U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

Bureau of Justice Statistics

BJS

TECHNICAL REPORT August 2013, NCJ 242584

Tribal Crime Data Collection Activities, 2013

Steven W. Perry, BJS Statistician

HIGHLIGHTS

 BJS released a solicitation in 2013 to survey the tribal 

activities and caseloads of all state and local law 

enforcement agencies and all local prosecutors’ offices that 

provided services on tribal lands.

 BJS designed a national survey of tribal courts. 

 BJS expanded the survey of jails in Indian country 

to explore other offense types, including burglary, 

larceny-theft, and public intoxication.

 BJS is preparing a report that documents the processing of 

American Indian or Alaska Native (AIAN) juvenile and adult 

cases in the federal justice system.

 The BJS website continues to serve as the central source for 

DOJ tribal statistics and funding opportunities for improved 

data reporting in national record systems. 

 The number of tribal law enforcement agencies reporting 

crime data in the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) 

Program increased from 143 in 2010 to 168 in 2011. 

 Tribes received $404,317 through the Bureau of Justice 

Assistance’s 2013 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice 

Assistance Grant (JAG) Program. 

 BJS announced multiple funding opportunities in 2013 to 

improve tribal criminal history records and the reporting of 

persons prohibited from receiving or possessing a firearm 

under state or federal law.

0

200,000

400,000

600,000

800,000

Combined tribal awards (in dollars)

100,000,000

200,000,000

300,000,000

400,000,000

500,000,000

Overall allocation

Overall allocation (in dollars)

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Figure 1

Total Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant 

Allocations to American Indian tribes, 2008–2013

Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, based on data from the FBI’s Uniform Crime 

Reporting Program and the U.S. Census Bureau, 2008–2013.

Background

The Tribal Law and Order Act (TLOA), enacted on July 

29, 2010, requires the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) to 

(1) establish and implement a tribal data collection system 

and (2) support tribal participation in national records and 

information systems (P.L. 111-211, 124 Stat. 2258, § 251(b)). 

The act further requires the director of BJS to consult with 

Indian tribes to establish and implement this data collection 

system. The BJS director is required to report to Congress 

within one year of enactment, and annually thereafter, the 

data collected and analyzed in accordance with the act. 

This report describes activities in support of BJS’s tribal 

crime data collection system and summarizes findings and 

program enhancements for FY 2013. 

A total of 566 tribal entities in the contiguous 48 states 

and in Alaska were eligible for funding and services from 

the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) in 2013. In 2010, there 

were 334 federally and state-recognized American Indian 

reservations. An estimated 4.8 million people lived on 

American Indian reservations or in Alaska Native villages 
Tribal Crime Data Collection Activities, 2013 | August 2013 2

in the U.S. in 2010. About a quarter (1.1 million) of these 

individuals classified themselves as American Indian or Alaska 

Native (AIAN).1,2

The tribal justice system in Indian country varies across tribal 

nations and regions of the country. Criminal jurisdiction in 

Indian country—federally recognized reservations, tribal 

communities, and identified trust lands—varies by type of 

crime committed, whether the offender or victim is a tribal 

member, and the state in which the offense occurred. Due 

to the sovereign status of federally recognized tribes in the 

United States, crimes committed in Indian country are often 

subject to concurrent jurisdiction between multiple criminal 

justice agencies.

This update includes summaries of BJS’s effort to—

 enhance current state and local criminal justice statistics to 

include more information on agencies serving tribal lands

 support tribal reporting to the FBI’s Uniform Crime 

Reporting (UCR) Program and tribal award eligibility for 

the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) 

Program (figure 1)

 study the handling of AIAN juvenile and adult criminal 

cases in the federal justice system

 enhance current funding programs to support tribal 

participation in regional and national criminal 

justice databases.

Tribal data collections during 2013

During FY 2013, BJS focused on improving its understanding 

of the role of state, local, and tribal justice agencies serving 

on tribal lands. Current ongoing surveys were enhanced 

to incorporate items to measure the unique roles of law 

enforcement and prosecutors. In addition, BJS continues to 

prepare for a new census of tribal courts in the U.S. and to 

enhance other ongoing BJS efforts to improve Indian country 

justice statistics. 

