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Tribal Governments Get New Powers to Prosecute Abusers
Widespread violence against Native American women has prompted a new push by the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) to give tribal governments greater authority to prosecute their abusers.
The OVW has announced a new grant program, the Grants to Tribal Governments to Exercise Special Domestic Violence Criminal Jurisdiction Program, which aims to support tribal governments in using their newfound authority to investigate and prosecute crimes of domestic violence and dating violence committed in Indian country.
The new program is a result of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013, which recognized the inherent power of tribes to exercise special domestic violence criminal jurisdiction over defendants who commit acts of domestic violence or dating violence in Indian country, regardless of their Indian or non-Indian status.
According to Principal Deputy Director Bea Hanson, the new grant program is a crucial step in the department’s ongoing effort to help tribes across the country make full use of their special domestic violence criminal jurisdiction authority.
The Tribal Jurisdiction Program encourages tribal governments to work together with the entire tribal criminal justice system and victim service providers to incorporate systemic changes that ensure victim safety and offender accountability.
Under the program, tribes can use funds to strengthen their criminal justice systems, provide defense counsel to indigent defendants, ensure that jurors are selected and instructed properly, and accord victims of domestic violence similar rights to those described in the federal Crime Victims’ Rights Act.
The OVW will award 36-month grants ranging from $300,000 to $450,000 to eligible tribal governments. Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on June 20. A pre-application webinar will be held on May 25 to review the grant requirements and answer questions. Interested parties can register by emailing OVW.TribalJurisdiction@usdoj.gov by May 23.
The new program is a significant step forward in addressing the widespread violence against Native American women, which has long been a pressing issue in Indian country. By giving tribal governments the resources and authority they need to hold abusers accountable, the OVW hopes to create a safer and more just community for all.
For more information on the Tribal Jurisdiction Program, visit the OVW’s website at www.justice.gov/ovw/open-solicitations.
Key Facts
- State: Federal
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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