Associate Attorney General Announces More Than $236 Million in Public Safety Funding to Tribal Communities

Associate Attorney General Tom Perrelli announced today that the Department of Justice is awarding more than $236 million in Recovery Act and Fiscal Year 2009 public safety funding to criminal justice initiatives in Indian Country nationwide. The vital support to tribal communities includes more than $224 million in Recovery Act funding to construct and renovate prisons and jails in Indian Country and nearly $12 million to enhance and improve the juvenile justice systems for American Indian and Alaskan Native youth throughout the country.

The Justice Department official is in Albuquerque for the second of two working sessions with tribal leadership and law enforcement experts leading up to the Attorney General's Tribal Nations Listening Conference on October 28-29, 2009, part of an ongoing Justice Department initiative to increase engagement, coordination and action on tribal justice in Indian Country.

"This week's session is another step forward, but we have many steps to go in what I know will be a long partnership with tribal communities as the Department of Justice continues to take action on public safety issues in Indian Country, " said Associate Attorney General Perrelli. "None of these resources will matter if we do not direct them properly and at the issues that matter. The Department may be able to provide funding, but only by working together can we make sure tribal communities get what they need."

More than $224 million will be administered by the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) through the Correctional Facilities on Tribal Lands Program. The program provides resources to allow eligible American Indian tribes and Alaska Native villages to construct or renovate correctional facilities on tribal lands, with consideration given to the detention bed space needs and the violent crime statistics of the applicant tribe or village. A listing of all recipients of the Recovery Act Correctional Facilities on Tribal Lands Awards is available at http://www.ojp.gov/recovery/Tribalcorrectional_Awards.htm.

The 2009 Tribal Youth Program is awarding more than $11.96 million in support of enhanced tribal efforts to prevent and control delinquency and improve the juvenile justice system for American Indian/Alaskan Native youth. A major focus of the program is providing youth with mental health services. A listing of all recipients of the 2009 Tribal Youth Program awards is available at http://www.ojp.gov/funding/FY09Awards.htm.

Deputy and Associate Attorneys General Announce More Than $5 Million in Awards to Washington Tribal Communities

Recovery Act and FY09 Grants to Combat Violence Against Women, Support Tribal Law Enforcement Agencies

Following their tour of the Tulalip Reservation, Deputy Attorney General David W. Ogden and Associate Attorney General Tom Perrelli today announced that more than $5 million has been awarded to tribal communities in Washington. The Department of Justice awarded more than $2.16 million in Recovery Act funds to three Washington Tribal Governments by the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) and more than $3.3 million in FY2009 Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grants to 16 Washington tribal law enforcement agencies.

"The Department of Justice is well aware that Indian Country is struggling with complex law enforcement issues involving violent crime, violence against women and crimes against children, and that tribal communities are doing what they can with limited resources," said Deputy Attorney General Ogden. "We stand here as partners in this fight and are pleased to demonstrate our commitment with these grants for tribal communities in the State of Washington."

"Among the things that make me feel confident about this administration's focus on Indian Country is that much of this money was specifically designated within the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act," said Associate Attorney General Perrelli. "These funds will have an immediate impact on the quality of services offered to survivors and their children by providing advocacy and support services for those who need to be kept safe in emergency situations, and for victims who choose to leave their abusive relationships."

The Justice Department officials were in Seattle for the first of two working sessions with tribal leadership and law enforcement experts leading up to the Attorney General's Tribal Nations Listening Conference, part of an ongoing Justice Department initiative to increase engagement, coordination and action on tribal justice in Indian Country.

The grants will help combat violence against women in tribal communities and will support efforts by tribal police to reduce crime and disorder, and to enhance the services that they provide.

Recovery Act Violence Against Women Grants

The landmark American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act), signed into law by President Obama, provides the Justice Department's Office on Violence Against Women with $20.8 million for the Indian Tribal Governments Program to decrease the number of violent crimes committed against Indian women, help Indian tribes use their independent authority to respond to crimes of violence against Indian women and make sure that people who commit violent crimes against Indian women are held responsible for their actions. Today, the Department of Justice awarded more than $2.16 million in Recovery Act funds to three Washington Tribal Governments. The award period is 36 months:

The Tulalip Tribes of Washington has been awarded $899,999 to renovate a tribal facility for use as the Legacy of Healing Advocacy Center and Safe House. The funding will support the creation of five full-time jobs, including a manager who will oversee the program and four new Residential Aides. The tribe will also hire a contractor for building and security renovations and a consultant to work with staff to develop shelter program operating policies and procedures. The tribe will implement staff and volunteer training and community outreach and education, as well as provide ongoing education and support groups for Safe House and Transitional Housing clients.

