The grants to support families in the justice system program (referred to as the justice for families program) was authorized in the violence against women reauthorization act of 2013 to improve the…

The Ponca Tribe of Nebraska has been awarded a $600,000 Project Grant under the U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women's Justice Systems Response to Families Program (CFDA 16.021). This 36-month grant, effective October 1, 2023, will support the tribe's efforts to improve the civil and criminal justice system's response to families with a history of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking within their 15-county service area. Key activities under this award include: hiring a Domestic Violence Case Manager to oversee court-based services and track outcomes; reviewing and enhancing court forms to be trauma-focused and culturally sensitive; developing outreach materials to raise awareness of the Ponca Tribal Court's jurisdiction; delivering training for court personnel, child welfare professionals, and community partners; and expanding network connections between the court system, law enforcement, and service providers. The project aims to keep victims and their children safe while holding offenders accountable through improved coordination across the justice system.

The grants to support families in the justice system program (referred to as the justice for families program) was authorized in the violence against women reauthorization act of 2013 to improve the response of the civil and criminal justice system to families with a history of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, or in cases involving allegations of child sexual abuse. The program supports the following activities for improving the capacity of courts and communities to respond to families affected by the targeted crimes: court-based and court-related programs; supervised visitation and safe exchange by and between parents; training for people who work with families in the court system; civil legal services; and the provision of resources in juvenile court matters. Projects supported by the justice for families program are those that focus on keeping victims and their children safe from further abuse and holding offenders accountable. Through this new justice for families project, ponca tribe of nebraska social services department, in partnership with the ponca tribal court, will implement a standard project addressing the following purpose areas: 3) training for court-based and court-related personnel; 4) juvenile court resources; 5) court and court-based programs and services; and 8) training within the civil justice system for the ponca service delivery area, which is comprised of twelve nebraska counties, two iowa counties, and one south dakota county encompassing rural and urban areas. The project will address the following priority areas: 1) advance racial equity and 3) underserved communities. Specific activities will include: 1) hiring a 1.0 FTE court domestic violence case manager to develop an ongoing evaluation process to ensure survivors needs are being met through the court system; 2) reviewing and assisting in the development of court forms to ensure they are trauma-focused, culturally sensitive, and accessible; 3) developing outreach materials regarding the civil and criminal jurisdiction of the ponca tribal court; 4) developing a training plan for court-based, court-related staff and child-welfare professionals; and 5) enhancing network connections and training efforts to community partners such as law enforcement, service providers, and guardians ad litem.