Tribal Justice and Safety In Indian Country

Resources

"Before contact with Europeans, Native American communities were largely governed by strong, traditional social structures."¹ Today, the Native American social structure is augmented with new Western systems - law enforcement and tribal justice systems. Indian tribes that are interested in improving the quality of life for their members are finding creative ways to balance the traditional social structures and the Western criminal justice system. Collaboration among traditional tribal experts, community members, tribal government representatives, federal agencies, law enforcement, and the courts are addressing tribal justice and safety issues in many tribal communities.

These systemic and local challenges are many and complex. The U.S. Department of Justice recognizes the need to maximize collaboration, coordinate resources, enhance the capacity of tribal justice systems, and sustain efforts overtime. To assist, many components in the Department sponsor awareness and training for federal-state-tribal agencies working on Indian affairs. It is through this recognition of need and education where federal-state-tribal representatives meet on common ground to strengthen relations. The Office of Tribal Justice is the primary channel of communication for Native Americans with the Department of Justice, and facilitates the coordination of a broad range of Native American issues to help unify the federal response. The Office of Justice Programs (OJP), the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), and the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) provides many of the tools available to Indian Country to help implement community-based solutions.

One of OJPs programs, Weed and Seed is designed to help tribal communities work with neighboring jurisdictions to develop comprehensive strategies with their neighbors to address common issues such as alcohol and substance abuse. Weed and Seed is a community-based effort designed to promote and implement comprehensive strategies to weed out violent crime and restore or create an environment for social and economic prosperity.

Communities work with their local U.S. Attorney, Drug Enforcement Administration, law enforcement, prevention and treatments, and community development agencies. When communities are in distress, the Community Relations Services will work with tribal governments to resolve disputes by dialogue and joint problem-solving.

National Night Out

Administered by the National Association of Town Watch, Wynnewood, PA, National Night Out (NNO) is the culmination of a year-long effort of coalition and partnership building (i.e., law enforcement, other public and private service providers, businesses, community-based organizations, residents, youth groups, etc.) at the local level that serves to coordinate the development of comprehensive neighborhood-wide strategies to combat crime, violence, and drug abuse. First launched in 1984, a total of 400 communities participated in community building and crime watch activities. Since then, the program has grown to involve metropolitan, rural and tribal communities and in 2005, more than 34 million people from all 50 states celebrated NNO via parades, neighborhood block parties, mall events, and safety fairs giving neighbors and police a chance to get to know each other better.

Citizen Corps

The Citizen Corps mission is accomplished through a national network of state, local, and tribal Citizen Corps Councils. These Councils help drive local citizen participation by coordinating Citizen Corps programs, developing community action plans, assessing possible threats, and identifying local resources. The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program educates people about disaster preparedness and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, and disaster medical operations. Using their training, CERT members can assist others in their neighborhood or workplace following an event and can take a more active role in preparing their community. The program is administered by Department of Homeland Security. The Fire Corps promotes the use of citizen advocates to enhance the capacity of resource-constrained fire and rescue departments at all levels: volunteer, combination, and career. Citizen advocates can assist local fire departments in a range of activities including fire safety outreach, youth programs, and administrative support. Fire Corps provides resources to assist fire and rescue departments in creating opportunities for citizen advocates and promotes citizen participation. Fire Corps is funded through DHS and is managed and implemented through a partnership between the National Volunteer Fire Council, the International Association of Fire Fighters, and the International Association of Fire Chiefs.

Neighborhood Watch Program (NWP)

The Neighborhood Watch Program (NWP) incorporates terrorism awareness education into its existing crime prevention mission, while also serving as a way to bring residents together to focus on emergency preparedness and emergency response training. Funded by the Department of Justice (DOJ), Neighborhood Watch is administered by the National Sheriffs' Association.

Medical Reserve Corps (MRC)

The Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) Program strengthens communities by helping medical, public health and other volunteers offer their expertise throughout the year as well as during local emergencies and other times of community need. MRC volunteers work in coordination with existing local emergency response programs and also supplement existing community public health initiatives, such as outreach and prevention, immunization programs, blood drives, case management, care planning, and other efforts. The MRC program is administered by Health and Human Services. Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS) works to enhance the capacity of state and local law enforcement to utilize volunteers. VIPS serves as a gateway to resources and information for and about law enforcement volunteer programs. Funded by DOJ, VIPS is managed and implemented by International Association of Chiefs of Police.

¹ Kim Baca, "The Changing Federal Role in Indian Country", National Institute of Justice Journal, April 2001, p. 13


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