The Squaxin Island Tribe will receive $633,968 through its Northwest Indian Treatment Center in Washington to increase the number and quality of wrap-around services provided to women who have experienced domestic violence. The tribe will hire a Domestic Violence Resource Coordinator for post-treatment case management, resource coordination and outreach, coordinating with WomenSpirit Coalition to provide training and transitional housing assistance for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault or stalking.

The Swinomish Indian Community, in Skagit County, will receive $633,703 to establish an educational assistance program and shelter/safe house for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. The project will improve services available to help Indian women who are victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking, develop and enhance effective plans for the tribal government to reduce violent crimes against Indian women and keep them safe and strengthen tribal criminal justice system's ability to get involved with stopping violence against Indian women.

FY2009 Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Grants

Today's COPS grants were awarded under the Tribal Resources Grant Program (TRGP), which is administered by the Justice Department's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. The grants can be used to hire new officers, purchase crime-fighting technology systems and basic law enforcement equipment and can also be used to procure training and technical assistance. Today, the Department awarded more than $3.3 million to 16 Washington tribal law enforcement agencies to support efforts by tribal police to reduce crime and disorder and to enhance the services that they provide.

A number of tribal police departments in Washington received specific funding to hire new officers, for a total of more than $1.3 million to hire 7 new officers:

Grant Recipients Grant Amount
Tulalip Tribes of Washington $423,170 (2 officers)
Sauk-Suiattle Police Department $184,637 (1 officer)
Chehalis Tribal Police Department $170,342 (1 officer)
Spokane Tribe of Indians $198,213 (1 officer)
Nooksack Indian Tribe $185,826 (1 officer)
Port Gamble S'Klallam Indian Tribe $179,759 (1 officer)

Ten tribal police departments also received more than $2 million for equipment and training:

Grant Recipients Grant Amount
Makah Tribal Council $193,430
Chehalis Tribal Police Department $183,870
Nisqually Indian Tribe $152,100
Suquamish Tribe $199,900
Lower Elwha Klallum Tribe Police Department $185,000
Snoqualmie Tribal Police Services $119,701
Skokomish Indian Nation $200,000
Squaxin Island Tribe $198,895
Upper Skagit Indian Tribe $172,300
Yakama Nation Police Department $400,000

The grants announced today are part of a broader federal initiative to bolster the capacity of tribal law enforcement agencies. All federally recognized tribes with established police departments were eligible to apply for funding.

Attorney General Holder Announces Recovery Act Tribal Crime Data Project

WASHINGTON ; U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder today announced that $1 million in Recovery Act funds has been awarded to Westat Inc. and its partner Northern Arapaho Tribal Industries (NATI) to improve the collection of tribal crime and justice data used to determine tribal eligibility for the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance (JAG) program.

The grant will address gaps in Indian Country crime statistics and current reporting methods, the reasons why many tribes are currently ineligible to receive JAG grants. In addition to addressing tribal eligibility, Westat and NATI will collect information on American Indians in the criminal justice system and crimes committed on Indian Country reservations, in tribal communities and on trust land.

"These funds will have a long-term positive impact in Indian Country by increasing tribes' eligibility to receive vital JAG funding," Attorney General Holder said. "This project will also help the Department better understand and assist tribes with their criminal justice challenges."

Funding for the grant is part of the Recovery Act Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program managed by the Office of Justice Programs' (OJP) Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) will be the program manager of the grant and the project. The project will involve the BJS, BJA, the Office of Tribal Justice, the FBI, the Department of Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs, and certain state and tribal governments.

The statutory procedure for allocating JAG grants is based on a formula of population and violent crime statistics, in combination with a minimum allocation to ensure that each state and territory receives an appropriate share of funding. Sixty percent of the allocation is awarded directly to a state and 40 percent is set aside for units of local government. States are required to sub-grant a portion of the funds to local units of government, such as a city, county, township or town. Tribal governments are eligible to receive pass-through funding from the state.

