Justice Department Awards Over $97 Million to Improve Public Safety and Victim Services for American Indians and Alaska Natives

WASHINGTON, DC. – The Department of Justice today announced 206 awards, totaling more than $97 million, to American Indian tribes, Alaska Native villages, tribal consortia and tribal designees. The announcement was made last week at the 2015 Tribal Leader Briefing, sponsored by the National Congress of American Indians, and included Tribal leaders, Members of Congress and Administration officials.

Awards to American Indian Tribes in Oregon include funding for Tribal Youth Programs; Juvenile Healing to Wellness Courts; Alcohol and Substance Abuse Programs; Comprehensive Tribal Victim Assistance Program; Community Police Programs; and; Violence Against Women Programs, as follows:

$1,227,951      Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians

$   101,969      Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon

$   830,457      Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation

$   683,439      Coquille Indian Tribe

$   450,000      The Klamath Tribes   

The awards are made through the Department’s Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation (CTAS), a single application for tribal-specific grant programs.  The Department developed CTAS through its Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, Office of Justice Programs and Office on Violence Against Women, and administered the first round of consolidated grants in September 2010.

“My office has a strong history of working closely with the tribal communities in Oregon on issues of public safety, juvenile justice, violence against women, services for crime victims, and tribal youth programs,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams.  “These funds will make a significant impact on enhancing community safety and prevention programs throughout Oregon, and across the nation.”

“For the past five years, the CTAS program has helped tribes develop their own comprehensive approaches to making their communities safer and healthier,” said Acting Associate Attorney General Stuart F. Delery. “CTAS grants have funded hundreds of programs to better serve crime victims, promote community policing, and strengthen justice systems.  This year’s awards also support efforts to reduce domestic and dating violence, and promote wellness and healing for tribal youth, among many other programs.”

The awards are made through the Department’s Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation (CTAS), a single application for tribal-specific grant programs.  The Department developed CTAS through its Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, Office of Justice Programs and Office on Violence Against Women, and administered the first round of consolidated grants in September 2010.

Since then, more than 1,400 grants totaling more than $620 million have been provided to enhance law enforcement practices, victim services, and sustain crime prevention and intervention efforts in nine purpose areas; public safety and community policing; justice systems planning: alcohol and substance abuse; corrections and correctional alternatives; children’s justice act partnerships; services for victims of crime; violence against women; juvenile justice; and tribal youth programs.

American Indians and Alaska Natives experience disproportionate rates of violence and victimization and often encounter significant obstacles to identifying and accessing culturally relevant services.  CTAS funding helps tribes to develop and strengthen  tribal justice systems’ response to crime, while significantly increasing programs and services available to  them.

A listing of all of the awards is available at www.justice.gov/tribal.

This announcement is part of the Justice Department’s ongoing initiative to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.