Tribal Justice Systems Infrastructure Program

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 eight 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 eight purpose areas in total. Purpose area 4 was dedicated to the Tribal Justice System 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: police departments, courts, detention centers, multipurpose justice centers (including police departments, courts, and/or corrections), transitional living facilities (halfway houses), correctional alternative or treatment facilities, and domestic violence shelters/safe homes/transitional living facilities/advocacy programs. 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.

Grant funds will be used to remodel the Confederated Salish Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) Court Building in order to provide a high functioning government space that is safe, useful, inviting, secure, accessible, and responsive to the needs of the Tribal population and the justice system. The renovation will consist of adding a private entryway to the clerk’s office, improvements to facilitate accesse by people with disabilities, and updating public restrooms also to be ADA compliant. With this project, the building will get a refinished interior, the leaking roof replaced, new insulation, drywall, lighting, doors, windows, cabinetry, and flooring as needed. A new HVAC system will be installed. Court rooms will be enlarged, security updated, privacy and confidentiality preserved, and a more functional design completed. Along with the remodeling and reconfiguration of the current space to better suit court operations, the building will be expanded in order to provide for more courtrooms and judicial staff offices.

CA/NCF