The JAG program, which is managed by BJA, is the primary provider of federal criminal justice funding to state and local jurisdictions. JAG funds support all components of the criminal justice system, from multi-jurisdictional drug and gang task forces to crime prevention and domestic violence programs, courts, corrections, treatment, and justice information sharing initiatives. Projects may address crime through the provision of services directly to individuals and/or communities and by improving the effectiveness and efficiency of criminal justice systems, processes, and procedures. For more details on the JAG Program or to track the use of Recovery Act funds, visit www.ojp.gov/recovery.

Vice President Biden, Attorney General Holder Announce Recovery Act Funding to Support Law Enforcement

Recovery Act Funds to Add Police Officers to the Streets; Build Safer Communities

Vice President Joe Biden and Attorney General Eric Holder today announced $1 billion in grants to fund the hiring and rehiring of law enforcement officers all across the country under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The grants will be awarded to 1,046 law enforcement agencies from all 50 states and will provide 100 percent of the approved salary and benefits for 4,699 officers for three years. Police departments receiving the grants will then be required to retain the grant-funded positions for a fourth year. Associate Attorney General Tom Perrelli, Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine, Delaware Governor Jack Markell, Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey and law enforcement officers from mid-Atlantic states joined the Vice President and Attorney General at the event.

"A big part of the Recovery Act is about building communities ; making them as strong as they can be, allowing every American family to live a better life than the one they are leading now," said Vice President Joe Biden. "And we can't achieve the goal of stronger communities without supporting those who keep our streets safe."

The Recovery Act grants, which will be administered by the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) through the federal agency's COPS Hiring Recovery Program, provide much needed financial support to state, local and tribal governments, and will help the nation's law enforcement agencies add and retain the manpower needed to fight crime more effectively through community policing. The Department of Justice received over 7,200 applications for more than 39,000 officer positions, representing a total of $8.3 billion in requested funding.

"These Recovery Act funds will pump much needed resources into communities through a program with a proven track record," said Attorney General Holder. "The tremendous demand for these grants is indicative of both the tough times our states, cities and tribes are facing, and the unyielding commitment by law enforcement to making our communities safer."

"Our sworn officers are the front line of defense against crime and disorder in our nation's communities," said Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey. "These Recovery funds are essential in helping local law enforcement agencies fulfill their mission of making the places in which we all live and work as safe as possible."

The Recovery Act includes $4 billion in Department of Justice grant funding to enhance state, local, and tribal law enforcement efforts, including the hiring of new police officers, to combat violence against women, and to fight internet crimes against children. In addition to today's COPS awards, to date the Department of Justice has awarded $1.7 billion through formula state and local Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grants, $95 million through the Victims of Crime Act Formula Grant Program, $41.5 million for Internet Crimes Against Children initiatives, $127 million in Office on Violence Against Women Recovery Act funds and $8.6 million for assistance for law enforcement along the Southern Border and in high intensity drug trafficking areas.

For more information about the COPS grants, or to learn which law enforcement agencies received funding, please visit www.cops.usdoj.gov.

Attorney General's Remarks

Attorney General Announces $500,000 Recovery Act Grant for California Transitional Housing Program

Funding to Volunteers of America Program Provides Transitional Housing Assistance in Los Angeles Area

Attorney General Eric Holder today announced that $500,000 in Recovery Act funds have been awarded to the Support for Harbor Area Women's Lives (SHAWL) House, a program of the Volunteers of America of Los Angeles (VOALA). The announcement was made during the Attorney General's visit to SHAWL House, known for its transitional housing and support services to victims of domestic violence in the South Bay area of Los Angeles.

"Transitional housing assistance programs help bridge a gap between emergency shelter and permanent housing for victims and their families. Providing viable temporary housing options and services that promote self-sufficiency are critical and proven steps toward violence-free lives," said Attorney General Holder. "We all know that the most vulnerable in our society bear the greatest burden in times of economic hardship. The grant we are delivering today to the SHAWL House, and the women these funds will help, is a concrete example of the Recovery Act at work."

The landmark American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, signed into law by President Obama, provides the Justice Department's Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) with $43 million for the Transitional Housing Assistance Program to provide holistic, victim-centered support services that move individuals into permanent housing. The grant to VOALA's SHAWL House is the first grant awarded under the Transitional Housing Assistance Program.

Transitional housing programs meet the goals of the Recovery Act through employing victim advocates and other personnel to assist victims, renovating housing for victims, offering additional housing units, and increasing job opportunities for victims through training, education and other support services. The award period for these grants is 24-36 months.

