The bristol BAY native association serves 31 tribes in the bristol BAY region, providing educational, social, and economic services to benefit the tribes and native people of the region

This Project Grant award of $900,000 from the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance Tribal Justice Assistance Program (CFDA 16.596) will support the Bristol Bay Native Association (BBNA) in expanding its existing reentry program for adult citizens returning to the Bristol Bay region from incarceration. The funding will enable BBNA to provide critical services over a 5-year period, including reentry program management, case management, and supportive services to address the high recidivism rates in the region. Key focus areas include securing temporary or permanent housing, facilitating access to employment, training, and education opportunities, and connecting individuals to behavioral health services and community-based restorative justice programs. This award aims to help reduce recidivism and support the successful reintegration of up to 40 returning citizens annually from the Bristol Bay region.

The recidivism rates in alaska are 62.6%, among the highest in the united states. IT is ranked 42 out of all the 50 states. The bristol BAY regional communities, families, and individuals trying to reenter their communities suffer from these high rates. This award will support reentry program management, case management, and supportive services to adult citizens returning to the region from incarceration. The bristol BAY reentry task force identified the problem as a large and growing number of bristol BAY citizens (40 from department of corrections in FY 2023), returning to the community from placement in correctional or treatment settings, and face significant personal, family, community, and systemic challenges. Successful reintegration is hindered by inadequate support systems, limited access to community based restorative justice programs, and minimal or no access to local treatment programs. These challenges impede individuals and their family's ability to heal holistically within the local community, which results in a revolving door of recidivism, a lack of self-identity and community connection. The task force identified the top reentrant needs as follows: access to temporary or permanent housing upon returning to the bristol BAY region; access to employment opportunities, training and education, or/and engage in other meaningful activities; treatment and wellness with access to behavioral health services upon release from prison; and the opportunity to reestablish their connection with their community and culture. This funding will expand the existing reentry program by providing the support needed for the first 30 days to returning citizens, putting them on the right track toward becoming productive, thus helping reduce the recidivism rate in our region.