U.S. Department of Justice

New Website – Sex Trafficking Resources for Tribal Coalitions

Victoria Sweet

A new website is now available with the express purpose of providing sex trafficking information and resources for tribal domestic violence and sexual assault coalitions. The link to the site is here.

From the site:

This website was created to provide tribal coalitions with quick access to information their advocates need–legal resources, victim service directories, training calendars, technical assistance, and more.

Additionally, we envision this site as a place for Native women to find help when dealing with violence. Individuals can reach out to their local Tribal Coalition(s) for assistance or they can easily use our Victim Services Directory themselves. We suggest, however, that individuals contact their local tribal coalition for assistance first. A Tribal Coalition can help individuals navigate options and services, and utilizing coalition connections can increase a client’s chances of receiving services or referrals immediately. 

The site includes federal, state, and tribal laws, articles, resources, and information about victim services and will continue to include new information as it becomes available.

Tribal Access to Name Based Background Checks for Emergency Placements

Victoria Sweet

Tribal Access to Name Based Background Checks for Emergency Placements

For some time tribes have raised the issue of tribal child welfare agencies not having access to name-based background checks for emergency child placements.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Office of Justice Services is now authorized to do name-based background checks for tribal emergency placements for tribes with social services agencies.  The program is called, “BIA-OJS Purpose Code X Program.”  Children’s Bureau is working with BIA and the Department of Justice to inform tribes about the change and roll out of the process.  Two informational phone calls will be held to disseminate information about the name-based background checks and the process.  These calls will include partners with the Department of Justice and the Bureau of Indian Affairs who will be on hand to answer questions.

Two Opportunities to participate in an Informational Call-In about BIA-OJS Purpose Code X Program with Department of Justice, Bureau of Indian Affairs – Office of Tribal Justice, and Children’s Bureau:

Wednesday August 26, 2015

First Call:  3:00pm to 4:00pm (Eastern time) Noon to 1:00pm (Pacific time)

Participants can register for the conference by navigating to http://dpregister.com/10071565
Please note that registered participants will receive their dial in number upon registration.

Pre-registration fields of information to be gathered:  Name, Tribal Affiliation

Those without internet access or unable to pre-register may dial in by calling:
PARTICIPANT DIAL IN (TOLL FREE):           1-877-270-2148
PARTICIPANT INTERNATIONAL DIAL IN:  1-412-902-6510

Information gathered for unregistered parties:  Name and Company
Please ask to be joined into the United States Department of Justice call.

Second Call: 4:00pm to 5:00pm (Eastern time) 1:00pm to 2:00pm (Pacific time)

Participants can register for the conference by navigating to http://dpregister.com/10071577
Please note that registered participants will receive their dial in number upon registration.

Pre-registration fields of information to be gathered:  Name, Tribal Affiliation

Those without internet access or unable to pre-register may dial in by calling:
PARTICIPANT DIAL IN (TOLL FREE):           1-877-270-2148
PARTICIPANT INTERNATIONAL DIAL IN:   1-412-902-6510

Information gathered for unregistered parties:  Name and Company
Please ask to be joined into the United States Department of Justice call.

The U.S. Department of Justice announced on Wednesday, August 19, 2015 the Tribal Access Program for National Crime Information, or TAP, will allow federally recognized tribes to enter criminal records into and pull information out of national databases overseen by the Criminal Justice Information Services Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has established the Tribal Access Program for National Crime Information (TAP) to provide tribes access to national crime information databases for both civil and criminal purposes. TAP will allow tribes to more effectively serve and protect their nation’s citizens by ensuring the exchange of critical data.  The new TAP program will support and train tribes as they connect with the system. Once established, they’ll be able to use the databases in the same way as outside law enforcement.

Also on Wednesday, August 19, Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn announced a new Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Office of Justice Services (BIA-OJS) program to assist federally recognized tribal social services agencies seeking to place children in safe homes. “The BIA-OJS Purpose Code X Program will provide tribal social service agencies with the information they need to protect the children they place into care in emergency situations when parents are unable to provide for their welfare,” Washburn said. “This program provides BIA law enforcement personnel with the ability to provide our social service agency partners with much-needed information to help to make sure children requiring emergency placements will be placed in safe homes.” The BIA-OJS Purpose Code X Program arose out of a 2014 working group formed by the Departments of Justice (DOJ) and the Interior (DOI) that also developed the Tribal Access Program for National Crime Information (TAP).

BIA-OJS dispatch centers will be available to provide 24-hour access to criminal history records, so name-based checks can be done immediately. Protocols for operating under the new program are being developed by BIA-OJS and will be tested by a select number of tribes prior to a nationwide implementation of the program.

http://www.justice.gov/tribal/tribal-access-program-tap

Previous coverage here and here.