The BAY mills indian community(BMIC) will fund the violence against women act special tribal criminal jurisdiction (STCJ) implementation project

The Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Assistance awarded the Bay Mills Indian Community $575,000 on October 1, 2025, under the Tribal Justice Assistance program (CFDA 16.596) to implement the Violence Against Women Act Special Tribal Criminal Jurisdiction (STCJ) initiative.

The Bay Mills Indian Community will amend its tribal code to meet federal due process requirements, hire an in-house attorney to lead legal framework development, conduct judicial and law enforcement training on STCJ, contract defense attorney services, deliver outreach and training to community service providers and victim advocates, and engage a qualified consultant to assess legal compliance. These activities establish the legal and operational capacity to prosecute non-Native offenders who commit acts of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, dating violence, and related crimes within the Bay Mills Indian Community service area.

The intended beneficiaries are Bay Mills Indian Community members, particularly Native women and families impacted by domestic and sexual violence. Project deliverables include a fully compliant tribal legal framework for STCJ, trained legal and law enforcement personnel, improved access to justice for victims, and strengthened tribal sovereignty in prosecution of violent crimes within the community's jurisdiction.

The award period runs from October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2028. Place of performance is Superior Township, Michigan.

The purpose is to establish the legal and operational capacity to prosecute non-native offenders who commit acts of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, dating violence, and related crimes in the BMIC service area. Project activities include amending tribal code to meet federal due process requirements; hiring an in-house attorney to lead legal framework development; conducting judicial and law enforcement training on STCJ; contracting defense attorney services; delivering outreach and training for community service providers and victim advocates; and engaging a qualified consultant to assess legal compliance. BMIC members, particularly native women and families impacted by domestic and sexual violence, are the intended beneficiaries of the project. Project deliverables and expected outcomes include a fully compliant tribal legal framework for STCJ, trained legal and law enforcement personnel, improved access to justice for victims, and strengthened tribal sovereignty in the prosecution of violent crimes committed within BMIC's jurisdiction. No conference activities are planned for this award.