OJJDP FY 09 Tribal Youth Program

Part of the Indian Country Law Enforcement Initiative, a joint initiative of DOJ and the U.S. Department of the Interior to improve law enforcement and the administration of criminal and juvenile justice in Indian country, OJJDP’s Tribal Youth Program (TYP) supports and enhances tribal efforts to prevent and control delinquency and strengthen the juvenile justice system for American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth. This program is authorized by the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974, as amended and the Department of Justice Appropriations Act, 2009, Pub. L. 111-8.Many of the 1.9 million American Indians and Alaska Natives living on or near Indian lands lack sufficient law enforcement services. Indian communities face chronic under funding for their justice systems, lack access to meaningful training for law enforcement and justice personnel, and lack comprehensive programs that focus on preventing juvenile delinquency, providing intervention services, and imposing appropriate sanctions. In addition, although violent crime arrest rates have declined throughout the United States, they continue to rise in Indian country. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, American Indians experience violent crime at a rate twice that of the general population. Of particular concern to OJJDP is the disproportionate number of violent crimes committed by and against juveniles in Indian country. For example, among American Indians and Alaska Natives age 12 to 17, the victimization rate is significantly higher than for all other racial groups in the same age spectrum. Through its Tribal Youth Program, OJJDP seeks to strengthen law enforcement and improve the quality of life in tribal communities as a means to address these problems. Since fiscal year (FY) 1999, OJJDP has awarded 314 grants to tribes throughout the nation to develop and implement culturally sensitive delinquency prevention programs, interventions for court involved youth, improvements to the juvenile justice system, alcohol and substance abuse prevention programs, and mental health program services.