Deadline: 7-Aug-23
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Bureau of Justice Assistance seeks applications for funding to improve the capacity of tribal justice systems to address civil and criminal legal assistance needs in their jurisdictions.
The Tribal Civil and Criminal Legal Assistance (TCCLA) Program supports nonprofit 501c(3) organizations that provide legal assistance to eligible tribal members, federally recognized Indian tribes, and tribal justice systems that provide legal aid and indigent defense services to tribal communities located in rural and remote regions throughout the United States where legal services are sparse.
Goal
- The goals of this program are to build and enhance capacity and improve the delivery of civil and criminal legal assistance to individuals and tribes and to develop policies that improve access to justice systems.
Objectives
- Category 1: Civil Legal Assistance
- Expand and improve the quality of civil legal assistance for eligible tribal members, other eligible individuals, federally recognized Indian tribes, and tribal justice systems.
- Expand and improve the quality of other civil legal assistance to support tribes enhancing their capacity, operations, or legal infrastructure.
- Category 2: Criminal Legal Assistance
- Expand and improve the quality of criminal defense representation in criminal proceedings for eligible tribal members, other eligible individuals, federally recognized Indian tribes, and tribal justice systems.
- Enhance the amount and quality of other legal assistance to support tribes enhancing their criminal legal capacity, operations, or legal infrastructure.
Priority Areas
- The Department of Justice is committed to advancing work that promotes civil rights and racial equity, increases access to justice, supports crime victims and individuals impacted by the justice system, strengthens community safety and protects the public from crime and evolving threats, and builds trust between law enforcement and the community.
- Priority Considerations Supporting Executive Order 13985, Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government
- In support of this Executive Order, OJP will provide priority consideration when making award decisions to the following:
- Applicants that demonstrate that their capabilities and competencies for implementing their proposed project(s) are enhanced because they (or at least one proposed subrecipient that will receive at least 40 percent of the requested award funding, as demonstrated in the Budget Web-Based Form) identify as a culturally specific organization.
- To receive this priority consideration, applicants must describe how being a culturally specific organization (or funding the culturally specific subrecipient organization(s)) will enhance their ability to implement the proposed project(s) and should also specify which populations are intended or expected to be served or to have their needs addressed under the proposed project (s).
- Culturally specific organizations are defined for the purposes of this solicitation as private nonprofit or tribal organizations whose primary purpose as a whole is to provide culturally specific services to racial and ethnic groups, including, among others, Black people, Hispanic and Latino people, Native American and other Indigenous peoples of North America (including Alaska Native, Eskimo, and Aleut), Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and/or Pacific Islanders.
- Note: Addressing these priority areas is one of many factors that OJP considers in making funding decisions. Receiving priority consideration for one or more priority areas does not guarantee an award.
Funding Information
- Anticipated Total Amount to be Awarded Under Solicitation $2,196,000
- Period of Performance Duration (Months) 24.
Deliverables
- Category 1: Civil Legal Assistance
- Provide a range of civil legal assistance that may include guardian ad litem appointments, court-appointed special advocates, and development and enhancement of tribal court policies, procedures, and law.
- Coordinate and collaborate at the local level to effectively utilize resources and engage the tribal justice system community, educational institutions, community-based organizations, and neighboring jurisdiction(s), as appropriate.
- Develop project and education materials, publications, or webinars that support grant activities and highlight relevant issues of local and/or national importance from a policy, legal, or implementation standpoint.
- Awardees are expected to provide civil legal assistance for individuals pursuant to federal poverty guidelines, Indian tribes, and tribal justice systems. For project-based activities, grantees will partner with Indian tribe(s) to provide legal or technical assistance such as development of intergovernmental agreements.
- Category 2: Criminal Legal Assistance
- Award recipients are expected to provide criminal defense representation in adult criminal cases, juvenile delinquency cases, and/or guardian ad litem appointments arising out of criminal delinquency acts, as well as legal assistance in the development and enhancement of tribal court criminal law policies and procedures and laws.
- Coordinate and collaborate at the local level to effectively utilize resources and engage the tribal justice system community, educational institutions, community-based organizations, and neighboring jurisdiction(s), as appropriate.
- Develop project and education materials, publications, or webinars that support grant activities and highlight relevant issues of local and/or national importance from a policy, legal, or implementation standpoint.
- Provide criminal defense representation and legal assistance for eligible tribal members pursuant to federal poverty guidelines, Indian tribes, and tribal justice systems. For project-based activities, grantees will partner with Indian tribe(s) to provide legal or technical assistance such as development of intergovernmental agreements, development of criminal code, establishing a public defense office, or law enforcement training.
Eligibility Criteria
- Nonprofit organizations as defined by 26 U.S.C § 501(c)(3), that provide legal assistance services to eligible tribal members and other individuals pursuant to federal poverty guidelines, federally recognized Indian tribes, or tribal justice systems.
- BJA will consider applications under which two or more entities would carry out the federal award; however, only one entity may be the applicant.
- BJA may elect to fund applications submitted under this FY 2023 solicitation in future fiscal years, dependent on, among other considerations, the merit of the applications and the availability of appropriations.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.