program seeks to reduce the number of crimes committed by those under probation and parole supervision, which would in turn reduce crime, decrease admissions to prisons and jails (in a safe, responsible manner), and save taxpayer dollars.
The SCF Program is part of BJA's Innovations in Public Safety portfolio, also known as the "Innovations Suite." BJA's Innovations Suite of programs invests in the development of practitioner-researcher partnerships that use data, evidence, and innovation to create strategies that are effective and economical. This data-driven approach enables jurisdictions to understand the full nature and extent of the crime challenges they are facing and to direct resources to the highest priorities. The Innovations Suite of programs represents a strategic approach that leverages innovative applications of analysis, technology, and evidence-based practices with the goal of improving performance and making America safer.
The recipient will use funds to implement a comprehensive case management system designed to reduce reoffending, arrest, and incarceration by replacing unpredictable and high level sanctions for probation violations with swift, certain, and fair responses where sanctions are proportionate to negative behavior and positive behavior is appropriately rewarded.
To read the announcement from last week, click here.
