Criminal Justice Statistics

Justice Assistance Grant Program

The Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet (JPSC) is the Commonwealth of Kentucky's state administering agency of the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) program. Federal JAG funds are awarded to states using a formula based on population and crime rates. Eligible applicants are units of state and local government, such as courts and law enforcement agencies, and nonprofit entities.

JAG funds may be used in one or more of the following program areas:

Law enforcement
Prosecution and courts
Prevention and education
Corrections and community corrections, including reentry
Drug treatment and enforcement
Planning, evaluation, and technology improvement
Crime victim and witness initiatives
Mental health programs and related law enforcement and corrections programs, including behavioral programs and crisis intervention teams
Implementation of state crisis intervention court proceedings and related programs or initiatives including, but not limited to, mental health courts, drug courts, veterans' courts, and extreme risk protection order programs

Annual JAG Application

The 2026 Kentucky JAG program is now open for applications. To apply, please click here: 2026 Kentucky JAG Application Portal.

Eligible applicants include state and local government agencies and nonprofit entities seeking critical funding necessary to support a wide range of program areas, including law enforcement, prosecution, indigent defense, courts, crime prevention and education, corrections, drug treatment and enforcement, planning, evaluation, technology improvements, crime victim and witness initiatives, mental health programs, and related law enforcement and corrections programs, including behavioral programs and crisis intervention teams.

Applications must be submitted online by 5 p.m. EDT on Aug. 20, 2026, via Submittable, the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet's electronic grants management system. Assistance with the application may be obtained by contacting grants management staff at CJSAC@ky.gov. Awards are expected to be announced in September, with the award date beginning Oct. 1, 2026.

DCRA

The Death in Custody Reporting Act requires states that receive funding under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program to report information regarding "the death of any person who is detained, under arrest, or is in the process of being arrested, is en route to be incarcerated, or is incarcerated at a municipal or county jail, State prison, State-run boot camp prison, boot camp prison that is contracted out by the State, or any State or local contract facility, or other local or State correctional facility (including any juvenile facility).

As the SAA for Kentucky's JAG program, CJSAC is responsible for collecting data on a quarterly basis and compiling and aggregating the data for submission to the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA).

DCRA State Implementation Plan