Tribal Justice and Safety In Indian Country

Consultation Summary
Consultation on Attorney General Guidelines for Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, May 25, 2007
Memo to National Tribal Organizations and Regional Tribal Organizations, May 3, 2007
Letter to Tribal Leaders and Tribal Colleagues, April 18, 2007
Tribal Justice and Safety Tribal Consultation, March 27, 2007
Video Remarks of William Mercer, Acting Associate Attorney General, delivered to the Office of Justice Programs Tribal Justice and Safety Training and Technical Assistance Session, March 27, 2007

In response to tribal leader comments at the December 2006 Tribal Training & Technical Assistance session in Palm Springs, California, the March, June, and July/August agendas were revised to provide formal consultation policy sessions with elected tribal officials about tribal justice/safety and public health topics. The Phoenix, Arizona Tribal consultation will be July 31, 2007. Other federal agencies will be invited to join in the consultations.

While federal law predating the Adam Walsh Act provided national standards for state sex offender registration programs, it made no comparable provision concerning sex offenders convicted in tribal courts or who enter the jurisdiction of a tribe following conviction in some other jurisdiction. Section 127 of the Adam Walsh Act gives tribes in non-Public Law 280 jurisdictions a choice between functioning as a registration jurisdiction, or delegating sex offender registration and notification functions to the states in which they are located. Tribal governments have until July 27, 2007 to make their election.

OJP is dedicating a special portion of the July 31 consultation session to discuss the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 (Public Law 109-248), and the proposed National Guidelines for Sex Offender Registration and Notification. Comments on the proposed guidelines are due August 1, 2007.

DOJ, through the Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking (SMART) Office, is responsible for providing guidance and assistance to state and tribal jurisdictions in implementing the Adam Walsh Act sex offender registration and notification reforms.


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