The OVW special tribal criminal jurisdiction (STCJ) grant program was authorized by the indian civil rights act of 1968 (codified as amended at 25 U.S.C. 1304(H)(2)) to support tribes in their efforts…

This $1,000,000 Project Grant award from the U.S. Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women (CFDA 16.025 - Special Domestic Violence Criminal Jurisdiction Implementation) supports the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, a federally recognized tribal government located in Littleton, Maine, in implementing a comprehensive criminal justice system to exercise Special Tribal Criminal Jurisdiction (STCJ) over non-Indian offenders who commit covered crimes within tribal lands. Key project activities include: 1) supporting a STCJ project coordinator, prosecutor, and judge; 2) providing healthcare services to non-Indian STCJ defendants; 3) recruiting and hiring a victim witness advocate and probation officer; and 4) providing defense counsel for indigent non-Indian STCJ defendants. This award, which runs from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2029, aims to strengthen the tribe's legal frameworks, prosecution capabilities, victim services, and judicial infrastructure to address domestic violence, sexual assault, child violence, and related offenses, thereby enhancing tribal sovereignty and ensuring victim safety.

The OVW special tribal criminal jurisdiction (STCJ) grant program was authorized by the indian civil rights act of 1968 (codified as amended at 25 U.S.C. 1304(H)(2)) to support tribes in their efforts to exercise STCJ over non-indians who commit covered crimes within the tribes jurisdictional boundaries and provide technical assistance for planning and implementing changes in their criminal justice systems necessary to exercise the jurisdiction. 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. Grant recipients are committed to exercising the jurisdiction to ensure that victims find safety and justice and that non-indians who commit covered crimes within their jurisdiction are held accountable. The houlton band of maliseet indians is a federally recognized tribe located in littleton, maine. Through this new tribal jurisdiction award, the maliseet tribal court, in partnership with the tribal chief and tribal council, chief judge, tribal prosecutor, tribal general counsel, tribal law enforcement and victim advocates, will implement this project. Project activities include: 1) supporting a STCJ project coordinator, prosecutor and judge; 2) providing healthcare services to non-indian STCJ defendants; 3) recruiting and hiring a victim witness advocate and probation officer; and 4) providing defense counsel for indigent non-indian STCJ defendants.