Healing to Wellness Court Program

The Department of Justice developed a comprehensive and coordinated approach for tribal governments to apply for funding to reduce and prevent crime and victimization. Through this process, the Department's existing tribal government-specific programs are included in, and available through, a single Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation (CTAS). Through this solicitation, only one application was accepted from each federally recognized tribe to encourage comprehensive assessments of need and planning. Each tribe could apply for funding under up to nine purpose areas, which included funding from the Office of Community Oriented Policing (COPS), Office of Justice Programs (including BJA, Office for Victims of Crime, and Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention), and Office on Violence Against Women. The tribe had the flexibility to select the purpose areas whose funding addressed the needs of the tribe as outlined in its tribal and community profile. There were nine purpose areas in total, and purpose area 3 was dedicated to Justice Systems, and Alcohol and Substance Abuse Prevention.

The purpose of the Justice Systems, and Alcohol and Substance Abuse (JSASA) Program is to: prevent and reduce alcohol- and substance abuse-related crimes; identify, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who illegally transport, distribute, and abuse alcohol and controlled substances in Tribal communities; increase coordination with relevant non-Tribal agencies and organizations and among all levels of the Tribe; implement Tribal justice system interventions for substance abusing offenders, including drug courts or co-occurring drug and mental health courts, the provision of substance abuse and other treatment in correctional facilities, and the provision of treatment, aftercare, and other reentry supportive services to offenders reentering communities from correctional facilities; integrate Tribal, federal, state, and local services and culturally appropriate treatment for offenders and their families; increase the capacity to collect and share justice system data on drug- and alcohol-related offenses; and protect children from alcohol and drug use and/or production. JSASA funds can also be used to develop and enhance the operation of Tribal justice systems; train Tribal justice staff; plan new or enhance existing various Tribal courts, such as peacemaking courts, healing to wellness courts, sentencing circles, and other alternative justice courts, and support diversion programs, Tribal probation services, and alternative dispute resolution methods.

The grant funds will be used to create a Healing to Wellness Program to increase wellness and sobriety in the tribal community. The program will target defendants suffering from addiction, and will promote overall wellness and sobriety using western and traditional healing methodologies, intensive case management, court participation, and incentives and sanctions. The Pueblo is also seeking to fill gaps in its tribal justice system by converting its part-time contract public defender into a full time position so that defense representation can be included in the Healing to Wellness Court programs and other justice systems planning.
CA/NCF