About Us

Executive Director Michael J. Hogan

Michael J. Hogan serves as the Executive Director of the Rhode Island Public Safety Grant Administration Office. He is responsible for overseeing the planning, policy implementation, and direction of grants that support public safety programs throughout the state. He joined the office in February of 2017.

Prior to joining the Department of Public Safety, Mr. Hogan worked at the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency. There, he was responsible for the State Homeland Security Program, Emergency Management Performance Grants, Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness grant, FEMA Public Assistance disaster recovery grants, and other federal grant programs. Prior to that, Mr. Hogan worked for the Narragansett Council, Boy Scouts of America as an urban outreach program specialist.

Mr. Hogan has a strong background in program development and project administration. Through his work experience he has developed an extensive network of contacts in both the public safety and non-profit communities at the federal, state, and local levels.

Mission

To facilitate inter-agency cooperation and collaboration throughout the Rhode Island criminal justice system by way of strategic planning, program coordination, data collection and statistical analysis; while providing fair, efficient and accountable grant administration so as to improve the state's overall response to crime and victimization and enhance public safety.

What We Do

The Rhode Island Public Safety Grant Administration Office (PSGAO), formerly the Rhode Island Justice Commission, is the agency within the Central Management of the Department of Public Safety charged with planning, coordination, data collection, statistical analysis and grant administration and distribution for the adult criminal and juvenile justice systems. Through these efforts the PSGAO develops comprehensive programming for the purpose of improving the state's overall response to crime issues.

PSGAO staffers administer specifically assigned grant programs. Each of the federal/state grant programs require many administrative activities that include (but are not necessarily limited to):

• liaise with and staff the appropriate advisory committee(s);
• develop and submit program plan and application;
• develop RFP (request for proposals) and subgrant application; review submitted applications;
• present advisory committee recommendations to the Policy Board;
• create subrecipient databases; craft grant awards and distribute;
• create and maintain subgrant files;
• liaise with fiscal administrator to process subgrant payments;
• monitor and evaluate programs/projects via both desk audits and on-site visits;
• prepare annual program progress reports;
• provide administrative support/technical assistance to subrecipients;
• perform grant closeout and audit procedures; and
• other various requirements unique to the various programs.

History

The Rhode Island Justice Commission was established in 1969 by Title 42, Chapter 26 of the Rhode Island General Laws. Effective July 1, 2008 the agency was merged into the RI Department of Public Safety and the name was changed to the Public Safety Grant Administration Office. Legal authorization can be found in the State's General Laws, specifically Chapter 26, Sections 42-26.1 through 42-26-13, 42-26-17.

The Public Safety Grant Administration Office has dramatically enhanced its planning and coordinating service to the criminal justice community since reorganizing in 1994 when the agency's staffing level was increased from four to eight. Additionally, the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 created a host of new federal initiatives for which the agency is now responsible. A Grants Assistant was added in July 1999. These appropriate staffing levels have allowed program personnel to seek out and administer new grant programs, plan and implement many statewide training sessions and conferences, as well as to disseminate more discretionary grant information to prospective applicants.

In 1994, the Public Safety Grant Administration Office administered five grant programs at a total of $2.9 million, resulting in the awarding of approximately 125 subgrants. Currently, the agency handles ten to twelve grant programs averaging nearly $10-12 million annually and producing over 200 annual subgrants. The number of grants and the amount of money may vary from year to year depending on the federal emphasis such as violent crime, juvenile delinquency and prevention, the need for improved access to criminal history information, domestic violence programs, victim's rights or information technology.