Menominee and Oneida Tribes Receive Federal Grants from the Department of Justice

United States Attorney Matthew Krueger of the Eastern District of Wisconsin joined the Department of Justice in announcing more than $113 million in grant awards to improve public safety, serve victims of crime, combat violence against women, and support youth programs in American Indian and Alaska Native communities. This includes four grants totaling $2,934,228 to the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin and two grants totaling $507,684 to the Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin. The Menominee Indian Tribe received funding for Community Policing, Violence Against Women, Substance Abuse, and Victim Assistance. The Oneida grants were for Alcohol / Substance Abuse and Youth Programs.

United States Attorney Matthew Krueger stated "Native Americans suffer from violent crimes at far too high of rates. These grants underscore the Department of Justice's commitment to working together with Native American communities to reduce such violence."

Nationwide, grants were awarded to 133 American Indian tribes, Alaska Native villages, and other tribal designees through the Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation, a streamlined application for tribal-specific grant programs. Of the $113 million, just over $53 million comes from the Office of Justice Programs, more than $35 million from the Office on Violence Against Women, and more than $24.7 million from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.

In addition, the Department is in the process of allocating up to $133 million in a first-ever set aside program to serve victims of crime in American Indian and Alaska Native communities. The awards are intended to help tribes develop, expand and improve services to victims of crime by providing funding, programming and technical assistance. Recipients will be announced in the near future. 

“With these awards, we are doubling the amount of grant funding devoted to public safety programs and serving victims of crime in Native American communities,” said Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Jesse Panuccio. “There is an unacceptable level of violent crime and domestic abuse in American Indian and Alaska Native communities. This increase in resources, together with our aggressive investigation and prosecution of crimes, shows how seriously Attorney General Sessions and the entire Department of Justice take these issues. We are committed to reducing violent crime and improving public safety.”

CTAS awards cover nine purpose areas: public safety and community policing; justice systems planning; alcohol and substance abuse; corrections and correctional alternatives; children’s justice act partnerships; services for victims of crime; violence against women; juvenile justice; and tribal youth programs. CTAS funding helps tribes develop and strengthen their justice systems’ response to crime, while expanding services to meet their communities’ public safety needs.

The grant announcements are part of the Justice Department’s ongoing initiative to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.

A listing of today’s announced CTAS awards is available at: www.justice.gov/tribal/page/file/1095161/download.

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