Amata Welcomes More Than $800,000 in DOJ Grants for Public Safety, Mental Health, and Juvenile Justice
Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata is welcoming an announcement from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) that American Samoa has been awarded three grants totaling $803,015 to strengthen public safety, expand behavioral health services, and support juvenile justice initiatives in the territory.
Congresswoman Amata and Dr Celestine Faumuina-Nix
The federal awards, administered through the DOJ's Office of Justice Programs, include $484,329 through the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program, $219,844 through the Byrne State Crisis Intervention Formula Program, and $99,842 through the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention's Title II Formula Grants Program.
“These federal grants will strengthen public safety while also investing in prevention, rehabilitation, and community well-being throughout American Samoa,” said Congresswoman Amata. “Congratulations and thank you to both Dr. Celestine Faumuina-Nix and the entire American Samoa Criminal Justice Planning Agency for their continued success in qualifying for competitive or formula-based federal resources. I appreciate the U.S. Department of Justice's continued partnership and commitment to our islands.”
The Justice Assistance Grant provides initial, flexible funding to strengthen American Samoa's criminal justice system, supporting law enforcement, border security, prosecution, indigent defense, and other essential public safety priorities.
The Byrne State Crisis Intervention grant, providing initial funds in a three-year project with congressional authority based on the Bipartisan Safer Communities Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2022, will help expand community-based mental health services and improve coordination among healthcare providers, law enforcement, and community partners to better serve individuals experiencing mental health and substance use challenges.
The Title II Formula Grant, an initial grant in a four-year project, will support rehabilitation-focused programs for youth in detention, including mentorship initiatives and other efforts designed to improve outcomes for justice-involved juveniles.
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