Quick Look: President Bush's FY 2009 Budget: Dept. of Justice -- Feb. 4 2008

The California Institute prepares a quick analysis of the President's budget request on the day it is released.  For the FY 2009 Budget, the budget was released the morning of February 4, 2008.  The following represents an examination of this portion of the budget from a California perspective.  For analysis of other components visit our 2009 Budget page.

 

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

The Budget requests $26.6 billion in total spending for the Department of Justice, as opposed to the $25.1 billion estimated for FY08.

Office of Justice Programs

The Budget requests $134.6 million for the Office of Justice Programs appropriation for FY2009. Last year's budget request was $196 million. This OJP account includes programs that provide grants, contracts and cooperative agreements for research, development and evaluation; development and dissemination of quality statistical and scientific information; and promotion and expansion of law enforcement information sharing initiatives and systems.

State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance

The Budget requests $404 million for FY09 programs, as opposed to the $1.759 billion estimated for FY08. It again proposes consolidating more than 70 State and local law enforcement assistance programs into four grant programs, with funding allocated as follows: Violent Crime Reduction Partnership Initiative - $200,000,000; Byrne Public Safety and Protection Program - $200,000,000; Violence Against Women Program - $280 million; and Child Safety and Juvenile Justice Program - $185 million. $4 million is proposed for the COPS program.

Estimated funding for all state and local law enforcement programs for FY08 is almost $1.8 billion, including: $587 million for Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), of which $20 million is for the Cops on the Beat hiring program; $170,433,000 for Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program formula grants; and $187,513,000 for Byrne discretionary grants.

SCAAP

The President's Budget proposes eliminating the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program, as it has for the last several years. The FY08 Omnibus appropriates $410 million for the program. California receives about 40 percent of SCAAP funding. California and other states that receive significant portions of the funds perennially rally to restore funds that the Administration eliminates for SCAAP.

Southwest Border Prosecutor Initiative

The Budget proposes creating the Southwest Border Enforcement Initiative, with funding of $100 million for Department of Justice law enforcement and prosecutorial efforts on the U.S. Southwest border to combat violent crime, gun smuggling, and illicit drug trafficking.

 

The California Institute prepares a quick analysis of the President's budget request on the day it is released.  The FY 2009 Budget was released the morning of February 4, 2008.  The following represents an examination of this portion of the budget from a California perspective.  For analysis of other components visit our 2009 Budget page.

Official Source Material for FY 2009 Budget -- For your reference, the following are links to mirrored copies of OMB 2009 Budget materials (which are also available from the U.S. Office of Management and Budget via direct download)

 

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