THE STATE CRIMINAL ALIEN ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

The State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP) provides reimbursement to state and local governments for the costs of incarcerating criminal aliens.

Grant Awards for Los Angeles County

• $15,126,597 in 2007

• $10,541,093 in 2006

• $1,216,270 in supplemental funds in 2006.

• $12,530,034 in 2005

• $11,451,238 in 2003; $13,876,508 in 2004

Grant Awards for the State of California

• $109,545,432 in 2007
• $91,781,092 in 2006
• $10,590,045 in supplemental funding for 2006.
• $85,953,191 in 2005
• $111,899,215 in 2004

Legislation

H.R.1512, introduced by Congressman Linda Sanchez, would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide for compensation to State and local governments incarcerating undocumented aliens charged with a felony or two or more misdemeanors. This legislation, strongly supported by ALADS passed the House Committee on the Judiciary.  Click Here to view a copy of the bill. This legislation is of key importance to counties in California because it expands coverage of the SCAAP program to include those criminal aliens serving time in jail after being charged for committing crimes.  Current law covers criminal aliens who have been convicted. 

Appropriations

President Bush has proposed eliminating the SCAAP program in every budget proposal he has submitted to Congress.  

The Fiscal Year 20O8 Omnibus Appropriation Bill, H.R.2764, provided $410,000 for the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program. Funding for the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP) was $405 million in the fiscal year 2006 appropriation bill for Justice.

Authorization

The SCAAP Program was also reauthorized in public law 109-162 at $750 million for 2006; $850 million for 2007, and $950 million for 2008-2011, as strongly supported by CCPOA. The reauthorization of the program allows appropriators to provide funds for the program.

Use of SCAAP Funds

The Department of Justice Reauthorization Act of 2005 (Pub. L. 109-162, Title XI) included the following requirement regarding the use of SCAAP funds: "Amounts appropriated pursuant to the authorization of appropriations in paragraph (5) that are distributed to a State or political subdivision of a State, including a municipality, may be used only for correctional purposes." Beginning with FY 2007 SCAAP awards, SCAAP funds must be used for correctional purposes only.

FY 2007 and 2008 SCAAP Use of Funds List:

Salaries for corrections officers
Overtime costs
Corrections work force recruitment and retention
Construction of corrections facilities
Training / education for offenders
Training for corrections officers related to offender population management
Consultants involved with offender population
Medical and mental health services
Vehicle rental / purchase for transport of offenders
Prison Industries
Pre-release / reentry programs
Technology involving offender management / inter agency information sharing
Disaster preparedness continuity of operations for corrections facility