Bureau of Justice Assistance - Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice - Solutions for Safer CommunitiesOJP SealAttorney General Alberto R. GonzalesAssistant Attorney General Regina B. SchofieldBJA Director Domingo S. Herraiz
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Tribal Justice

BJA is committed to preventing and controlling crime, violence, and substance abuse and improving the functioning of criminal justice systems in American Indian and Alaska Native communities. BJA works with tribes providing leadership, good management, and quality services in grant administration and policy development, and coordinates with other U.S. Department of Justice components and other agencies and organizations to ensure that limited federal funds are used to achieve the maximum possible benefit.

At BJA, we are committed to:

  • Working collaboratively with American Indian and Alaska Native officials to build safer, better, and more caring communities.

  • Partnering with tribal officials to develop, implement, and enhance justice systems that reflect community values, needs, and expectations.

  • Fostering communication and developing viable partnerships among tribal, federal, state, and local units of government to coordinate and resolve jurisdictional issues, which is necessary for the effective administration of justice.

  • Preventing and controlling crime, alcohol, and substance abuse.

  • Stopping the spread of methamphetamine into tribal communities.

  • Resolving community differences through traditional dispute resolution and alternative sanctions.

  • Enhancing the technological capacity of tribal information systems to share justice-related information with offices and agencies internal and external to the jurisdiction.

  • Providing assistance to plan and construct correctional facilities on tribal lands for the incarceration of offenders subject to tribal jurisdiction.

Related Publications
Indian Alcohol and Substance Abuse Program Fact Sheet
Tribal Courts Assistance Program Fact Sheet
Neither Safe Nor Secure: An Assessment of Indian Detention Facilities
Testimony of Department of the Interior's Inspector General Before the Senate Committee on Finance

Related Web Sites
Alaska Native Justice Center
Criminal Justice Center for Innovation, Fox Valley Technical College
National Institute for Trial Advocacy
National Tribal Judicial Center
National Judicial College
National Tribal Justice Resource Center
Native American Rights Fund
Tribal Courts Clearinghouse
Tribal Judicial Institute at the University of North Dakota Law School
Tribal Law and Policy Institute

For more links, search our Related Web Sites database.

Training

BJA provides training and technical assistance through the Tribal Justice Assistance Program to plan, develop, implement, and enhance tribal justice systems (western-style and traditional courts, restorative justice, wellness and drug courts, ICWA, judges and clerks training, family violence, gangs, code development, etc.). The Tribal Judicial Institute at the University of North Dakota Law School coordinates this training through a consortium of organizations that include but is not limited to the Native American Alliance Foundation, National Judicial College, National Tribal Justice Resource Center, National Institute for Trial Advocacy, Alaska Native Justice Center, and the Native American Rights Fund.

Under the Indian Alcohol and Substance Abuse Program training and technical assistance (strategic planning, interdiction, prevention, treatment, etc.) is provided through the Criminal Justice Center for Innovation (Fox Valley Technical College), which coordinates training through a consortium of organizations that include but is not limited to the Native American Alliance Foundation, National Tribal Judicial Center, National Tribal Justice Resource Center, and the Tribal Law & Policy Institute.

Construction of Correctional Facilities on Tribal Lands Discretionary Grant Program technical assistance is provided by Justice Planners International (JPI). JPI may be contacted at either (201) 768-6839 or (404) 373-8440.

For detailed information on all BJA-sponsored training and technical assistance, search the Menu of Training Opportunities.