(a) A single county or a group of counties within a single judicial district shall be eligible for direct financial aid under this chapter.

(b) A private agency may be eligible for direct financial aid under this chapter only in a county that has not established a local community corrections advisory board, and only after the county legislative body in the county has received notice that an application for direct financial aid has been made by a private agency and fails to establish a local community corrections advisory board within thirty (30) days; however, nothing in this chapter shall prohibit a private agency from receiving indirect financial aid for such a program through a local community corrections advisory board once the board is established by the county legislative body.

(c)

(1) Entities eligible for financial aid under this chapter and entering into agreements for the aid shall receive one hundred percent (100%) state funding with no local matching funds required for the estimated cost of the program; provided, that this section shall not prohibit the use of federal funds. In order to receive the funding, each eligible entity shall submit an application to the county commission in a form to be determined by the department of correction.

(2) Agreements for the aid must contain a statement of the agreed to amount representing one hundred percent (100%) of the estimated cost of the program, or in lieu thereof, the specific formula or method or methods as to how the amount of the one hundred percent (100%) funding will be calculated.

(d) Where a group of counties combine and submit a joint application for funds, the application shall contain a cooperative agreement indicating each jurisdiction's willingness to collaborate in the proposed program and to meet specific objectives. In addition, the multijurisdictional applications shall provide for the appointment of one (1) fiscal agent to coordinate the financial activities of the grant award.

(e) A county legislative body that does not establish a local community corrections advisory board may request that the department of correction operate the program in that county. The department of correction shall establish an advisory council substantially similar in composition to the council described in § 40-36-201, which shall advise the department of correction on program operations within that county.