Tribal Justice

4/19/24 TTA Needs Assessment meeting conducted via zoom following submission by Seminole Nation of TTA Needs Assessment.
In attendance, TLPI Tribal Courts Team, and Rebecca Parks (Becky) Legal Administrative Assistant, who started in March and is also a part of their OVW Grant focused on domestic violence.
This was our first meeting with the grantee.

On 4/19/24 via Zoom TLPI met with staff at Winnemucca to review TTA Needs Assessment which was done on the call. In attendance were Judge Patricia Lenzi; Shannon Guerrero, Clerk; and Misty Rojo, grant representative.

To note: The Tribe had change in leadership very recently and still being worked through. The Chairperson changed and this also affected grant financial management: Eric Magiera should be authorized rep. There are two others that should be included in communications and Judge Lenzi will email contact information.

4/15/24 TTA Needs Assessment meeting conducted via zoom to complete TTA Needs Assessment with St. Regis Mohawk Grantee.
In attendance, TLPI Tribal Courts Team, and TJI, Michelle Rivard Parks, and Judge Carrie Garrow, St. Regis Mohawk.

Needs Assessment: Team reviewed all of the answers on the TTA Needs Assessment and asked clarifying questions to get more information on specific needs, training, resources that would be helpful, current status of project goals, and planning. Team will get together to come up with a work plan and/or have an additional meeting to follow-up.

4/22/24 TTA Needs Assessment meeting conducted via zoom following submission by Prairie Island of TTA Needs Assessment.
In attendance, was also our project partner NAICJA: Elton Naswood, Johanna Farmer, and Mary Rodriguez ; and from Prairie Island: Deb English -Tribal Court Administrator; Cody Mattison - Contract Specialist within Grants Dept; Ben Rosaasen - Strategic Planner/Administrator.

On 4/22/24 by Zoom, a TTA Needs Assessment meeting was conducted to go over with Grantee Jemez Pueblo their TTA Needs Assessment.
In attendance, TLPI Tribal Courts Team, and Kiana Gachupin, Tribal Court Administrator (Interim)/Clerk; and Cedric Fragua, current probation officer.

All Technical Assistance Providers for CTAS Grantees were invited to present a TTA Overview at the in-person FY23 CTAS New Grantee Orientation in Seattle, Washington on January 9-10, 2024. The Tribal Law and Policy Institute is a TTA provider for CTAS - Purpose Area 3 grantees with Tribal Court projects under the Tribal Court, Justice Systems, Intergovernmental Collaboration Project; and for Tribal Healing to Wellness Court projects under the Tribal Justice TTA Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts project.

Center staff developed a one-pager publication discussing best practices with the use of RNR tools in tribal courts and highlighting the development of the tribal RNR too. Center staff presented on the topic of RNR tools during the American Indian Justice Conference in July and were able to distribute the RNR one-pager during the Healing to Wellness Court Conference in September. Center staff also began planning a webinar series on the use of risk tools in tribal courts for another grant.

Center staff Karen Otis and Courtney Williams delivered a presentation at the 13th annual Tribal Healing to Wellness Court Enhancement Training on September 12-14, 2023 in Palm Springs, California titled "Strength-Based Language: Understanding the Impact of Word Choice on Treatment Court Outcomes". In this session, attendees learned how the way treatment court team members speak to and about court participants can impact their success.

During this period, Center staff continued to check in with the five tribal pilot sites currently testing the Tribal RNR tool. The five pilot sites include, Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, Southern Ute, Tulalip Tribes, and Muskogee Nation. During the reporting period, the sites piloted and administered the Tribal RNR tool in their various programs. All five pilot sites have submitted enough assessments that the Center began the six-month recidivism waiting period, which began in September of 2024.

The Advisory Council was on hold for the duration of the reporting period due to the completion of their role in providing feedback to the RNR Tool draft. Center staff will convene the Advisory Council again next year to discuss the results of the research from the piloting process and to solicit final feedback and suggestions for rolling out the tool once it has received final approval from BJA.