Lac Courte Oreilles Tribal Justice System Expansion

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 ten purpose areas, which included funding from the Office of Community Oriented Policing, Office of Justice Programs (including the Bureau of Justice Assistance, 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 ten purpose areas in total, and purpose area 4 was dedicated to the Tribal Justice Systems Infrastructure Program (TJSIP).

Funding through the Tribal Justice System Infrastructure Program will support efforts to renovate or expand buildings to enhance conditions or to change the use of a building to any of the following purposes: single jurisdiction or regional tribal correctional facilities, correctional alternative facilities, multipurpose justice centers (including police departments, courts, and corrections), and transitional living facilities (halfway houses) to address justice-involved populations within tribal jurisdictions. Funding will also support the building of prefabricated or permanent modular facilities where there are no existing permanent structures available or sufficient to address the tribe’s justice system infrastructure needs.

The Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa will use the grant funds to expand the current Healing to Wellness Court. With only three offices, one conference room and one file room, it is impossible to accommodate alternative problem solving processes for the community. The renovation and expansion will add eight offices, an adequate file room, and a private, accessible area for court personnel to provide assistance to the public.

CA/NCF