Law enforcement

The Census of State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies 

(CSLLEA) is conducted about every 4 years. CSLLEA provides 

data on the over 18,000 state, local, and tribal law enforcement 

agencies operating in the U.S. CSLLEA captures data on each 

agency’s number of sworn and civilian personnel and the 

range of law enforcement functions each agency performs. The 

census collected data from about 178 tribal law enforcement 

agencies operating in Indian country in 2008 and about 171 

in 2000.

1See Indian entities recognized and eligible to receive services from the 

United States Bureau of Indian Affairs at http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/

FR-2013-05-06/pdf/2013-10649.pdf.

2For more information about federally recognized tribes, reservations, and 

Alaska Native village statistical areas, see http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/

pdf/tcdca12.pdf.

To better understand the role played by nontribal state and 

local justice agencies with jurisdiction over Indian country or 

tribal lands, BJS is enhancing the next CSLLEA, which will 

go into the field in early 2014. The 2013 CSLLEA will include 

questions that ask every U.S. law enforcement agency if it 

provides services on tribal lands. From the census, BJS will 

have a complete list of all state and local law enforcement 

offices that served tribal lands in 2013. Building on the 

availability of this list at the end of 2014, BJS plans to conduct 

a more in-depth study of the activities of nontribal law 

enforcement agencies that service tribal lands. This new survey, 

the 2014 Census of Law Enforcement Agencies that Serve 

Tribal Lands, will go into the field in 2015. It will document 

the tribal caseloads of these agencies and the nature of the law 

enforcement services provided. The survey will also provide 

an understanding of the legal and structural procedures and 

processes in place for fighting crime on tribal lands based on 

federal mandates or consensual jurisdiction arrangements 

between tribal and state governments.

Prosecutors

The 2013 National Census of State Court Prosecutors will 

survey all of the estimated 2,400 state prosecutors’ offices 

litigating felony cases in state courts of general jurisdiction. 

The data gathered in 2014 will include information on 

caseloads, annual budgets, tenure, salaries, and office staffing 

(including attorneys, investigators, victim advocates, and 

support personnel). This survey will ask if the office provides 

services to tribal lands. If so, respondents will be asked to 

complete items that explore administrative and legal issues 

related to their handling of felony cases arising on tribal lands. 

The prosecutor census will contain a 1-page section focused 

on Indian country justice statistics, including the nature of the 

jurisdiction, sources of authority, case types, and reciprocity 

between tribal, state, and intergovernmental agreements.

While this section of the 2013 prosecutor census will enable 

BJS to better understand the role and relationship between 

the state and local prosecutors’ offices and Indian country 

justice, more detail is needed. As BJS did in the area of law 

enforcement, BJS will use the list generated by the 2013 census 

of all prosecutors’ offices that serve Indian country or tribal 

lands as a starting point for a more complete investigation of 

procedures and workloads related to crime on tribal lands. The 

2014 Census of Prosecutors’ Offices that Serve Tribal Lands 

will solicit detailed information on administrative procedures 

and practices, tribal caseloads, provided services, and the 

capabilities of the agencies to report detailed data on the tribal 

matters they handle.

The 2014 Census of Law Enforcement Agencies that Serve 

Tribal Lands and the 2014 Census of Prosecutors’ Offices 

that Serve Tribal Lands could have been developed and 

implemented through separate BJS solicitations. However, BJS 

determined that the developmental work needed to acquire 

the detailed understanding of the critical issues—and the 

related statistical data—that each survey should capture would 
Tribal Crime Data Collection Activities, 2013 | August 2013 3

be duplicative, so the two surveys were combined into one 

solicitation. This combination ensures that the items developed 

for the separate surveys will address the same range of topics 

in a similar fashion, which will allow the resulting data to be 

combined for a more detailed understanding of tribal justice in 

specific geographic areas or for tribal entities.

