Description
Program Overview The Grants to Indian Tribal Governments Program (Tribal Governments Program) was created in Title IX of the Violence Against Women Act of 2005. The Tribal Governments Program is designed to fulfill the three goals of Title IX: (1) to decrease the number of violent crimes committed against Indian women; (2) to help Indian tribes use their independent authority to respond to crimes of violence against Indian women; and (3) to make sure that people who commit violent crimes against Indian women are held responsible for their actions. The Recovery Act Tribal Governments Program can help fulfill the goals of the Recovery Act by funding grantees to hire new personnel, develop databases, renovate of housing, and help victims achieve economic independence. Statutory Program Purposes Tribal governments can use Recovery Act Tribal Governments Program funds to do the following: Develop and enhance effective plans for the tribal government to reduce violent crimes against Indian women and help keep them safe. The plans to reduce the violence and keep Indian women safe can be based on tribal law and customs. Increase the ability of the tribal government to respond to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking committed against Indian women. Strengthen the tribal criminal justice systems ability to get involved with stopping violence against Indian women. This may include improving the ability of tribal law enforcement officers, prosecutors, judges and other court staff, probation officers, and the staff at tribal jails to become involved in stopping violence against Indian women. Improve services that are available to help Indian women who are victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Work with the community to create education and prevention campaigns that are designed to inform members of the tribal community about domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking programs, and that also increase the communitys awareness about the needs of children who have witnessed domestic violence. Provide supervised visitation and safe exchange programs that allow children to visit with their non-custodial parent in cases where one parent has committed an act of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking against the other. In cases where the court has ordered that the non-custodial parent have supervised visitation with the child, the program should create a place where that parent can have a supervised visit with the child. If the court has not ordered supervised visitation, then the program should offer a safe, neutral place for the non-custodial parent of the child to pick the child up and return the child for unsupervised visitation. A supervised visitation and safe exchange program must have appropriate security measures, policies, and procedures so that victims and their children are safe. Provide transitional housing assistance for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking. The assistance provided to victims may include housing, money for rent, utilities, a security deposit, or other minor costs related to moving into transitional housing. A transitional housing assistance program may also offer victims support and services necessary to help the victim locate and secure permanent housing. Provide legal advice and representation to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking who need assistance with legal issues that are caused by the abuse that they have suffered. The legal assistance should be provided at minimal or no cost to the victim.