Two students talk with the Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs, Mary Lou Leary after the first speaker and panel session.

The following post appears courtesy of Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Office of Justice Programs Mary Lou Leary

This week, I was privileged to meet with the more than 200 American Indian and Alaska Native youth and adult leaders from 53 tribal communities across the country at the 2012 National Intertribal Youth Summit.  The conference will run through Aug. 2 at the 4-H Conference Center in Chevy Chase, Maryland, and at various locations in Washington, D.C.  I was inspired by the enthusiasm of these remarkable young people who are so strongly invested in the future of their communities, and so eager to help bring about positive change. 

During the summit, the teens will discuss the critical issues facing them in Indian Country.  The participants will have a chance to develop their leadership skills and engage in interactive discussions with tribal elders and leaders, youth advocates, and field experts on cultural values and community-based solutions to these pressing issues.  They will talk about their concerns with officials from Congress and the White House, and from the Departments of Justice, Interior, Health and Human Services and Education.  And while they are here they will tour our city’s monuments and visit the Capitol and the White House.

The Justice Department launched the Youth Summit initiative to promote long-term improvement in public safety in tribal communities.  The Department was responding to requests from tribal leaders for the development of culturally appropriate prevention, treatment and reentry programs for tribal youth and families.  The Summit provides an important opportunity for the Department to ask the young people themselves how they perceive the problems and what they recommend in formulating solutions.

As Acting Associate Attorney General Tony West said at the opening ceremony:

“This summit is an opportunity for those of us in Washington to hear directly from youth as representatives of their tribes…The choices that young leaders make will help define the future of their tribal nations.  Working together, we can develop solutions to the challenges that they, their families, and their peers face each day.”

The following post appears courtesy of Acting Associate Attorney General Tony West

This week, I was honored to be a guest of the people of the Crow and Northern Cheyenne reservations in Montana.  I saw firsthand how the Crow and Northern Cheyenne are meeting the many challenges that face them with a spirit of resilience and commitment to community.   Like many American Indian and Alaska Native communities, both communities struggle with unacceptable rates of violence against women and children, unemployment, youth delinquency, substance abuse, and suicide.

But there is also much to be hopeful for.  In my conversations with tribal leaders, law enforcement and court officials, health care workers, community advocates, youth and other tribal members this week, I was awed at the many small and large efforts underway to make these communities safer and healthier.  I was astounded at how Indians, young and old, are keeping alive ancient traditions that strengthen the bonds of family and community.

Building safe and healthy communities in Indian country is a top priority for the Department of Justice.  One of the reasons for my visit was to explore ways to build on the progress we are making through an unprecedented level of collaboration and communication with tribes, through leadership at the Justice Department and the innovative work of U.S. Attorneys’ Offices around the country.  In Montana, these efforts are led by U.S. Attorney Mike Cotter, whose staff is fully engaged in programs underway on Montana reservations.

On Wednesday, Mike and I visited the Child and Adolescent Referral and Evaluation Center (CARE) facility at the Crow/Northern Cheyenne hospital, where children who may be victims of crime or have been exposed to violence are cared for in a safe environment that reduces trauma, provides comprehensive care, and facilitates the investigation that can bring justice and accountability where a crime has been committed.

We also announced a pilot project to establish Sexual Assault Response Teams (SARTs) on all Montana reservations.  We hope that placing SART teams on every Montana reservation will bring healing and justice to victims of sexual violence – the kind of help that will also strengthen the faith and confidence that native women have in their criminal justice system.

On Thursday, we explored an array of youth programs underway at the Northern Cheyenne Boys and Girls Club, which provides a safe haven for at-risk youth, offers prevention programs to cut drop-out rates, teen pregnancy, and youth incarceration, and nurtures boys and girls with cultural activities that also keep Northern Cheyenne culture alive.

It was a privilege and an inspiration to visit Montana Indian country this week, and it is my hope that we continue to learn from one another and work together on this shared journey.  We have quite a ways to go to solve some very difficult problems, but with mutual respect and unbreakable resolve, we are certainly moving in the right direction.

This week the Justice Department commemorated National Police Week by hosting and attending events across the country to honor those who have sacrificed for the protection of us all.

In 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation that designated May 15th as Peace Officers Memorial Day. That day falls during Police Week. Each year, tens of thousands of law enforcement officers from around the world converge on Washington, D.C., to participate in events that honor those that have paid the ultimate sacrifice.

Attorney General Eric Holder spoke at the Bureau of Prisons Correctional Workers Memorial Service. He expressed gratitude and thanks that no new names had been added to the memorial this year, and highlighted the heroic actions of Gregory J. Gunter, a former off-duty maintenance mechanic general foreman at the Federal Correctional Institute in Petersburg, Va.