Tribal courts in the U.S.

In 2013, BJS continued the development of the National Survey 

of Tribal Court Systems (NSTCS-13). In support of the survey, 

BJS has met with federal and tribal partners to help better 

understand the administrative and operational characteristics 

of tribal justice systems.

More specifically, BJS has met with tribal members and justice 

professionals, participated in various Indian country-related 

meetings, initiated direct federal-tribal contact, established a 

tribal justice panel, and convened a panel of tribal court judges. 

BJS also sent a letter that announced the NSTCS-13 and its 

significance to all 566 federally and state-recognized tribes 

across the U.S., inviting the tribal nations to participate and 

provide input in the design and development of the survey 

instrument. The BIA was also consulted for the development of 

questions related to the Court of Federal Regulations (CFR).

Through its outreach efforts, BJS has identified about 300 U.S. 

tribal courts that will receive the survey in FY 2014. The 

NSTCS-13 will gather information on the administration 

and operation of tribal courts, staffing and budgets, appellate 

courts, juries, juvenile and adult caseloads, prosecution and 

indigent defense services, enhanced sentencing authority and 

expanded jurisdiction, and access to regional and national 

criminal justice record systems. As currently planned, the 

NSTCS-13 will be a comprehensive survey for tribal courts in 

the lower 48 states, which includes a supplement for Alaskan 

tribes and villages and a supplement for the CFR.

Jails in Indian country

The Survey of Jails in Indian Country (SJIC) is BJS’s only 

national data collection that provides an annual source of 

data on the estimated 80 Indian country jails and detention 

facilities. Indian country jails are owned or operated by tribal 

authorities or the BIA and confine persons before or after 

adjudication. Inmates sentenced to jails usually have a sentence 

of 1 year or less. The SJIC provides data on inmate counts from 

each jail by sex, age, and supervision status; offense charged; 

annual admissions and releases; rated capacity and level of 

occupancy; jail staffing; and counts of inmate deaths and 

suicide attempts.

Over the years, the SJIC survey has expanded to gather data 

on inmate offenses at the time of admission, population 

measurements (e.g., average daily population and offense 

categories), and inmate health services and facility programs. 

In the past, BJS has also enhanced the set of categories for 

most serious offense to include domestic violence, aggravated 

and simple assault, rape and sexual assault, and other 

violent offenses. In the 2103 survey, BJS expanded the other 

offense category with options for burglary, larceny-theft, and 

public intoxication.

Federal justice statistics

Last year, The Urban Institute received funding from BJS to 

determine the extent to which data from BJS’s Federal Justice 

Statistics Program (FJSP) could be used to identify and 

describe tribal youth processed in the federal justice system. 

After conducting interviews with tribal and federal officials 

to better understand the nature and quality of the FJSP data, 

The Urban Institute prepared and BJS released Tribal Youth 

in the Federal Justice System, NCJ 234218, BJS Web, June 2011. 

This report documents the prevalence, characteristics, and 

outcomes of tribal and nontribal youth handled in the federal 

criminal justice system.

During FY 2013, BJS continued to work with federal justice 

agencies that contribute data to the FJSP to determine the 

criteria that could be used to identify federal cases handled in 

Indian country. By yearend 2013, BJS will produce a new set of 

summary information using federal administrative data from 

arrest to imprisonment. The data spans from FY 2009 through 

2011 and includes information about juveniles and adults 

processed by the federal justice system for crimes occurring 

in Indian country. In addition, the Federal Criminal Case 

Processing query tool on the BJS website will be enhanced 

to enable users to create customized tables that detail the 

handling of Indian country cases.

