Tribal Courts Assistance Program (TCAP) Fact Sheet (2008)

Tribal Justice Capacity Building Training and Technical Assistance Program (FY 2009 Competitive Grant Announcement)
The application period is now closed.
Frequently Asked Questions

Tribal Courts Assistance Program (TCAP) (FY 2009 Competitive Grant Announcement)
The application period is now closed.
Frequently Asked Questions
FY 2009 TCAP Solicitation Guide

Upcoming Training:
TCAP Tribal Justice Conference, December 14-16, 2009, San Diego, CA
This BJA sponsored training event will be hosted by the Tribal Judicial Institute at the University of North Dakota Law School. The conference will focus on the administration of justice in PL-280 states and other states where state-tribal cooperation is critical to the administration of justice. Specific sessions will be devoted to justice issues in Alaska, California and other states where there is concurrent state-tribal jurisdiction. An emphasis will be on developing positive state-tribal relationships in Law Enforcement, Court Services, Offender Management and Full-Faith and Credit. For additional information, please go to http://www.law.und.nodak.edu/tji/events.php.

Overview:
BJA, as part of the U.S. Department of Justice's Indian Country Law Enforcement Initiative, administers grants to support the development, implementation, enhancement, and continuing operation of tribal judicial systems.

For FY 2009, there are three separate categories under which tribes can apply:

1. Category I: Planning and Implementing a Single-Tribe or an Intertribal Court System
   Applications are sought from a single tribe or consortia of tribal governments of any size to plan, develop, and implement a new tribal court system. Grant funds may be used to facilitate the development and initial implementation of a single-tribe court system or an intertribal court system to meet the needs of more than one tribe in the same geographic region.
2. Category II: Enhancing and Continuing the Operation of Tribal Courts
   Applications are sought from eligible tribal communities of any size to enhance the operation of existing tribal courts, such as establishing a core structure for a tribal court, improving case management, training court personnel, developing civil and criminal codes, acquiring equipment and software, enhancing prosecution and indigent defense, supporting probation diversion and alternative sentencing, designing services and multidisciplinary protocols for juvenile victims of physical and sexual abuse, and structuring intertribal or tribal appellate systems.
3. Category III: Planning and Implementing Tribal Justice Strategies
   Applications are sought from federally recognized tribal governments with tribal court jurisdiction and/or state court jurisdiction to plan and implement tribal justice strategies to address crime and safety issues in their community in collaboration with other tribal justice components including law enforcement and corrections. This is a new category and BJA will award up to three grants under this category in FY 2009.

Legislation: Beginning in FY 2001, the Tribal Courts Assistance Program received separate authorizing legislation pursuant to Public Law 106-559 (25 USC 3689(a)).

Funding: FY 2009 funding has not yet been determined.

Eligibility: Applicants are limited to federally recognized tribal governments-including Alaska Native villages and corporations-and authorized intertribal consortia. Intertribal consortia must have and retain written authorization from each member tribe-prior to this solicitation's submission deadline-and certify the same in the application. Tribes that received FY 2007 or FY 2008 grants through this program ARE NOT ELIGIBLE to apply in FY 2009.

How/When To Apply: BJA released the solicitation on December 1, 2008, and applications were due February 12, 2009. Applications must be submitted via Grants.gov.

Related Information:
FY 2008 Grant Awards
Tribal Courts Assistance Program (TCAP) (FY 2008 Competitive Grant Announcement)
TCAP Frequently Asked Questions

Tribal Courts and Judges Assistance Program: Technical Assistance and Training Coordination and Implementation (FY 2007 Competitive Grant Announcement)

FY 2007 Tribal Courts Assistance Program Grant Awards
Tribal Courts Assistance Program (TCAP) (FY 2007 Competitive Grant Announcement)
TCAP Frequently Asked Questions

FY 2006 Tribal Courts Assistance Program Grant Awards
Tribal Courts Assistance Program (TCAP) (FY 2006 Competitive Grant Announcement)

FY 2005 Tribal Courts Assistance Program Grant Awards
Tribal Courts Assistance Program (FY 2005 Competitive Grant Announcement)

Related Links:
OJP's Tribal Justice and Safety in Indian Country web site
Bureau of Indian Affairs
National Tribal Judicial Center
National Tribal Justice Resource Center
Tribal Judicial Institute

Archived Publications:
Tribal Courts Assistance Program (TCAP) Fact Sheet (Winter 2007)
Tribal Courts Assistance Program (TCAP) Fact Sheet (Summer 2006)
Tribal Courts Assistance Program (TCAP): Fact Sheet (Winter 2005)

Contact Information:
Kim Norris
Senior Policy Advisor for Adjudication
Bureau of Justice Assistance
810 Seventh Street NW.
Washington, DC 20531
202-307-2076
Fax: 202-307-0036
E-mail: kim.norris@usdoj.gov