The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) is seeking comments from the criminal justice field on the proposed collection of two new datasets impacting the 16 Public Law 280 (PL-280) states: the State and Local Justice Agencies Serving Tribal Lands (SLJASTL): Survey of State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies in PL-280 States Serving Tribal Lands (SSLLEASTL) and the SLJASTL: Survey of Prosecutor Offices in PL-280 States Serving Tribal Lands (SSLPOSTL).
SSLLEASTL respondents would be state and local law enforcement agencies, such as state police departments and sheriff’s offices, that are responsible for policing tribal lands in PL-280 states. These agencies would provide administrative, operational, and caseload data – such as staffing, types of patrol services, and training on tribal jurisdiction, law, and culture – that describe the role of state and local law enforcement agencies in policing crime on tribal lands in PL-280 states. SSLPOSTL respondents would be state and local prosecutor offices located in PL-280 states, who would provide administrative, operational, and caseload data that describe the role that state and local prosecutor offices play in charging and prosecuting crimes that occur on tribal lands in PL-280 states.
Both SSLLEASTL and SSLPOSTL represent the first collection of data on the nature of crime on tribal land. BJS seeks feedback on the following:
- The practical utility of the proposed data collection;
- The validity of the data collection methodology and assumptions;
- The ability to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and
- The burden of data collection on survey respondents.
The comment period is open until Tuesday, December 12, 2017. Interested respondents can submit comments via the Federal Register on the SSLLEASTL page and SSLPOSTL page.