Tribal Justice Systems Infrastructure Improvement

The Kalispel Indian Community of the Kalispel Reservation, located in Cusick, Washington (approximately 50 miles north of Spokane), will renovate its tribal court to address health and safety concerns, ensure continuity of court services, improve functionality, and make the court more accessible. In the most recent 3-year period, the tribal court had an average of 227 cases filed annually, with an average of 568 hearings scheduled. Each court case often involves multiple parties, who routinely visit the court for hearings, filings, and other matters. In addition to court proceedings, a number of heavily utilized community programs and services are offered through the tribal court, serving hundreds of tribal and community members each year. The renovations proposed under this project will ensure that the Kalispel tribal community has continued access to justice and essential court services. Under the scope of this project, the leaking roofs on the court’s existing modular buildings will be replaced along with the insulation, drywall, flooring, windows, and ceiling tiles in the buildings’ interior that have been subject to significant water damage over the past several years. These renovations are intended to address and repair existing damage within the court buildings but also to prevent future damage from occurring, thus mitigating the risk of potential disruptions to court operations and service provision. A storage shed will be added to the court’s property to address the court’s severely limited storage capacity. In order to improve the court’s accessibility, signage identifying the court will be added near the roadway adjacent to the building, the existing gravel parking lot will be paved with asphalt, and the accessible ramp and walkway leading to the court’s entrance will be replaced.