Grant Offered By State Could Help Improve County Jails

More money could be coming into the Lake Area to help with rehabbing county jails.

In a release, Governor Mike Parson indicated that up to $10 Million dollars in grant funding is being released for maintenance and improvements to our area jails.

Sheriffs in each county will need to apply for the grant before the application deadline on December 30^th to be considered.

The grant will require a local match of 50% from the county and funds from the ARPA may be used.

Officials at the state say the grant can cover things like equipment, supplies, and contractual expenses to support county jail maintenance and improvements.

Those chosen for the grants will be notified by March 2023.

***Full info:

(JEFFERSON CITY, MO) – Governor Mike Parson today announced the availability of up to $10 million in grant funding for maintenance and improvements to jails across the state.

“Missouri’s county jails have a key role in our criminal justice system,” Governor Parson said. “This $10 million grant opportunity is to provide support to county jails to ensure facilities are safe and secure for staff, inmates, and visitors. We urge Missouri sheriffs and county jail administrative agencies to consider applying for this funding before the application closes on December 30, 2022.”

Applications for the Missouri County Jail Maintenance and Improvements Grant are only being accepted through the Missouri Department of Public Safety online WebGrants System: https://dpsgrants.dps.mo.gov/index.do.

The grant requires a local match of 50 percent. For example, if the total cost of a project were $100,000, the local recipient would be responsible for $50,000. Local American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds may be utilized for the local match. In-kind matches (soft match) must be directly related to the project and may be retroactive to March 2020. No supplanting is permitted.

Eligible grant expenditures include equipment, supplies, and contractual expenses to support county jail maintenance and improvements.

Grant recipients will be notified of their awards in March 2023. Grant funds must be expended by June 30, 2026. The funding for the jail maintenance and improvements grants is made available through ARPA and was made possible through Missouri House Bill 3020. The Missouri Department of Public Safety is the grant administrator.