Department of Justice – Page 6

DOJ Announces Grant Solicitation for Funding to Federally-Recognized Tribes and Tribal Consortia

January 18, 2012Matthew L.M. Fletcher

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCES GRANT SOLICITATION FOR FUNDING TO FEDERALLY-RECOGNIZED TRIBES AND TRIBAL CONSORTIA

$ 101.4 Million Available Through the Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Justice today announced that the comprehensive grant solicitation for funding to support improvements to public safety, victim services and crime prevention in American Indian and Alaska Native communities will be posted at 3:00 p.m. EST today at www.justice.gov/tribal/open-sol.html.

All materials will be accessible today for review. The Community Partnerships Grants Management System will begin accepting electronic applications on Monday, Jan. 23, 2012.

“We are committed to helping strengthen and sustain safe and healthy American Indian and Alaska Native communities with a funding process that is responsive and coordinated,” said Associate Attorney General Tom Perrelli. “This effort to streamline the grant application process, with multiple purpose areas, offers tribes and tribal consortia an opportunity to develop a comprehensive and community-based approach to public safety and support for victims.”

A total of more than $101.4 million is available through the Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation (CTAS) and is administered by the Office of Justice Programs (OJP), the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) and the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW). The funding can be used to conduct comprehensive planning, enhance law enforcement, bolster justice systems, support and enhance tribal efforts to prevent and control delinquency and strengthen the juvenile justice system, prevent youth substance abuse, serve sexual assault and elder victims, and support other efforts to combat crimes. To view the fact sheet on the FY 2012 CTAS, visit www.justice.gov//tribal/ctas2012/ctas-factsheet.pdf.

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DOJ No. 3 Tom Perrelli Stepping Down

January 12, 2012January 12, 2012Matthew L.M. Fletcher1 Comment

Here:

Associate Attorney General Tom Perrelli will leave the third highest-ranking post at the Justice Department in March after nearly three years managing a bustling portfolio that has run the gamut from mortgage abuses and the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico to stamping out domestic violence in Indian country.

Perrelli, 45, says that he’ll take several months off to spend with his growing family. He and his wife have a five-year-old, a two-year-old, and a pair of twins due in May. “This is the best job I’ll ever have,” Perrelli tells us, “you really couldn’t ask for better.” But, long hours spent overseeing Justice Department units that handle tax, civil rights, environment, antitrust, civil cases and billions of dollars in federal grant programs has taken “an enormous amount of energy and commitment and sacrifice.”

Perrelli says he started working at the Justice Department as a 19-year-old, when he helped write computer programs during his summer breaks. He returned to headquarters during the tenure of President Clinton, and developed a strong interest in public safety and law enforcement in Indian Country. That came full circle in 2009, when Perrelli helped negotiate an end to a decade-long case filed by Native Americans who argued the government had mismanaged their federal trusts. Lately, Perrelli has appeared on Capitol Hill to testify in support of legislation that would improve the response to domestic violence on reservations.

DOJ Opinion on Internet Gaming

December 26, 2011December 26, 2011Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Here is the NYTs coverage.

And the opinion.

Public Comments on DOJ Tribal Consultation Policy Due December 31st

December 7, 2011Kate Fort

DOJ has released a draft tribal consultation policy available here. Public comments on the consultation policy are due by December 31st. Comments should be sent to USAEO.DOJTribalConsultation@usdoj.gov

Update in Muffingate

October 29, 2011October 29, 2011Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Apparently, the $16 muffin was illusory.

Here.

Here is the revised OIG report.

NNBA Supports DOJ Investigation into Killing of Ditidaht Carver

October 28, 2011October 28, 2011Adrea Korthase

The statement from the National Native American Bar Association can be found here. An excerpt:

The National Native American Bar Association (NNABA) condemns the killing of John T. Williams by a Seattle Police officer in August of 2010. Williams was a talented Ditidaht First Nations carver who for many years endured the significant challenges facing homeless Native people in Seattle. His killing has outraged the Tribal community and raised serious concerns about equal justice and Seattle Police Department accountability.

The following is a story about the investigation from earlier this month in the Seattle Times:

Two Seattle police officers have agreed to cooperate in the FBI’s investigation into the fatal shooting of woodcarver John T. Williams by a former officer, but only after they were subpoenaed to appear before a federal grand jury, according to police officials.

and

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and FBI are investigating whether Birk violated Williams’ civil rights.

The federal review into the shooting is separate from the Justice Department’s broad civil-rights investigation of the Police Department announced in March. That federal investigation is focused on allegations related to use-of-force and biased policing.

DOJ Seeks Tribal Leader Input on Eagle Feathers

October 23, 2011October 24, 2011Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Here:

Eagle Feathers – DOJ Request for Tribal Input

Long Term Plan to Build and Enhance Tribal Justice Systems

August 29, 2011August 29, 2011Adrea Korthase1 Comment

Earlier this month the DOI and DOJ released the Long Term Plan to Build and Enhance Tribal Justice Systems. An excerpt:

Central Themes of the Tribal Justice Plan
The following major themes emerged from consultation and public comment:

Establishing alternatives to incarceration should be the major focus.

The Tribal Justice Plan should be implemented in consultation and collaboration with Tribal Leaders and should be flexible enough to allow tribes to develop strategies tailored to their specific public safety needs and tribal history and culture.

The Tribal Justice Plan should coordinate federal, tribal, state and local government resources to support operations, programming in tribal justice systems, and critical infrastructure issues with tribal correctional facilities, fully mindful of the sovereign status of tribes in these coordination efforts.

There should be greater coordination between DOJ and DOI with respect to awards for grants that may be used to construct tribal correctional facilities and multi-purpose justice centers (which may be provided by DOJ) and P.L. 93-638 contracts and self-governance compacts for funding operations (provided only by DOI). The Departments are committed to addressing the issue of coordination to address this and other issues related to detention in Indian country.

Additional links can be found at NCAI.