Governor Timothy M. Kaine this week announced that more than $2.6 million in grants have been awarded to 40 programs to support and improve the criminal justice system throughout the Commonwealth. The grants, which are administered by the Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) and awarded by the Criminal Justice Services Board, come from federal Justice Assistance Grant Program funds allocated to Virginia.
"These grants will help localities, state agencies and their partners continue criminal justice system improvements, support crime analysis units, and provide specialized training to law enforcement and local prosecutors, to further protect the citizens of Virginia," Governor Kaine said.
Forty grants were made to local and state governmental entities, and a non-profit law enforcement training organization.
"Providing the skills, training and equipment needed to support our criminal justice system is vital to the public safety of Virginia," said DCJS Director Leonard G. Cooke. "These projects will specifically provide training on how to investigate and prosecute homicides and drug crimes, upgrade criminal history data systems and other criminal justice-related information systems and provide training to prosecutors on the use of DNA."