National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) offender race 

categories expanded

The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) is 

the nation’s primary source of information on criminal 

victimization. The NCVS collects information on nonfatal 

crimes reported and not reported to the police against persons 

age 12 or older from a nationally representative sample of 

U.S. households. Prior to 2012, the NCVS asked victims to 

report the race of the offender(s) by using one of three racial 

categories: white, black, and other races. For both substantive 

and technical reasons, and to comply with the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) reporting guidelines on race 

and Hispanic origin, in 2012 the NCVS expanded the offender 

race response categories to include an item on Hispanic origin 

and five racial categories: white; black; American Indian or 

Alaska Native (AIAN); and Asian, Native Hawaiian, or other 

Pacific Islander. BJS found that many victims knew their 

offenders, so victims could reliably report the offender’s race 

and Hispanic origin. In addition, respondents are still allowed 

to respond “Don’t know” when uncertain. BJS expects to 

receive the 2012 NCVS data in mid-2013, and a complete 

report on the changes in racial coding is forthcoming. As a 

result of these changes, beginning with the 2012 data, the 

NCVS will be able to capture information on victimizations 

committed by offenders perceived by the victims to be AIAN.
BJS Indian country justice statistics webpage 

The new webpage serves as a repository for information 

and updates to BJS tribal data collections. The page 

provides links to the latest victimization, law enforcement, 

courts, corrections, and criminal justice data improvement 

information (figure 2). Links to the FBI’s extract files of violent 

and property offenses known to tribal law enforcement by 

state from 2008 to 2011 are available on the BJS website. BJS 

is exploring the possibility of developing a data query tool 

that allows users to create tables on various tribal justice 

statistics, including courts, the appellate system, caseloads, and 

indigent defense.

Tribal participation in national records and 

information systems 

During 2013, BJS has focused on three primary areas 

to improve tribal participation in national record and 

information systems: expand tribal reporting to the UCR 

Program, eligibility increases for tribal JAG awards, and 

expand tribal funding eligibility to include the National 

Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP) and the 

National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) 

Act Record Improvement Program (NARIP). 

Offenses reported by tribal law enforcement agencies 

The FBI asks law enforcement agencies to report eight crime 

types to the UCR: four violent crimes (i.e., murder, forcible 

rape, robbery, and aggravated assault) and four property 

crimes (i.e., burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and 

arson). These eight crimes are often considered the barometer 

of the overall crime problem in a jurisdiction. In the past, it 

was common practice for tribal law enforcement agencies 

to report their UCR data to the BIA. The BIA would then 

combine the data and report the aggregated counts to the 

FBI, thereby making it impossible for the FBI to report crime 

data at the tribal level. Without tribe-specific crime data 

from the FBI, tribes were unable to receive some crime-based 

federal funding.

BJS worked with the BIA, FBI, and tribes to change these 

reporting practices. As a result, the overall number of tribal 

law enforcement agencies with identifiable crime data in the 

FBI’s UCR Program increased from 2008 to 2011 (figure 3). 

A total of 168 AIAN tribal law enforcement agencies had 

disaggregated data published in the FBI’s annual report, 

Crime in the United States, 2011, compared to 12 tribal 

law enforcement agencies in the 2008 report. Tribal law 

enforcement agencies reported about 26,500 violent and 

property crimes occurring on tribal lands in 2011 (table 1).

In 2011, 72% of violent offenses reported by tribal law 

enforcement agencies could be traced back to the originating 

tribal reservation, up from 6% in 2008. Among these offenses, 

the reporting tribal law enforcement agency was identified 

in the majority of all reports of murder and nonnegligent 

manslaughter (95%), robbery (88%), and aggravated 

assault (89%).

From 2008 to 2011, the proportion of property offenses 

reported by tribal law enforcement agencies that were 

traceable to the tribe increased from 13% to 88%. Among these 

property offenses, the majority of all reports of burglary (92%), 

larceny-theft (88%), motor vehicle theft (87%), and arson 

(93%) could be linked to the tribe reporting the crime.