On Christmas Day in 1982, Gunter responded to a radio call for help during a riot where he was tragically fatally wounded. As Attorney General Holder noted:

“Foreman Gunter’s extraordinary actions delayed the large group of inmates from reaching those they were pursuing, and provided time for additional staff to arrive and end the riot.  There is no doubt that his sacrifice saved lives, prevented injuries – both among inmates and staff – and allowed order to be restored.”

Attorney General Holder also spoke at the 14^th Annual Candlelight Vigil sponsored by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial.  He shared the stories of bravery from members of the “thin blue line.” He remarked that the time has come to put past our differences in an effort to protect those who protect us, and said:

  “Block by block, city by city, department by department – we can combat and hold totally accountable with the harshest penalties, the criminal element that menaces our communities and targets the law enforcement family.”

 Other department officials also participated in Police Week 2012. Acting Associate Attorney General Tony West attended the 18^th Annual Blue Mass at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Washington, D.C. The mass honors law enforcement and fire safety officers for their service.

 Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Director Bernard Melekian hosted an open house on Capitol Hill, meeting with congressional members and their staff to discuss upcoming law enforcement grant programs and public safety trends.

 Director Melekian also delivered remarks during the National Association of Police Organizations Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. He discussed the work of the department’s Officer Safety and Wellness Group, a collaboration of local, state and federal law enforcement agencies and practitioners. The group works to develop initiatives designed to reduce the number of officer fatalities.

 At the meeting, he spoke about the department’s commitment to keeping officers safe:

 “We have to continue applying resources and expertise to help find a resolution to the issue of officer fatalities. This partnership has been long overdue, but we’re fortunate to see a broader effort being made, with new components developing strategies aimed at decreasing officer deaths due to gunfire, traffic accidents and suicides.”

 U.S. Attorneys across the country also celebrated Police Week in their districts. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware held several events honoring officers including a law enforcement suicide prevention seminar aimed at increasing suicide awareness, improving access to resources and identifying best practices. The training was held in conjunction with the National Organization for Black Law Enforcement Executives and the Delaware Air National Guard, 166^th Airlift Wing.

 U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia, Timothy J. Heaphy, will speak at an officer’s memorial service in Tazewell, Va., this week.

 Events continue this weekend and throughout the month, to honor those who serve and protect every community across the country. For more information, including a detailed schedule of events for National Police Week 2012, visit www.policeweek.org.

The following post appears courtesy of  Acting Associate Attorney General Tony West

When we review the statistics, look in our communities, or read the newspaper, it is clear that our children face great challenges.  Whether at home, in school, on the streets, or online, our children are witnessing and experiencing intolerable levels of violence.  At the Department of Justice, we know that understanding the nature and extent of children’s exposure to violence is essential to combating its effects. 

Today, I’m pleased to announce that, with the support of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the department is releasing new data in a bulletin entitled Child and Youth Victimization Known to Police, School and Medical Authorities. This bulletin tells us when children report violence, what type of violence, and to whom.  It specifically looks at the victimizations that were known to the police, teachers and other school personnel, and doctors and other medical professionals.

Attorney General Eric Holder has made preventing violence against children a top priority at one of the largest law enforcement agencies in the world.  To that end, he established the Attorney General’s National Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence, also called the Defending Childhood Task Force, which is working to identify the scope of, and solutions to, violence against children.  We are striving for a safe environment for our children so that they have the opportunity to develop into healthy adults.  This, we know, will determine the course of our nation’s future. 

There is much progress being made by the task force, but I want to highlight one area in which the department is hard at work—gathering nationwide data on childhood victims of violence. 

According to the new data, we know that, overall, kids are disclosing incidents of violence they suffered or witnessed at much higher rates than 20 years ago.  But too much victimization is still unreported, and we’ve discovered much about where reporting remains low.  For example, our findings indicate that authorities knew about a majority of serious victimizations, including incidents of sexual abuse by an adult, gang assaults, and kidnappings.  But authorities were mostly unaware of other kinds of  serious offenses committed by peers, such as instances of dating violence (15 percent reported) and completed and attempted rape by a peer (14 percent reported).  Moreover, authorities were much less likely to learn of victimizations of certain groups of victims (like boys, Hispanic youth, and youth from higher socio-economic status) or when the perpetrators were peers or family members.  And finally, authorities only knew about half of the episodes of children witnessing domestic violence. 

