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Tribal Reentry Program Launches Amid Recidivism Concerns
A disturbing trend of recidivism rates among returning members has prompted the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for North Dakota and South Dakota to take drastic measures in launching a Tribal Reentry Program.
On April 22, 2016, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe will officially assign 3 to 5 members returning to the community to the first two fully-qualified mentors in the program at the council chambers in the SRST government building located in Fort Yates, ND, at 12:30 p.m.
The program, which has been in the works since December 2014, aims to reduce recidivism rates by providing spiritual and cultural guidance to returning offenders. The Tribal Reentry Program is the result of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by the U.S. Attorneys for the District of North and South Dakota in a ceremony held at the SRST Council Chambers on July 7, 2015.
The MOU has led to the creation of a charter and plan of action that will see the participation of several key stakeholders, including the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services – Standing Rock Agency, the South Dakota Department of Corrections, the North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the South Dakota Unified Judicial System, the North Dakota U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services, the South Dakota U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services, the South Dakota Department of Tribal Relations, and the North Dakota Indian Affairs Commission.
“The launching of the Mentorship Program is an extraordinary step in a positive direction,” said Troy Morley, a reentry services team member, Assistant U.S Attorney, and Tribal Liaison for the District of South Dakota. “The MOU we have in place has provided an incredible opportunity for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, and all of the state and federal partners, to work jointly towards the goal of reducing recidivism and increasing public safety for all tribal members.
According to officials, the program will revolve around spiritual and cultural mentors who have successfully reintegrated back into the community. These mentors will provide guidance to returning offenders on how to avoid the common pitfalls of reentry, ultimately helping them become “reacclimated” to the reservation community.
The U.S. Attorney’s Offices for North Dakota and South Dakota have been collaborating with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe since December 2014 to organize the Tribal Reentry Program. The program is an effort to address the growing issue of recidivist activity being committed by returning members.
For information regarding National Reentry Week, please click on this link: https://www.justice.gov/opa/blog/national-reentry-week
Key Facts
- State: South Dakota
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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