Tribes and the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance 

Grant (JAG) Program 

A total of $2,926,229 was made available in 113 awards to 

tribal governments through the JAG Program from 2008 to 

2013 (table 2). The Bureau of Justice Assistance administers 

the JAG Program. BJS calculates the JAG formula-based award 

amounts using specifications outlined in the legislation. JAG 

awards may be used for the following seven purpose areas: 

law enforcement; prosecution and courts; prevention and 

Figure 2

Indian country justice statistics webpage
Tribal Crime Data Collection Activities, 2013 | August 2013 5

education; corrections and community corrections; drug 

treatment; planning, evaluation, and technology improvement; 

and crime victim and witness programs.

Nationally, the total funds available for JAG have steadily 

decreased since 2009, but the proportion allocated to tribes has 

remained relatively stable since 2010.

The total 2013 JAG funding allocation for tribal nations was 

approximately $404,317, a 14% decrease from the $471,375 

available for allocation in 2012. The overall number of tribes 

eligible for JAG awards decreased from 22 in 2012 to 21 

in 2013.

The five largest total tribal government JAG allocations in 

2013 were awarded to the Navajo Nation ($78,223), Rosebud 

($33,042), Coeur D’Alene Tribe ($23,964), Oglala Sioux Tribe 

($23,139), and Standing Rock Sioux Tribe ($23,102). Four of 

the five tribes also received the highest awards in 2012 (the 

Oglala Sioux Tribe was not in the top five in 2011). All of the 

tribes that were eligible for direct awards in 2013 were from 

11 states.

From 2008 to 2013, about 75% of all direct tribal JAG awards 

went to tribal governments in Arizona ($887,442), Montana 

($537,084), North Dakota ($394,251), and South Dakota 

($380,946). In 2013, the Hoopa Valley tribe became the first 

tribe in California to be eligible for a JAG award ($10,810).

National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP) 

and Indian country

In 2013, BJS announced the continuation of the NCHIP. 

Federally and state-recognized tribal governments are eligible 

to apply. Tribes may submit applications as part of a multitribe consortium. NCHIP serves as an umbrella for various 

record improvement activities and funding streams, each of 

which has unique goals and objectives. BJS strongly encourages 

states and tribes to ensure the integrated functioning of record 

improvement initiatives, regardless of the funding source. No 

tribe has received NCHIP funding since tribes became eligible 

funding recipients in FY 2011.

The goal of the NCHIP grant program is to improve the 

nation’s safety and security by enhancing the quality, 

completeness, and accessibility of criminal history record 

information by ensuring the nationwide implementation of 

criminal justice and noncriminal justice background check 

systems. Despite the tremendous progress made toward 

criminal record improvements among states, several significant 

shortcomings remain among tribal justice agencies. 

BJS has identified several limitations confronting tribal 

nations. Most tribes do not have the capabilities or requisite 

technologies to support the transmittal of records to the 

national systems, either through their own infrastructure or 

via the state. Additionally, many tribes have not yet converted 

their manual or other nonautomated records to electronic 

means. Some entities are not yet submitting qualifying records 

to the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) Protection 

Order File, and the FBI reports continued problems with 

the appropriate flagging of protection orders regarding the 

prohibition for firearm purchases.

National Instant Criminal Background Check System 

(NICS) Act Record Improvement Program (NARIP) and 

Indian Country

In 2013, BJS announced the continuation of the NARIP. 

Federally and state-recognized Indian tribal governments 

are eligible to apply. The NARIP requires Federal Firearms 

Licensees to contact the NICS before transferring a firearm to 

an unlicensed person to obtain information on whether the 

proposed transferee is prohibited from receiving or possessing 

a firearm under state or federal law.

Table 1

Total violent and property crimes reported by tribal law 

enforcement agencies, 2008–2011

Year Total crimes Violent crime Property

Total 95,342 23,377 71,965

2008 23,736 6,212 17,524

2009 21,781 5,650 16,131

2010 23,245 5,532 17,713

2011 26,580 5,983 20,597

Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, based on data from the FBI, Crime in the United 

States, 2008–2011.

Figure 3

Total tribal law enforcement agencies reporting 

identifiable violent and property crimes, 2008–2011

Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, based on data from the FBI, Crime in the United 

States, 2008–2011.

