DOJ offers $850 million to help cops and prisons on front lines of coronavirus crisis

The U.S. Justice Department is offering $850 million to public safety agencies as they contend with the coronavirus pandemic in communities throughout the nation. Funds can be used for everything from overtime to personal protection equipment.

Congress approved the Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding program as part of recent coronavirus stimulus legislation according to the DOJ.

Funds can be expended for a variety of purposes, including to procure needed materials, hire workers, fund overtime and deal with the medical needs of people in prisons and jails.

"Allowable projects and purchases include, but are not limited to, overtime, equipment (including law enforcement and medical personal protective equipment), hiring, supplies (such as gloves, masks, sanitizer), training, travel expenses, and addressing the medical needs of inmates in state, local, and tribal prisons, jails, and detention centers," the Bureau of Justice Assistance explains.

"Agencies that were eligible for the fiscal year 2019 State and Local Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program are candidates for this emergency funding," according to the DOJ.