The sooner we know about a child’s victimization or exposure to violence, the better our chances are at intervening effectively and the more likely we are to restore hope in a child’s life.  We can help bridge the gaps between our partners in schools, law enforcement, and the medical community to ensure that children have access to effective prevention and treatment options.  The research also reminds us that for all the progress achieved in this area, still too many children suffer in silence, never getting the assistance they so desperately need. Getting them critical help that could make all the difference in their lives. 

Breaking that silence is the ultimate goal—our collective goal—for Defending Childhood.  So, if you or someone you know has been a victim, I hope you will take the first step.  Learn how you can take action to protect children at justice.gov/defendingchildhood If you’re a victim of violence in your home, and wanthelp right away, call or visit: The National Child Abuse Hotline  at 1-800-4-A-CHILD or 1-800-2-A-CHILD (TTY).  Justice begins with you.

April 22-28, 2012 is National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW). Each April since 1981, the Office for Victims of Crimes at the U.S. Department of Justice has helped lead communities throughout the country in their annual observances by promoting victims’ rights and honoring crime victims and those who advocate on their behalf.  Learn more at OVC.gov.

Volunteers from the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) joined today with Washington Parks & People and the DC Green Corps for the division’s ninth annual Earth Day Service Celebration at Marvin Gaye Park in Northeast Washington, D.C.    

Graduates of the DC Green Corps urban forestry job training program, an organization that advocates for environmental justice and sustainable native reforestation, worked alongside ENRD volunteers to plant trees at a nearby public housing complex and on a hillside in the stream valley.  The trees planted by volunteers will provide shade for residents and more storm water capture for the stream valley.

 Acting Associate Attorney General Tony West and Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division Ignacia S. Moreno opened the day with remarks for the roughly 100 volunteers in attendance. Welcoming the volunteers, Tony West said:

  “As a nation, we have taken great strides since the first Earth Day more than 40 years ago, from the landmark environmental legislation of the 1970s to recent efforts to address greenhouse gas emissions. The story of Marvin Gaye Park’s renewal is an inspiration.”

 In her remarks, Assistant Attorney General Moreno said:

 “Today, on the second anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon explosion and resulting massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, we remember the 11 lives that were tragically lost.  We also are reminded that our natural resources are precious and that we must continue to protect these resources and the communities across the nation who rely on them for their livelihood.”

The Community Greening Center in Marvin Gaye Park is a neighborhood-based nursery for plants and trees as well as an environmental education resource center.  Last year, ENRD volunteers broke ground on the greening center with Washington Parks & People and DC Green Corps volunteers.   

For more information about Washington Parks & People and Marvin Gaye Park, visit http://www.washingtonparks.net/.

View a photo gallery of the 2012 Earth Day Service Celebration at Marvin Gaye Park.

Attorney General Eric Holder announces the settlement of breach-of-trust lawsuits filed by more than 40 federally recognized American Indian tribes against the United States.

The following post appears courtesy of  Acting Associate Attorney General Tony West and Assistant Attorney General Ignacia S. Moreno.

Today, we were honored to join Attorney General Eric Holder and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar to announce the settlement of breach-of-trust lawsuits filed by more than 40 federally recognized American Indian tribes against the United States.  The announcement was an extraordinary conclusion to nearly two years of negotiations between the tribes and the United States that have culminated in settlements between the government and 41 tribes, totaling more than $1 billion.

These settlements resolve in a fair and just manner breach-of-trust claims brought by Indian tribes, some dating back more than a century. They bring to an end long-standing disputes about the management of trust funds and non-monetary trust resources, and will allow the United States and the tribes to move beyond divisive issues and into a new era of strengthened and respectful government-to-government relationships.  This is a fundamental goal of this Administration. 

We have been proud to lead the team of attorneys who represent the Department of Justice in these negotiations and to conclude this process in a way that addresses historical grievances and strengthens the trust relationship that is so fundamental to the government-to-government relationship with American Indian tribes and Alaska Native villages.  We look forward to continuing similar efforts to resolve cases brought by other tribes through settlements that are fair to both the tribes and the United States. 

Under the negotiated settlement agreements, litigation will end regarding the Department of the Interior’s accounting and management of the tribes’ trust accounts, trust lands, and other natural resources.  The United States will compensate the tribes for their breach-of-trust claims, and the tribes will waive, release, and dismiss their claims with prejudice.  The settlement agreements also contain measures to strengthen management of the tribes’ funds and natural resources, to improve communications between the tribes and the Department of the Interior, and to resolve disputes informally to reduce the likelihood of future litigation.

Read more: Attorney General Holder and Secretary Salazar Announce $1 Billion Settlement of Tribal Trust Accounting and Management Lawsuits Filed by More Than 40 Tribes