0

50

100

150

200

Number of agencies

2008 2009 2010 2011

12

168

143

83
Tribal Crime Data Collection Activities, 2013 | August 2013 6

Table 2

American Indian tribes that received Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) awards, 2008–2013

State 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Combined total

Total tribal awards

Total U.S. JAG allocation $149,309,209 $483,877,421 $456,954,707 $368,268,838 $295,580,175 $278,392,240 $2,032,382,590

Tribal percent of total JAG 0.1% 0.1% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.1% 0.1%

Combined total tribal awards $149,942 $559,125 $709,189 $632,281 $471,375 $404,317 $2,926,229

Mean $29,988 $27,956 $32,236 $27,490 $21,426 $19,253

Minimum individual award $10,288 $11,956 $12,699 $11,124 $11,139 $10,164

Maximum individual award $96,083 $73,131 $111,750 $91,922 $73,497 $78,223

Number of award-eligible tribes 5 20 22 23 22 21 113

Arizona

Fort Apache Tribe ~ ~ $29,761 $22,804 $11,225 $10,594 $74,384

Ft. Apache (White Mtn.) Tribe ~ $22,923 ~ ~ 11,139 ~ 34,062

Gila River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community $13,119 22,837 35,416 29,378 18,785 17,351 136,886

Hopi Tribe ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 10,164 10,164

Hualapai Tribe ~ 11,956 15,273 13,285 11,139 11,367 63,020

Navajo Nation 96,083 70,747 90,563 73,720 73,497 78,223 482,833

San Carlos Apache Tribe ~ 23,267 26,583 22,051 71,901

Tohono O’odham Tribe ~ 14,192 ~ ~ ~ ~ 14,192

California

Hoopa Valley Tribe ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ $10,810 $10,810

Idaho

Coeur D’Alene Tribe ~ $18,028 $32,881 $27,179 $30,481 $23,964 $132,533

Minnesota

Red Lake Dept. of Conservation Tribal ~ ~ ~ $15,684 $18,418 $20,512 $54,614

Mississippi

Choctaw Law Enforcement Services ~ $27,439 $37,373 $35,657 $24,411 $16,209 $141,089

Montana

Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes ~ ~ ~ ~ $16,843 $11,938 $28,781

Blackfeet Tribal Law Enforcement ~ $73,131 $111,750 $91,922 39,578 16,215 332,596

Chippewa-Cree Indians ~ ~ 19,188 15,784 11,720 11,683 58,375

Crow Tribe ~ ~ 13,066 ~ ~ ~ 13,066

Flathead Tribe ~ 20,500 19,737 16,235 11,592 11,555 79,619

Northern Cheyenne Tribe ~ ~ 13,523 11,124 ~ ~ 24,647

Nebraska

Omaha Tribe of Nebraska ~ $25,699 $23,831 $19,496 $12,861 $10,275 $92,162

Winnebago Tribe ~ 13,513 ~ ~ ~ ~ 13,513

New Mexico

Mescalero Apache Tribe ~ $19,875 $25,754 $24,534 $18,515 $13,744 $102,422

Pueblo of Laguna ~ 17,939 12,699 11,205 ~ ~ 41,843

North Dakota

Fort Berthold Tribe ~ $22,156 ~ ~ ~ ~ $22,156

Fort Totten Tribe ~ 65,336 $28,371 $14,384 $12,471 $14,193 134,755

Standing Rock Sioux Tribe ~ ~ ~ 42,527 30,660 23,102 96,289

Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation ~ ~ 18,092 11,793 ~ ~ $29,885

Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians ~ 23,773 28,645 24,480 16,880 $17,388 $111,166

Oregon

Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation $11,016 ~ ~ ~ $11,143 ~ $22,159

South Dakota

Cheyenne River Tribal Police Dept. $19,436 $21,024 $20,614 $16,460 $11,581 ~ $89,115

Oglala Sioux Tribe* ~ 22,108 28,827 26,697 26,719 $23,139 127,490

Rosebud Tribal Police Dept. ~ ~ 49,944 39,878 31,189 33,042 154,053

Sisseton-Wahpeton Sioux Tribe 10,288 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 10,288

Wyoming

Wind River ~ $22,682 $27,298 $26,004 $20,528 $18,849 $115,361

~Not applicable. Tribe did not have crime data included in this year’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program or did not meet the threshold for award.

