The ponca tribe will use funds to establish a reentry program that will serve cities and towns located in the tribe's jurisdiction (KAY county and parts of noble county, oklahoma)

The Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Assistance awarded the Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma $900,000 on October 1, 2025, under the Tribal Justice Assistance program (CFDA 16.596) to establish a reentry program serving eligible adult American Indian/Alaskan Native incarcerated individuals in the Kay County Detention Center.

The Ponca Tribe will assess and enhance tribal community readiness for reentry, develop a formal reentry program, and reduce recidivism and increase public safety using the Community Readiness Model to identify the community's current stage of readiness. Program success will be measured by reduction in recidivism through re-arrest rates for returned offenders and increased public safety through resource delivery, receipt, and impact. The program will serve cities and towns located within the tribe's jurisdiction in Kay County and parts of Noble County, Oklahoma.

The award covers a five-year period of performance from October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2030, with performance taking place in Ponca City, Oklahoma. The Tribal Justice Assistance program provides funding to strengthen tribal justice system capacity and reduce crime by supporting development and implementation of activities to improve public safety in tribal communities.

The program will serve eligible adult american indian/alaskan native (AI/an) male and female incarcerated individuals in the KAY county detention center. With this funding, the ponca tribe RE-entry program will have the following goals: 1) assess and enhance the tribal community's readiness for reentry, 2) develop a formal reentry program, and 3) reduce recidivism and increase public safety. The program will utilize the community readiness model to identify the community's current stage of readiness and establish a formal reentry program. Lastly, program success will be measured by reduction in recidivism (RE-arrest rates for returned offenders) and increased public safety (resource delivery, receipt, and impact). No conference activities are planned for this award.