Although there are many support services offered by choctaw nation of oklahoma to those struggling with addiction, our tribal courts currently lack the capacity to deliver a coordinated services…

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) awarded a $899,780 Project Grant under the Tribal Justice Assistance Program (CFDA 16.596) to the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. The grant funding will build the capacity of the Choctaw Nation's Healing to Wellness Program and Tribal Police Investigation efforts to provide a coordinated services approach for adults in need of alternative sentencing and probation services informed by Choctaw culture. Key activities include hiring an intake coordinator, providing counseling services, and purchasing fingerprinting equipment to better process potential drug court candidates. This project aims to address the overwhelming substance abuse challenges within the Choctaw Nation's reservation by enhancing the tribe's judicial services and expanding access to culturally-tailored treatment and rehabilitation programs. The grant award period is from October 1, 2023 to September 30, 2028.

Although there are many support services offered by choctaw nation of oklahoma to those struggling with addiction, our tribal courts currently lack the capacity to deliver a coordinated services approach to adults in need of alternative sentencing and probation services informed by choctaw culture and beliefs. Currently there are no dedicated services for those individuals coming through the legal system battling addiction. Project atuya (choctaw for steppingstone) will build the capacity of cnos healing to wellness program and tribal police investigation efforts. Cnos healing to wellness program will streamline the legal process and provide meaningful treatment and alternative sentencing to a population struggling with poverty and drug abuse. Creating this program is critical to responding to the overwhelming statistics present in the choctaw nations reservation. Expanding CNO judicial services to include a focus on establishing and implementing a healing to wellness program will most certainly continue to increase caseload demands. To meet this expected growth in cases, funding to expand the courts capacity to provide services in needed. This vision will be accomplished through hiring an intake coordinator and providing counseling services to those individuals eligible for cnos adjudication and support services. The courts capacity will be further enhanced by purchasing fingerprinting equipment to allow tribal police to respond to in the field to better process potential drug court candidates at their first encounter with the judicial system.