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News from Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin
For Immediate Release
Contact: Chip Weiskotten, 202-226-8553
Russ Levsen, 202-226-4449

HOUSE PASSES FUNDING FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT AND CHILDREN’S SAFETY IN SOUTH DAKOTA

Includes Herseth Sandlin Requests for Prairie View Prevention Services, Oglala Sioux Tribe, Sisseton Wahpeton Tribal Law Enforcement, and Children’s Home Society

July 27, 2007, Washington, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin today announced funding for a number of South Dakota priorities as part of the Commerce, Justice and Science appropriations bill. Rep. Herseth Sandlin specifically requested resources included in the bill for meth use prevention programs at Prairie View Prevention Services, the Children’s Home Society of South Dakota, the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety and the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate Department of Justice.

Rep. Herseth Sandlin said, “I am proud to have secured these important resources, which will help keep our communities and families safe. Whether it’s preventing meth use, improving tribal justice systems or aiding victims of child abuse in South Dakota, these are common sense, worthy priorities for our state.”

A more detailed description of the funded programs is below:

Children’s Home Society of South Dakota - $100,000 for forensic interviewing services for children alleged to be sexually or physically abused. Funds will support forensic interviewing centers in Sioux Falls and Rapid City, and be used to streamline interviewing processes.

Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety: $200,000 to support the Oglala Sioux Tribe’s precinct based response plan. The Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety has developed a precinct based response for providing services to the Pine Ridge Reservation. Funds support the Department’s patrolling, community policing and specialized training in the many communities located within Pine Ridge.

Prairie View Prevention Services: $150,000 to continue methamphetamine use prevention programs in South Dakota. The Methamphetamine Awareness and Prevention Project (MAPP-SD) serves as a resource for the general public and provides information and training to retailers, realtors, property owners, educators, first responders, firefighters, law enforcement, medical personnel, and State officials. Federal funding has been instrumental in establishing and supporting this successful program. The MAPP-SD program is currently one of the only projects of its type in the country, focusing on raising awareness, continuing education and providing resources to aid in the battle against meth. All across South Dakota, a network of Methamphetamine Prevention Specialists have established local coalitions in communities to help citizens, business and community leaders, law enforcement and faith based organizations lead the charge against meth in farmlands, small towns and cities across the state. In addition, MAPP-SD continues to expand its work in Indian Country, assisting tribal officials as they work to revise their legal codes to address drug endangered children.

Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate Department of Justice: $100,000 for the development of long-term correctional strategies to decrease the incidence of repeat offenses. The Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate (SWO) has undertaken a comprehensive effort to review the juvenile and adult detention needs on the Lake Traverse Reservation. Since initiating the review in 2005, the SWO has adopted a Community Justice and Rehabilitation Master Plan that encompasses plans for detention units to meet tribal needs but complements them with a variety of intervention programs. Some of the complementary programs include drug and alcohol treatment and counseling, educational services, and job placement services

# # #

Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth Sandlin serves South Dakota in the U.S. House of Representatives. She is a member of the Blue Dog Coalition, a group of moderate Democrats committed to fiscal discipline and strong national security, and is co-chair of the Rural Working Group, which is dedicated to raising the profile of issues important to rural America. She also serves on three committees vital to South Dakota’s interests: Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs and Natural Resources. In the 110th Congress, Rep. Herseth Sandlin was appointed to serve on the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming.