Tribal Justice and Safety

The Department of Justice is pleased to invite Tribal leaders to a government-to-government consultation regarding implementation of the Homicide Victims’ Families’ Rights Act of 2021. This Act provides a system for the review of case files, and for carrying out further investigation as warranted, in cases investigated as murders by federal law enforcement agencies that have gone unsolved for more than three years. The covered cases include unsolved murders committed in Indian country. The Attorney General has published a proposed rule in the Federal Register to implement the HVFRA. See 90 Fed. Reg. 6879 (Jan. 21, 2025). We are seeking Tribal input to help ensure that the proposed rule can be finalized in a manner that achieves most effectively the HVFRA’s objective of solving federal cold case murders and providing closure for victims’ families. The consultation discussions will be held virtually on July 28 and 30, 2025, at 3pm Eastern. Please see the invitation for more information about the scope of the discussion and how to join.

The Department of Justice created this directory of grant resources to support the President’s charge, in Executive Order 14053 (“Improving Public Safety and Criminal Justice for Native Americans and Addressing the Crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous People”), to make “grantmaking more equitable for Tribal applicants seeking support for law enforcement purposes and for the provision of services to victims and survivors.”  Administered by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, the Office of Justice Programs, and the Office on Violence Against Women, the initiatives described below include discretionary and formula grant programs for which tribes are eligible.  They support a range of effective criminal justice, prevention, intervention, reentry, and victim services activities.  Funding opportunities can be found on grants.gov and are announced as they become available on the OJP, OVW, and COPS Office websites.

The Department of Justice (Department) and the Department of the Interior held joint listening sessions on September 26-27, 2022, to discuss with Tribal representatives the implications of the Castro-Huerta decision and the impact on Tribal communities. During those discussions and in subsequent meetings Tribes and Tribal advocates have called on the executive branch to develop a legislative proposal that would restore the balance of jurisdiction that was in place before the Supreme Court’s decision in Oklahoma v. Castro-Huerta. We are pleased to invite you to participate in a virtual government-to-government consultation on whether the Department should support such a proposal and, if so, what form the proposed legislation should take. The Department initially announced consultation sessions for January 9 and 10, 2025, but must cancel the January 9 session in observance of the National Day of Mourning for former President Carter. The Department has added additional sessions to ensure sufficient opportunities to participate for those who wish to do so. Virtual sessions will be held on January 10, February 5, and February 6, 2025, from 3-5pm Eastern. Please see the updated invitation and framing paper for more information about the consultation including information about how to participate. 

Bureau of Justice Assistance Current Grant Opportunities

Office for Victims of Crime Current Grant Opportunities

Office for Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Current Grant Opportunities

Office for Community Oriented Policing Services Current Grant Opportunities 

Office of Violence Against Women Current Grant Opportunities