Tribal Justice Systems

The Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs is no longer actively funding Tribal Justice Systems under CFDA 16.608, which is now pending archival with no active awards or federal obligations in the past two years; the most recent grant award under this listing was in October 2023. The program historically funded tribal justice systems development, supporting and enhancing adult and juvenile tribal courts, law enforcement, prosecution, community corrections, and prevention of violent crime and substance-abuse-related crime including opioids, alcohol, and other controlled substances. Assistance-type mix across the program's 821 awards (spanning 1999–2023) was predominantly Project Grants (82 percent), with smaller shares of Block Grants (10 percent), Formula Grants (4 percent), and Cooperative Agreements (3 percent). Combined federal dollars obligated totaled $282.2 million. The Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Assistance led funding by federal dollars ($154.7 million across 282 awards), while the broader Office of Justice Programs contributed $125.9 million across 533 awards; the remainder came from DOJ central ($1.6 million across 6 awards).

Recent awards illustrate the program's scope: Rural Alaska Community Action Program received $1.38 million (Cooperative Agreement, 2023) for training and technical assistance enabling Alaska tribal justice grantees to build capacity; the Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa received $851 thousand (Formula Grant, 2021) to establish an adult healing-to-wellness court addressing opioid and methamphetamine addiction; the Native Village of Port Heiden received $900 thousand (Formula Grant, 2021) to expand tribal court programs, including surveillance and courtroom equipment and staff support. Award cadence declined markedly in 2023 (1 award) and 2021 (33 awards), down from 41–44 awards annually in 2018–2019.

The program is not currently soliciting new applications under CFDA 16.608. However, tribes and tribal consortia may pursue related tribal justice funding through active opportunities: BJA FY 2026 Tribal Justice Training and Technical Assistance Program (O-BJA-2026-172727, due October 21, 2026, Cooperative Agreements for nonprofits and consortiums) and the periodic Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation (CTAS), which combines DOJ tribal government-specific programs under a single application. The most recent CTAS closing was March 8, 2024. Prospective applicants should monitor DOJ Office of Justice Programs announcements for CTAS FY 2025 or later solicitations and explore alternative BJA tribal justice initiatives, as 16.608 operations have effectively ceased.