§10404 Allocation and Distribution of Funds

Summary

The Attorney General must split the money so each State first gets 0.50% of the total. After that, the rest is divided among States by how many people under 18 live in each State compared to the total under-18 population of all States. States may only use the money for programs that are approved. Each State must pass at least 75% of its money to local governments for the program’s purposes. A State can ask for a waiver if, in the previous fiscal year, the State itself spent more than 25% of the total juvenile-justice spending (State plus local) and the State consulted local governments about the request and plans. When giving money to local units, the State uses a formula that weights two things over the most recent 3 years: 75% weight for a unit’s average juvenile-justice spending and 25% weight for its average annual number of Part 1 violent crimes. No unit can get more than 100% of its juvenile-justice spending for a payment period; any excess goes to other eligible units. If a unit’s reported crime or spending data looks wrong, the State must check the methods used and, if needed, use the best comparable data. If a unit’s allocation would be under $10,000, the State will spend that amount on services for units with allotments under $10,000. If a State does not apply by the deadline, the Attorney General may hold back up to 75% of that State’s share to give direct grants to specially qualified local units and may use the average amounts States give locals when deciding those grants.