Through the tribal jurisdiction grant program, recipients receive support to exercise special domestic violence criminal jurisdiction (SDVCJ) and technical assistance for planning and implementing…

The Department of Justice Offices Boards and Divisions Office on Violence Against Women awarded $433,731 under the Special Domestic Violence Criminal Jurisdiction Implementation program (CFDA 16.025) to the Penobscot Indian Nation from October 2021 through September 2024. The funding supports the Penobscot Nation in exercising Special Domestic Violence Criminal Jurisdiction and implementing necessary changes to their criminal justice system. Key activities include strengthening the tribal criminal justice system; providing indigent criminal defense; ensuring proper jury summons, selection, and instruction; and according victim rights. Additional efforts involve planning with required partners, participating in technical assistance working groups, training opportunities, and certifications for oversight review. The award enables the Penobscot Nation to ensure victim safety and hold non-Native perpetrators accountable under the expanded jurisdiction granted by the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013.

Through the tribal jurisdiction grant program, recipients receive support to exercise special domestic violence criminal jurisdiction (SDVCJ) and technical assistance for planning and implementing changes in their criminal justice systems necessary to exercise the jurisdiction. Grant recipients are committed to exercising SDVCJ to ensure that victims find safety and justice and that non-indians who commit crimes of domestic violence, dating violence, and violations of protection orders within their jurisdiction are held accountable. Grant recipients and project partners engage in activities focused on strengthening the tribal criminal justice system in order to exercise SDVCJ; providing indigent criminal defendants in SDVCJ proceedings with effective assistance of licensed defense counsel; ensuring jurors are summoned, selected, and instructed appropriately; and according victim's rights that are similar to the rights of a crime victim described in section 3771(a) of title 18. Additional activities include completing the required planning period to engage required and key partners in a planning process and memorandum of understanding development; participating in the inter-tribal technical assistance working group (ITWG) on SDVCJ; participating in on-site and other training and technical assistance opportunities; and submitting the SDVCJ supporting certifications for OVW review and approval, if required. The timing for performance of this award is 36 months.