Santee Sioux Nation's "Santee Juvenile Justice Initiative" Tribal Youth Project

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.

The Santee Sioux Tribe is a Federally Recognized Tribe located in rural Northeastern Nebraska, residing on a land base of 1,105 square miles. According to the 2000 Census data, the on-reservation service population is 3,848. The tribe is governed by a seven-member Tribal Council elected annually into staggered terms. The Tribal Council has passed a resolution in support of this application. The Santee's have engaged in the conceptualization of a comprehensive, community based Juvenile Services Intervention Initiative, with guiding principles being to prevent and control delinquency, improve the tribe's juvenile justice system, and to create positive alternatives to substance abuse related juvenile crimes. The Tribe has chosen to designate the first year of a potential award as a planning year and will utilize TYP Grant funds to implement activities in years 2-4. A Project Advisory Board has been established, and is devoted to planning, implementing, and monitoring a new strategy to prevent and reduce youth crime through culturally appropriate services for youth offenders and their families. The initiative will serve juveniles ages 9-17, with 120 juveniles served over the course of the grant period. The initiative will focus upon the tribe's juvenile justice system and will include partnerships with other tribal programs, public schools, local agencies, and community stakeholders. The intervention initiative will involve community prevention and court intervention activities and will address the following TYP program categories: of prevention and/or intervention programs and Tribal Juvenile Justice System Improvement.

CA/NCF