The ST. Croix chippewa indians of wisconsin are requesting DOJ ctas PA#2 funding to support justice system wide strategic planning, the critical next step in establishing a tribal healing to…

The St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin were awarded a $150,000 project grant from the Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Assistance under the Justice System Infrastructure Program for Indian Tribes (CFDA 16.596). The funding will support strategic planning to establish a Tribal Healing to Wellness Court aimed at addressing substance abuse issues in the rural community. As part of the planning process, stakeholders, partners, program directors and community members will collaborate to develop a framework for a culturally-centered wellness court designed to reduce incarceration and improve alternatives to incarceration, reentry services, and reduce recidivism. The goal is to provide healing and recovery opportunities through culture, community and traditional/western substance abuse treatment services to help individuals and families. The five-year grant period ending September 2027 will support establishing a holistic approach to substance abuse that addresses public health and safety challenges while rebuilding individuals and families.

The ST. Croix chippewa indians of wisconsin are requesting DOJ ctas PA#2 funding to support justice system wide strategic planning, the critical next step in establishing a tribal healing to wellness court. The biggest social crisis identified in the ST. Croix tribal community is the exploding epidemic of substance abuse in rural northwestern wisconsin and the lack of justice system services to address this crisis. As a tribal nation with a small population of members (1,094 members, 3,120 community members), the success, health, and wellness of each individual and their family is critically important to the welfare of the ST. Croix tribe. A ST. Croix tribal healing to wellness court would broaden access to services to all tribal community members and contribute to the on-going process of healing the nation. The proposed comprehensive justice system-WID strategic planning process will require the committment and participation of stakeholders, agency partners, program directors, and community members. As an outcome of this strategic planning process the ST. Croix tribe will establish the framework to build a tribal healing to wellness court designed to reduce reliance on incarceration, in appropriate circumstances, with the goal to address the tribe's public health and safety challenges tied to addiction. They hope to improve jail-to-community transition and reentry services, expand alternatives to incarceration, reduce recidivism and diminish the rate of crime, addiction and overdose cases in the community. This program will work rebuild the individual and the family and reduce the stigma associated with being justice-involved or having a substance abuse or mental health disorder. The goal is to provide opportunities for healing and recovery through culture, community and traditional (WESTERN) substance abuse treatment services. What is needed is a holistic culturally-centered approach to help put individuals back on the path back to wellness, recovery, and community. This application is the next step in addressing that need.