PRIA, Government Policy, Made Personal

Summary

States can get federal grant money if they apply to the Attorney General and promise they have, or will put in place, tougher prison rules and programs. These must include truth-in-sentencing type rules so people convicted of violent crimes, including violent juveniles, serve a substantial portion of their prison terms and the time served matches how violent the offender is and what is needed to protect the public. States that already get the basic grant can earn extra money if, since 1993, they have raised the share of people arrested for "Part 1" violent crimes who are sent to prison, or raised the average time or percent of sentence those convicted actually serve. A state can also get extra funds if it both raised the percent sent to prison and the percent of sentence served since 1993, or if new prison admissions for Part 1 violent crimes grew by 10 percent or more over the most recent 3-year period. Getting one extra payment does not stop a state from getting the other. Note: "Part 1 violent crimes" are the major violent offenses tracked in crime statistics.

Title 34, §12103

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(a)Eligibility for minimum grant

To be eligible to receive a minimum grant under this section, a State shall submit an application to the Attorney General that provides assurances that the State has implemented, or will implement, correctional policies and programs, including truth-in-sentencing laws that ensure that violent offenders serve a substantial portion of the sentences imposed, that are designed to provide sufficiently severe punishment for violent offenders, including violent juvenile offenders, and that the prison time served is appropriately related to the determination that the inmate is a violent offender and for a period of time deemed necessary to protect the public.

(b)Additional amount for increased percentage of persons sentenced and time served

A State that received a grant under subsection (a) is eligible to receive additional grant amounts if such State demonstrates that the State has, since 1993—

(1)increased the percentage of persons arrested for a part 1 violent crime sentenced to prison; or

(2)increased the average prison time actually served or the average percent of sentence served by persons convicted of a part 1 violent crime.

Receipt of grant amounts under this subsection does not preclude eligibility for a grant under subsection (c).

(c)Additional amount for increased rate of incarceration and percentage of sentence served

A State that received a grant under subsection (a) is eligible to receive additional grant amounts if such State demonstrates that the State has—

(1)since 1993, increased the percentage of persons arrested for a part 1 violent crime sentenced to prison, and has increased the average percent of sentence served by persons convicted of a part 1 violent crime; or

(2)has increased by 10 percent or more over the most recent 3-year period the number of new court commitments to prison of persons convicted of part 1 violent crimes.

Receipt of grant amounts under this subsection does not preclude eligibility for a grant under subsection (b).

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification Section was formerly classified to section 13703 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.

Prior Provisions

A prior section 20103 of Pub. L. 103–322, title II, Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 1817, related to Violent Offender Incarceration Grants prior to the general amendment of subtitle A of title II of Pub. L. 103–322 by Pub. L. 104–134.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Controlled Substance Testing and Intervention; Availability of Funds Pub. L. 104–208, div. A, title I, § 101(a) [title I], Sept. 30, 1996, 110 Stat. 3009, 3009–14, provided in part: “That beginning in fiscal year 1999, and thereafter, no funds shall be available to make grants to a State pursuant to section 20103 or section 20104 of the Violent Crime Control and Law

Enforcement

Act of 1994 [34 U.S.C. 12103, 12104] unless no later than September 1, 1998, such State has implemented a program of controlled substance testing and intervention for appropriate categories of convicted offenders during periods of incarceration and criminal justice supervision, with sanctions including denial or revocation of release for positive controlled substance tests, consistent with guidelines issued by the Attorney General”.

§12103 Violent Offender Incarceration Grants