Tester Secures Millions for Crime Prevention, Victim Support & Legal Assistance in Indian Country

Nearly $8 million in Department of Justice funding announced for Montana Tribes

U.S. Senator Jon Tester is announcing nearly $8 million in Department of Justice (DOJ) grant funding for Montana Tribes, as part of his ongoing effort to provide resources to Indian Country to bolster Tribal courts, support victims, and combat violence against Native American women.

“Tribal governments and organizations are working nonstop to move Native American communities forward by preventing crime and combating violence,” Tester said. “These grants will give our tribes much-needed resources to boost their justice systems, support victims of violence, and reduce crime in Indian Country.”

The $7,911,443 in funding will be distributed to Tribes and organizations across the state, including $323,007 for the Montana Native Women’s Coalition in Billings to support Tribal domestic violence and sexual assault coalitions, and $600,000 to Montana Legal Services for Tribal Civil and Criminal Legal Assistance, Training, and Technical Assistance.

The grants also provide funding for:

National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center (NIWRC):

• $794,522 for the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center in Lame Deer for FY 2019 Field-Generated Solutions for Tribal & Non-Tribal Communities to Improve Services for Victims of Crime.
• $1,973,646 Office of Victims of Crime grant to the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center for Advancing the Use of Technology to Assist Victims of Crime to support and expand the StrongHearts Native Helpline.

Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes:

• $149,723 for Tribal Justice Strategic Planning.
• $480,070 for reducing alcohol and substance abuse-related crimes.
• $350,000 for Tribal Juvenile Healing to Wellness Courts.
• $719,309 for their Tribal Victim Services Set-Aside Program.
• $348,907 to support the Adam Walsh Act Implementation Grant Program. Grant funds will continue to support a Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) compliance officer position. The compliance officer will be responsible for the registering, tracking and monitoring of sex offenders on Tribal land.
• $410,862 Office on Violence Against Women grant for the Special Domestic Violence Criminal Jurisdiction Program.
• $734,696 for Tribal Justice System Infrastructure (new Tribal justice building)

Northern Cheyenne Tribe:

• $450,000 Office on Violence Against Women grant for Healing Hearts, a program of the tribe, which provides domestic violence victim services.

Blackfeet Tribe:

• $500,000 for the FY19 Adult Drug Court Discretionary Grant Program.
• $250,000 to support the Adam Walsh Act Implementation Grant Program that will go to hiring additional SORNA personnel to help compliance efforts and increase sex offender registration and statistical information.
• $22,247 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program

Chippewa Cree Tribe:

• $350,000 for Tribal victim services.
• $250,000 for the Children’s Justice Act Partnerships for Indian Communities Program to hire a full-time Project Coordinator & Child Advocate, send project staff to forensic interviewer training; provide emergency food, clothing, and personal hygiene products for child abuse victims, and support a public awareness campaign about child abuse.

Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes:

• $239,150 for Tribal governments to exercise special domestic violence criminal jurisdiction programs.

Fort Belknap Indian Community:

• $299,881 to support the Adam Walsh Act Implementation Grant Program. Grant funds will retain one compliance officer to support coordinated interagency efforts to enhance sex offender registration and notification.

Missoula Urban Indian Health Center:

• $447,390 for Increasing Services for Urban Indian Victims of Sex Trafficking.