OVW, a component of the U.S. Department of Justice, provides leadership in developing the nation's capacity to reduce violence against women through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. In addition to overseeing 19 federal grant programs, OVW often undertakes initiatives in response to special needs identified by communities facing acute challenges.

More information is available at www.ovw.usdoj.gov.

Attorney General Holder Announces $8.7 Million in Recovery Act Grants to Support Law Enforcement Efforts on the Southwest Border

Attorney General Eric Holder today announced more than $8.7 million in Recovery Act funds for three communities in California to use in fighting crime and drug trafficking as part of the Justice Department's Southwest Border Strategy. In March 2009, the Department announced its Mexico Cartel Strategy, which uses federal prosecutor-led task forces that bring together federal, state and local law enforcement components to identify, disrupt and dismantle the Mexican drug cartels through investigation, prosecution and extradition of their key leaders and facilitators, and seizure and forfeiture of their assets.

"The Department of Justice is intensifying its efforts to investigate, prosecute and punish members of the Mexican drug cartels," said Attorney General Holder. "The guns, drugs, and bulk cash that are the backbone of the cartels' business contribute to addiction and drug-related violence in our communities. The Recovery Act funding these three California communities are receiving will help local law enforcement in our joint efforts to combat the threat posed by these cartels."

The Department is increasing its focus on investigations and prosecutions of the southbound smuggling of guns and cash that fuel the violence and corruption and attacking the cartels in Mexico. In recent months, the Department has announced resources for the Southwest border, including an increased law enforcement presence and is now providing additional resources through the Recovery Act grants announced today. In addition, the Department is continuing to collaborate with counterparts in Mexico to strengthen Mexico's law enforcement capacity and institutions.

Department officials are taking an active role in the national effort to combat the Mexican drug cartels. Two weeks ago, top Department officials participated in the Violent Crime and Arms Trafficking Summit in Albuquerque, N.M., where federal, state and local officials worked to refine enforcement strategies. In June 2009, the Attorney General, along with Secretary Janet Napolitano and Director Gil Kerlikowske from the Office of National Drug Control Policy released President Obama's National Southwest Border Counternarcotics Strategy, designed to stem the flow of illegal drugs and their illicit proceeds across the Southwest Border by, among other things, increasing coordination and information sharing with state and local law enforcement agencies. Previously, the Attorney General and other Department officials participated in high-level meetings with U.S. and Mexican officials at an arms trafficking conference in Cuernavaca, Mexico.

As part of the efforts to combat Mexican drug cartels, the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) is administering the $30 million Recovery Act Assistance for Law Enforcement along the Southern Border and in High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (Southern Border/HIDTA). This will provide resources for hiring, retention, assistance and equipment to law enforcement to combat criminal narcotics activity stemming from the southern border-states.

The Attorney General was joined by local law enforcement officials as he announced grant awards to the California communities of Chula Vista ($2,864,605); San Mateo County ($800,700); and San Diego County ($4,999,996). The Chula Vista Police Department, on behalf of the California Border Alliance Group, plans to use these Recovery Act funds to support task force efforts to gather intelligence related to cross-border violence, including creating or retaining 10 positions. The San Mateo County Sheriff's Office, along with the Northern California HIDTA, plans to use the funds to develop an automated intelligence management system to track wholesale distribution from Mexican drug trafficking organizations out of the San Francisco area. San Diego County plans to use the funds to create a team of 16 uniformed officers to patrol the border for drug smuggling and criminal activity and fund a dedicated deputy district attorney to prosecute those apprehended. The remaining Southern Border/HIDTA grant awards are being processed and will be announced in the near future.

The Southern Border/HIDTA grant program is part of more than $4 billion in Department of Justice Recovery Act funds available to assist state, local and tribal law enforcement and for other criminal justice activities that help to prevent crime and improve the criminal justice system in the United States, while supporting the creation of jobs and much needed resources for states and local communities.

OJP provides federal leadership in developing the nation's capacity to prevent and control crime, administer justice and assist victims. OJP has five component bureaus: the Bureau of Justice Assistance; the Bureau of Justice Statistics; the National Institute of Justice; the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; and the Office for Victims of Crime. Additionally, OJP has two program offices: the Community Capacity Development Office, which incorporates the Weed and Seed strategy, and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking (SMART). More information can be found at www.ojp.gov.