The Department of Justice (DOJ) has scheduled its 9th annual tribal consultation session to seek recommendations on ending and responding to violence against Native women for October 15, 2014, at the Ramkota Hotel in Rapid City, SD. In addition, DOJ will hold a criminal database training session and three listening sessions on other tribal issues. Finally, the Administration for Children and Families will hold a listening session on the tribal funding formula under the Family Violence and Prevention and Services Act.
Attached is the DOJ Dear Tribal Leader Letter of September 22, 2014, framing papers on the listening session topics, suggested consultation questions, and contact information. Joining DOJ at the sessions will be representatives from the Departments of Interior and Health and Human Services.
October 15 Consultation Session on Domestic Violence. This consultation session will solicit recommendations from tribal leaders on enhancing the safety of Native women from domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and sex trafficking in addition to strengthening the federal response to those crimes. DOJ is also requesting recommendations on the administration of tribal grants under the Violence Against Women Act. To register or for more information please visit: www.ovwconsultation.org.
October 14, 1:30 – 4:30 p.m. Training Session on Criminal Databases and Information-Sharing. This free training session will provide information about federal criminal databases, access to and submission of information to these databases, and their role in implementation of various laws including the Tribal Law and Order Act and the Violence Against Women Act. Child welfare is another area which requires background checks and utilization of criminal databases. To register or for more information please visit: www.ovwconsultation.org.
October 14 Listening Session on DOJ Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation. This is the sixth year that DOJ has solicited grant applications from tribes for funds consolidated from its Office for Justice Programs, Office on Violence Against Women, and Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. The DOJ attachment goes through the history of the consolidated application approach and the changes that have been made in response to tribal recommendations. DOJ poses several suggested questions for consideration during this listening session.
To register or for more information please visit: www.justice.gov/tribal. The deadline for submitting comments is November 15, 2014. Comments may be provided via email at: tribalgrants@usdoj.gov.
October 14 Listening Session on How to Improve Services for American Indian and Alaska Native Youth. DOJ is seeking input from young Native adults and tribal leaders about how to improve services for American Indian/Alaska Native youth. DOJ feels that the input of young adults (18-25) is of particular importance as they have had time to reflect on their childhood experiences and are able to provide insight about younger people that older people may not have. The attached paper poses several suggested questions for the listening session concerning the role of safety in the ability to learn; how safe youth feel in their school and their community; and how to stay out of the justice system.
To register or for more information please visit: www.justice.gov/tribal. The deadline for submitting comments is November 15, 2014. Comments may be provided via email to: tribalgrants@usdoj.gov.
October 16 Listening Session on Maximizing Resources for Tribal Justice Systems. For this listening session the DOJ poses suggested questions with regard to improving tribal justice systems. Questions include whether more resources should be devoted to research about what works in the corrections system; possible sharing of agency responsibility regarding construction management; and implementation of the new authorities under the Tribal Law and Order Act.
To register or for more information please visit: www.justice.gov/tribal. The deadline for submitting comments is November 15, 2014. Comments may be provided via email to: tribalgrants@usdoj.gov.
Listening Session hosted by the Administration for Children and Families Regarding the Tribal Funding Formula under the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act. Currently ten percent of the appropriation is allocated via formula to tribes and tribal organizations. We do not yet have information on the date or time of this session.
Please let us know if we may provide additional information regarding these sessions.