*Includes Ogala Sioux Tribe and Pine Ridge Souix.

Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics calculations using data from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program and the U.S. Census Bureau, 2008–2013.
Tribal Crime Data Collection Activities, 2013 | August 2013 7

The NARIP seeks to address the gap in information available 

to NICS about prohibiting mental health adjudications and 

commitments and other prohibiting factors. Filling these 

information gaps will better enable the system to operate as 

intended to keep guns out of the hands of persons prohibited 

by federal or state law from receiving or possessing firearms. 

The automation of records will also help reduce delays for 

law-abiding gun purchasers. The NARIP authorizes a grant 

program to assist states and tribes in providing certain 

information to the NICS and prescribes grant penalties for 

noncompliance with the act’s record-completeness goals. 

NARIP funds have not been awarded to a tribal government 

since the program’s inception in 2009.

The NARIP also requires that grants be made to each state or 

tribal government, consistent with plans for the integration, 

automation, and accessibility of criminal history records, 

for use by the court systems to improve automation and 

transmittal to federal and state repositories of (1) criminal 

history dispositions, (2) records relevant to determining 

whether a person has been convicted of a misdemeanor 

crime of domestic violence or whether a person is the subject 

of a prohibiting domestic violence protection order, and 

(3) prohibiting mental health adjudications and commitments.

Previously released reports

 Jails in Indian Country, 2012 (NCJ 242187)

 Tribal Crime Data Collection Activities, 2012 (NCJ 239077)

 Tribal Crime Data Collection Activities, 2011 (NCJ 234518)

 Jails in Indian Country, 2011 (NCJ 238978)

 Jails in Indian Country, 2010 (NCJ 236073)

 Jails in Indian Country, 2009 (NCJ 232223)

 Jails in Indian Country, 2008 (NCJ 228271)

 Tribal Law Enforcement, 2008 (NCJ 234217)

 Summary: Tribal Youth in the Federal Justice System

(NCJ 234218)

 State Prosecutors’ Offices with Jurisdiction in Indian Country, 

2007 (NCJ 234241)

 Jails in Indian Country, 2007 (NCJ 223760)

 Improving Criminal History Records in Indian Country, 

2004-2006 (NCJ 218913)

 Jails in Indian Country, 2004 (NCJ 214257)

 Jails in Indian Country, 2003 (NCJ 208597)

 Census of Tribal Justice Agencies in Indian Country, 2002

(NCJ 205332)

 American Indians and Crime (NCJ 203097)

 Jails in Indian Country, 2002 (NCJ 198997)

 Jails in Indian Country, 2001 (NCJ 193400)

 Jails in Indian Country, 2000 (NCJ 188156)

 Tribal Law Enforcement, 2000 (NCJ 197936)

 Jails in Indian Country 1998–1999 (NCJ 173410)

 American Indians and Crime (NCJ 173386)

BJS sponsored research

Summary: Tribal Youth in the Federal Justice System, 1999–2008

(NCJ 234218), produced by the Urban Institute, May 2011
Office of Justice Programs

Innovation • Partnerships • Safer Neighborhoods

www.ojp.usdoj.gov

The Bureau of Justice Statistics, located in the Office of 

Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, collects, 

analyses, and disseminates statistical information on crime, 

criminal offenders, victims of crime, and the operation of 

justice systems at all levels of government. William J. Sabol is 

acting director. 

This report was written by Steven W. Perry. Alexia Cooper 

provided statistical review and verification of the report.

Morgan Young and Jill Thomas edited the report, and

Barbara Quinn produced the report, under the supervision 

of Doris J. James.

August 2013, NCJ 242584