Justice Court Assistance Program (JCAP)
JCAP was established in 1999 to provide some State assistance to Town and Village Courts. Since the release of the Unified Court Systems Action Plan for Justice Courts in November, 2006, the program has been significantly expanded. This fiscal year, the state court systems budget includes $4.7 million in JCAP funding.
We are currently not accepting any additional applications for the 2009-2010 fiscal year. This may change in the coming months as we review the applications already received. Your patience is appreciated.
The signature page should be mailed as soon as possible along with the court's budget, certified resolution from the legislative body and any additional information.
The maximum JCAP award is $30,000, and may be used for a variety of purposes, including office and security equipment, furniture, courtroom renovations.
Applications for JCAP Grants may be submitted by the Justice Courts, as well as by towns and villages on behalf of the Justice Courts. Completed applications should have been submitted by August 1, 2009. It is expected that grant requests will exceed the available funds.
Automation Equipment:
Under the Action Plan, the State court system is directly providing computers and other automation equipment to the Justice Courts and that the JCAP application should therefore not be used to request such equipment. (Please contact the UCS Division of Technology at 800-622-2522 for automation requests.)
Furniture:
Be sure to check with the District Office in your Judicial District for surplus furniture, filing cabinets and other equipment. They might have just what you need available immediately
Awards:
Awards of certain hardware and equipment are purchased using the New York State Contract price and then shipped directly to the recipient, saving money, time, and work for the local courts. Other requested items will be awarded in the form of a check to the Town Supervisor or Village Mayor. These funds must be spent for the items listed in the grant award letter. We advise keeping receipts, along with grant letters and any additional correspondence, for at least THREE years.
Delivery Confirmation for items Shipped Directly:
If an item is shipped directly to the recipient, you need to send the packing slips to us or fill out the attached confirmation
Spending Award Money:
Grant award funds must be spent within 6 months of receipt of the grant award letter. Any funds not spent within that time, are considered "excess funds". See the following paragraph for guidance on handling such funds.
Excess Funds:
If items requested in the grant application have gone down in price since the application was completed, or if certain items are no longer needed, grant recipients must contact the Office of Court Administration to discuss how to handle the excess funds. In many cases, the Office of Court Administration will revise the grant to permit the municipality to spend the excess funds on other equipment or supplies needed by the court. If this occurs, be sure to keep your revised grant award letter with your receipts so the amounts you spent match the amounts awarded. Please email us at JusticeCourts@courts.state.ny.us for more information.
If you have any questions about JCAP or if you need assistance in completing the application, please contact Diane Schilling at (800) 232-0630, (518) 474-7469 or
dschillin@courts.state.ny.us. You can also contact Diane if you would like assistance from the Office of Court Administrations Department of Public Safety or Office of Court Facilities.