A primer on SCAAP

(Don’t you just love government acronyms?)
In 1994 Congress realized that there is a burden placed on jails and prisons by illegal aliens. They created SCAAP, or State Criminal Alien Assistance Program. The program allows for the local agency to submit a bill to the federal government (after all, the feds control immigration so they get the blame for the costs) if the following conditions are met:
· The illegal alien must be in custody for at least four consecutive days.
· The illegal alien must be incarcerated for a felony or at least two misdemeanors.
Bush took it out of the budget the last couple of years, but Congress restored it. I’m guessing that Congress has no great desire to make it more difficult for illegal aliens; rather, I think the jails have become accustomed to the money they receive and lobby for the funding.

FYI, Obama has also removed SCAAP funding from his budget. Will this Congress put it back in? Who knows?

As is typical from the feds, it is an unfunded mandate. Most of the literature suggests that the reimbursement is only 25-35% of the actual cost to keep the prisoners.

And, of course, it is in the form of a “grant” so the local agencies have to keep track of the numbers and do the paperwork in order to get any money. Typical Washington; we have to BEG for our own money!