MADISON — The U.S. Department of Justice announced Friday, October 18, that it has awarded over $273.4 million in grants to improve public safety, serve victims of crime, combat violence against women and support youth programs in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.
“Violent crime and domestic abuse in American Indian and Alaska Native communities remain at unacceptably high levels, and they demand a response that is both clear and comprehensive,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “We will continue to work closely with our tribal partners to guarantee they have the resources they need to curb violence and bring healing to the victims most profoundly affected by it.”
In the Western District of Wisconsin, five tribal communities were awarded over $5.8 million in funding. They include:
- Bad River Band of Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians – $1,717,145
- Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians – $573,400
- Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians – $900,000
- Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa – $1,957,170
- St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin – $717,261
“These grant funds will improve public safety and provide significant assistance to the victims of violent crimes in these tribal communities in the Western District of Wisconsin,” said U.S. Attorney Blader. “My office will continue to support our tribal partners as they work to protect their communities.”
Nationwide, 236 grants were awarded to 149 American Indian tribes, Alaska Native villages and other tribal designees through the Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation (CTAS), a streamlined application for tribal-specific grant programs. Of the $118 million awarded via CTAS, just over $62.6 million comes from the Office of Justice Programs, about $33.1 million from the Office on Violence Against Women and more than $23.2 million from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. A portion of the funding will support tribal youth mentoring and intervention services, help native communities implement requirements of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, and provide training and technical assistance to tribal communities. Another $5.5 million was funded by OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance to provide training and technical assistance to CTAS awardees.
CTAS funding helps tribes develop and strengthen their justice systems’ response to crime, while expanding services to meet their communities’ public safety needs. The awards cover 10 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; violent crime reduction; and tribal youth programs.
