Office of Justice Programs Weekly News Brief

WASHINGTON, Nov. 11, 2011  /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is being released by the Department of Justice:

Assistant Attorney General Testifies before Congress on Oversight of OJP – In remarks recently before the House Judiciary Committee, Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security on the Oversight of the Justice Department's Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Assistant Attorney General Laurie O. Robinson, OJP, said, " In the current climate of fiscal restraint and uncertainty, when scaled-back budgets jeopardize even the most civic functions, and front-line law enforcement officers wonder about the future of their jobs – our state and local partners depend on our leadership and willingness to support them in their work … Our limited federal funds are best spent helping states, localities, and tribes do what no one state or locality can do on its own … In other words, we are most effective when we are a true partner."
http://www.ojp.gov/newsroom/testimony/2011/11_1102lrobinson.pdf

BJA Awards Grant, Helps Prevent Abuse of Controlled Substances – The Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) recently announced funding to 12 states to help prevent and detect the diversion and abuse of pharmaceutical controlled substances. Awarded through the Harold Rogers Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, the BJA grant assists states in planning for, implementing, and enhancing prescription drug monitoring systems that will allow them to collect and analyze data about prescription drug use and facilitate the exchange of collected prescription data among multiple states. In addition to direct 2011 funding, BJA will provide training and technical assistance as requested.  A listing of all BJA awards for FY 2011 is available at http://www.ojp.gov/funding/11grantawards.htm

OJP Releases 2010 Annual Report – The Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs (OJP) recently announced the availability of its Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 Annual Report, Mapping a Course. In FY 2010, OJP awarded nearly 5,000 grants totaling $2.6 billion.  Sections of the report showcase the work of individual criminal and juvenile justice practitioners and their impact on the safety of communities throughout the country.  http://www.ojp.gov/newsroom/pdfs/10_ojp_annual_report.pdf

SOURCE Department of Justice