BJA Tribal Justice Programs
The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) funds a series of Tribal Programs. BJA funded tribal justice training and technical assistance programs are generally open to both tribal grantees and non-grantees.
The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) funded a 2005 process and outcome evaluation of the four initial Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts. All six parts of the final report from this 2005 NIJ study are now posted on the National Criminal Justice Reference Service:
- Introduction
 provides a detailed overview of this NIJ study. Process and Outcome Evaluations in Four Tribal Wellness Courts, NIJ-Sponsored, December 2005, NCJ 231167.
- Lessons Learned provides very helpful “lessons learned” for other Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts. Lessons Learned in Implementing the First Four Tribal Wellness Courts, NIJ-Sponsored, December 2005, NCJ 231168.
- Process and Outcome Evaluations of the Blackfeet Alternative Court, NIJ-Sponsored, December 2005, NCJ 231161.
- Process and Outcome Evaluations of the Fort Peck Tribes Community Wellness Court, NIJ-Sponsored, December 2005, NCJ 231162.
- Process and Outcome Evaluations of the Hualapai Wellness Court, NIJ-Sponsored, December 2005, NCJ 231165.
- Process and Outcome Evaluations of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians Drug Court, NIJ-Sponsored, December 2005, NCJ 231166.
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Tribal Courts Assistance Program (TCAP)
The Tribal Courts Assistance Program (TCAP) is one of the U.S. Department of Justice's primary initiatives for providing court-related support to tribal justice systems. Initially authorized under the Indian Tribal Justice Technical and Legal Assistance Act of 2000 (25 U.S.C. § 3681), the program is sponsored through the Department's Indian Country Law Enforcement Initiative, which provides federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native communities with resources (funding, technical assistance, etc.) to develop, implement, enhance, and continue the operation of tribal judicial systems.
Tribal Court Assistance Program Resources (available at the Tribal Judicial Institute)
Tribal Courts Assistance Program (TCAP) Grants
Indian Alcohol and Substance Abuse Program (IASAP)
The Indian Alcohol and Substance Abuse Program (IASAP) supports American Indian and Alaska Native communities to plan and implement system-wide strategies that will reduce and control crime associated with the distribution and abuse of alcohol and controlled substances. Visit the IASAP History page at the Fox Valley Technical College for more information.
Upcoming Training
BJA grantees may use their travel/training funds to attend the events below. Click on the event title for details or view additional opportunities through the BJA Tribal Justice Programs Website and the Tribal Justice, Safety & Wellness Website.
Technical Assistance
Fox Valley Technical College is the lead training and technical assistance provider for the IASA program. For more information on the type of assistance available and how to request support, visit the IASAP Technical Assistance page.
Indian Alcohol and Substance Abuse Program Funding
The Indian Alcohol and Substance Abuse Program (IASAP) FY 2009 Solicitation is now closed. Additional information can be found on the the Grant Resources page at the Fox Valley Technical College and the BJA IASAP Website.
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In August 2002, the Tribal Relations Committee of the Conference of Chief Justices adopted a resolution entitled Resolution 27: To Continue the Improved Operating Relations Among Tribal, State, and Federal Judicial Systems. This resolution was intended to endorse continued efforts to Build on Common Ground, including the endorsement of the following three principles:
- First, tribal state, and federal courts should continue cooperative efforts to enhance relations and resolve jurisdictional issues.
- Second, Congress should provide resources to tribal courts consistent with their current and increasing responsibilities.
- Third, tribal, state, and federal authorities should take steps to include cross-recognition of judgments, final orders, laws, and public acts of the three jurisdictions.
Walking on Common Ground (WalkingOnCommonGround.org) is the most recent effort - sponsored by the Conference of Chief Justices and many other state, tribal, and federal organizations - to build upon the earlier Building on Common Ground effort. The Walking on Common Ground mission statement is: Tribal, federal, and state justice communities join together in the spirit of mutual respect and cooperation, to promote and sustain collaboration, education, and sharing of resources for the benefit of all people. Some important documents found on this site are:
- Revised Tribal-State Collaboration Efforts (U.S. Department of Justice, July 2003)
- Teague Protocol purpose is to effectively and efficiently allocate judicial resources by providing a legal mechanism which clearly outlines the path a legal dispute will follow when both a tribal court and a circuit have jurisdiction over a matter. This protocol does not apply to any case in which controlling law commits exclusive jurisdiction to either the tribal court or the circuit court.
- 1993 Building on Common Ground Document (Web Version) - A Leadership Conference to Develop A National Agenda to Reduce Jurisdictional Disputes Between Tribal, State, and Federal Courts.
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FY 2009 Tribal Justice Capacity Building Training and Technical Assistance Funding Results
- Improving Criminal History Records in Indian Country, 2004-2006 describes the achievements of the Tribal Criminal History Records Improvement Program (T-CHRIP) which provides grants to federally recognized tribes to improve data sharing across tribal, state and national criminal records systems.
- Revitalizing Communities: Innovative State and Local Programs documents a variety of initiatives, including several among Native American tribal communities, that focus on preventing crime and its consequences through community revitalization. Among the problems targeted by these programs are neighborhood blight, drug trafficking, and related crime, as well as inappropriate or ineffective jail sentences for nonviolent offenders. Of particular concern is a significant population of youth at risk for dropout, delinquency, and violent crime.
- Census of Tribal Justice Agencies in Indian Country, 2002 presents detailed information gathered on tribal law enforcement agencies, tribal courts and services, and criminal record systems from the 2002 Census of Tribal Justice Agencies in American Indian Jurisdictions. This project represents one of several components of BJS' on-going program to improve justice statistics and criminal history record information systems in Indian country. The report includes data on the number of law enforcement agencies and officers; characteristics of tribal courts and their caseloads; types of available criminal sanctions; and criminal justice statistics data collection and sharing capacity. The census collected data from nearly 350 tribes in the continental U.S. and is the first comprehensive effort to identify the range of justice agencies operating in tribal jurisdictions, the services those agencies provide, and the types of information systems maintained.
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