Tuba City Multi-Purpose Justice Center

The Recovery Act - Renovation of Correctional Facilities on Tribal Lands Discretionary Grant Program assists tribes in developing strategies to cost effectively construct or renovate existing facilities associated with the incarceration and rehabilitation of juvenile and adult offenders subject to tribal jurisdiction. Careful planning is critical to ensure that new and renovated correctional facilities are appropriately designed for the intended population, supportive of cultural and traditional values, safe and secure when completed, and are in compliance with appropriate standards regarding correctional operations, programs, and design.

The Navajo Division of Public Safety, Department of Corrections, plans to utilize grant funds to construct a Category II Multi-Purpose Justice Center (TCMPJ) to be built in Tuba City, Arizona. The Navajo Nation completed a Master Plan for facilities in March 2007. This plan was completed with a vision of increasing the number of detention beds, but also to: provide community-based alternatives to jail sentences; provide pre-trial and probation services, substance abuse and mental health screening and assessment, treatment and rehabilitation services; and ensure physical health of prisoners, traditional family reunification services and educational services.

The goal of this project is to construct the TCMPJ to implement this 'vision' and to reduce recidivism rates of re-arrests and incarcerations on the Navajo Nation. This will be accomplished by providing program space to provide a wide range of culturally appropriate services to the inmate population from pre-trial services, alternatives to incarceration, services while individuals are serving time in jail and through day reporting and programs. In addition to this, the Nation will be able to provide aftercare services to prevent relapses and re-incarceration.

Constructing the TCMPJ will begin to address the breakdown in the Navajo pubic safety system due to the extreme lack of jail beds. The TCMPJ will provide an actual deterrent to crime instead of the current 'revolving door' and help remove dangerous criminals from their communities.

CA/NCF