Deadline: 24-Jun-2025
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) is accepting applications for the Special Tribal Criminal Jurisdiction Grant Program.
The Special Tribal Criminal Jurisdiction (STCJ) Grant Program supports Tribal governments in preparing to exercise or exercising STCJ over non-Indians who commit “covered” crimes within the Tribe’s jurisdictional boundaries. “Covered crimes” are: assault of Tribal justice personnel; child violence; dating violence; domestic violence; obstruction of justice; sexual violence; sex trafficking; stalking; and violation of a protection order.
Purpose Areas
- Funds under this program must be used for one or more of the following purposes:
- to strengthen Tribal criminal justice systems to assist Indian Tribes in exercising special Tribal criminal jurisdiction, including for:
- law enforcement (including the capacity of law enforcement, court personnel, or other non-law enforcement entities that have been designated by an Indian Tribe as responsible for maintaining public safety within the territorial jurisdiction of the Indian Tribe, to enter information into and obtain information from national crime information databases);
- prosecution;
- trial and appellate courts (including facilities maintenance, renovation, and rehabilitation);
- supervision systems;
- detention and corrections (including facilities maintenance, renovation, and rehabilitation);
- treatment, rehabilitation, and reentry programs and services;
- culturally appropriate services and assistance for victims and their families; and
- criminal codes and rules of criminal procedure, appellate procedure, and evidence;
- to provide indigent criminal defendants with licensed defense counsel, at no cost to the defendant, in criminal proceedings in which a participating Tribe prosecutes covered crimes;
- to ensure that, in criminal proceedings in which a participating Tribe exercises special Tribal criminal jurisdiction, jurors are summoned, selected, and instructed in a manner consistent with all applicable requirements; and
- to accord victims of covered crimes rights that are similar to the rights of a crime victim described in section 3771(a) of title 18, United States Code, consistent with Tribal law and custom.
- to strengthen Tribal criminal justice systems to assist Indian Tribes in exercising special Tribal criminal jurisdiction, including for:
Priorities
- Applications that fare well in merit review and substantively address one or more of the priorities listed below, to the extent consistent with the program’s authorizing statute, may receive priority consideration for funding:
- Measures to combat human trafficking and transnational crime, particularly crimes linked to illegal immigration and cartel operations, that support safety and justice for trafficking victims who have also suffered domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and/or stalking.
- Projects to provide victim services, especially housing, and improve law enforcement response in rural and remote areas, Tribal nations, and small towns that often lack resources to effectively combat domestic violence and sexual assault.
Funding Information
- Estimated Total Program Funding: $ 9,000,000
- Award Ceiling: $1,500,000
- Award Floor: $1,000,000
Eligibility Criteria
- Entities that are eligible to apply are:
- Governments of Indian Tribes, or consortia of Indian Tribes, that have jurisdiction over Indian country.
- Governments of Indian Tribes, or consortia of Indian Tribes, occupying a Village in Alaska.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.