(a) General authorization of certain Federal agencies

The Office of Justice Programs, the Bureau of Justice Assistance, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Bureau of Justice Statistics, and the National Institute of Justice are authorized, after appropriate consultation with representatives of States and units of local government, to establish such rules, regulations, and procedures as are necessary to the exercise of their functions, and as are consistent with the stated purposes of this chapter.

(b) Continuing evaluation of selected programs or projects; cost, effectiveness, impact value, and comparative considerations; annual performance report; assessment of activity effectiveness; suspension of funds for nonsubmission of report

Terms Used In 34 USC 10221

  • criminal justice: means activities pertaining to crime prevention, control, or reduction, or the enforcement of the criminal law, including, but not limited to, police efforts to prevent, control, or reduce crime or to apprehend criminals, including juveniles, activities of courts having criminal jurisdiction, and related agencies (including but not limited to prosecutorial and defender services, juvenile delinquency agencies and pretrial service or release agencies), activities of corrections, probation, or parole authorities and related agencies assisting in the rehabilitation, supervision, and care of criminal offenders, and programs relating to the prevention, control, or reduction of narcotic addiction and juvenile delinquency. See 34 USC 10251
  • evaluation: means the administration and conduct of studies and analyses to determine the impact and value of a project or program in accomplishing the statutory objectives of this chapter. See 34 USC 10251
  • proven effectiveness: means that a program, project, approach, or practice has been shown by analysis of performance and results to make a significant contribution to the accomplishment of the objectives for which it was undertaken or to have a significant effect in improving the condition or problem it was undertaken to address. See 34 USC 10251
  • record of proven success: means that a program, project, approach, or practice has been demonstrated by evaluation or by analysis of performance data and information to be successful in a number of jurisdictions or over a period of time in contributing to the accomplishment of objectives or to improving conditions identified with the problem, to which it is addressed. See 34 USC 10251
  • State: means any State of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands: Provided, That for the purposes of section 10156(a) of this title, American Samoa and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands shall be considered as one state 1 and that for these purposes 67 per centum of the amounts allocated shall be allocated to American Samoa, and 33 per centum to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. See 34 USC 10251

The Bureau of Justice Assistance shall, after consultation with the National Institute of Justice, the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, State and local governments, and the appropriate public and private agencies, establish such rules and regulations as are necessary to assure the continuing evaluation of selected programs or projects conducted pursuant to subchapters V, XII, XIII, XIV, and XX, in order to determine—

(1) whether such programs or projects have achieved the performance goals stated in the original application, are of proven effectiveness, have a record of proven success, or offer a high probability of improving the criminal justice system;

(2) whether such programs or projects have contributed or are likely to contribute to the improvement of the criminal justice system and the reduction and prevention of crime;

(3) their cost in relation to their effectiveness in achieving stated goals;

(4) their impact on communities and participants; and

(5) their implication for related programs.


In conducting evaluations described in this subsection, the Bureau of Justice Assistance shall, when practical, compare the effectiveness of programs conducted by similar applicants and different applicants. The Bureau of Justice Assistance shall also require applicants under part A of subchapter V to submit an annual performance report concerning activities carried out pursuant to part A of subchapter V together with an assessment by the applicant of the effectiveness of those activities in achieving the purposes of such part A and the relationships of those activities to the needs and objectives specified by the applicant in the application submitted pursuant to section 10153 of this title. Such report shall include details identifying each applicant that used any funds to purchase any cruiser, boat, or helicopter and, with respect to such applicant, specifying both the amount of funds used by such applicant for each purchase of any cruiser, boat, or helicopter and a justification of each such purchase (and the Bureau of Justice Assistance shall submit to the Committee of the Judiciary of the House of Representatives and the Committee of the Judiciary of the Senate, promptly after preparation of such report a written copy of the portion of such report containing the information required by this sentence). The Bureau shall suspend funding for an approved application under part A of subchapter V if an applicant fails to submit such an annual performance report.

(c) Procedures for paperwork minimization and prevention of duplication and delays in award and expenditure of funds

The procedures established to implement the provisions of this chapter shall minimize paperwork and prevent needless duplication and unnecessary delays in award and expenditure of funds at all levels of government.