U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention 

Access OJJDP publications online at ojjdp.ncjrs.org

available resources for families and

youth and for the social services and law

enforcement agencies that serve them.

Many of the 1.9 million American Indians

living on or near Indian lands lack sufficient law enforcement services (Office

of the Associate Attorney General, 1999).

Indian communities face chronic underfunding 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. OJJDP seeks to address

these problems by enhancing Indian country law enforcement and improving the

quality of life in tribal communities. 

The Tribal Youth Program Manager represents OJJDP in a variety of interagency

work groups that provide a forum for coordinating and sharing information on programs, available grants and funds, and data

collection systems. This Manager actively

participates in the following:

◆ Federal Interagency Work Group on

Alcohol and Substance Abuse, administered by the U.S. Department of the

Interior (DOI), with participants from

the Department of Health and Human

Services (HHS); Substance Abuse and

Mental Health Services Administration,

HHS; Indian Health Service, HHS;

OJJDP’s Tribal Youth

Initiatives

Kay McKinney

Tribal communities in the United States

face formidable challenges. Although the

difficulties that afflict American Indian and

Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities are

not necessarily unique—violence, gangs,

and drugs plague many communities

nationwide—these problems are especially pervasive among tribal populations.

Tribal communities experience disproportionately high levels of violent victimization, intimate partner violence, child abuse

and neglect, youth gang involvement, and

co-occurrence of alcohol use and offending. Of particular concern to AI/AN tribes1

and the Office of Juvenile Justice and

Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) is the

increasing number of violent crimes being

committed by juveniles in many tribal

communities. Although the rates of juvenile violent crime have declined throughout the United States for several years,2

juvenile crime continues to increase in

Indian country. According to the Bureau

of Justice Statistics’ Special Report Violent

Victimization and Race, 1993–98 (Rennison, 2001), American Indians experience

violent crime at a rate twice that of the

general population.

Tribal youth are exposed to a variety of

risk factors that increase their chances of

becoming involved in delinquency and

violent offending—a trend that is compounded by tribal communities’ lack of

A Message From OJJDP

The violent crime rate among American Indians is twice that of the United

States as a whole. Tribal communities are also beset by high rates of

domestic violence, child abuse and

neglect, alcohol abuse, and gang

involvement. Given such factors, it

is not surprising that tribal youth are

exposed to multiple risk factors for

delinquency. Indeed, while the violent

crime rate for U.S. youth has steadily

declined over the past several years,

the rate of violent juvenile crime in

tribal communities continues to grow.

Risk factors for delinquency for the

nearly 2 million American Indians

who live on or near tribal lands are

compounded by a lack of social services. Tribal communities are challenged

by inadequate resources for their

juvenile justice systems, resulting in

insufficient training of law enforcement

and other justice personnel and a

dearth of programs that comprehensively combat juvenile delinquency

through appropriate prevention, intervention, and sanction activities.

This Bulletin describes the efforts of

OJJDP to assist tribal communities

through such initiatives as the Tribal

Youth Program, the Tribal Youth Program Mental Health Project, the Comprehensive Indian Resources for

Community and Law Enforcement

(CIRCLE) Project, training and technical assistance, and research and

evaluation.

It is hoped that OJJDP’s tribal youth

initiatives will help build a better future for American Indian and Alaska

Native youth and their families.

J. Robert Flores, Administrator May 2003
2

Bureau of Indian Affairs-Law Enforcement, Department of Safety, DOI; Office

of National Drug Control Policy; and

Department of Housing and Urban

Development.

◆ Mental Health Initiative Work Group,

with participants from HHS, DOI, the

Department of Education, and the

Department of Justice (DOJ).

◆ Several DOJ intraagency projects

shared with the Office on Violence

Against Women, Office for Victims of

Crime, Corrections Program Office,

Office of Community Oriented Policing

Services, Bureau of Justice Assistance,

and Tribal Courts.

Since fiscal year (FY) 1999, OJJDP has

awarded 161 grants to tribes throughout

the Nation to improve tribal juvenile justice systems and develop and implement

culturally sensitive delinquency prevention programs, alcohol and substance

abuse prevention programs, and interventions for court-involved tribal youth.

OJJDP’s commitment to preventing and

reducing juvenile crime in AI/AN communities and improving tribal juvenile justice

systems is reflected by its continued support of five broad program areas designed

to help tribes address juvenile crime:

◆ OJJDP’s Tribal Youth Program (TYP)

provides funds directly to tribal communities to develop programs that prevent and control juvenile delinquency,

reduce violent crime, and improve

tribal juvenile justice systems.

◆ OJJDP supports the TYP Mental Health

Project, which provides diagnostic and

treatment services to AI/AN youth

involved in, or at risk of becoming involved in, tribal and/or State juvenile

justice systems. 

◆ The Comprehensive Indian Resources

for Community and Law Enforcement

(CIRCLE) Project is a federal initiative

that helps tribal communities develop

comprehensive programs to address

crime, violence, and substance abuse.

◆ OJJDP provides training and technical

assistance to TYP grantees and other

tribal communities to improve their

responses to youth crime, violence,

and victimization. 

◆ OJJDP funds several research and evaluation activities that focus on juvenile

justice problems in tribal communities.

TYP: Examples of Grantee Activities

◆ The Navajo Nation, Window Rock, AZ, through its Haznojhi Youth Diversion

Project, is incorporating traditional and western education and therapy in an

intensive 3-week diversion program for court-involved youth and their families.

Participants receive information and training on topics such as communication,

drug and alcohol abuse, juvenile crime and its consequences, the impact of

crime on victims and the community, and the Navajo view of offenses against

the community.

◆ The Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, Suttons Bay, MI,

is using a cultural perspective to address the problem of truancy among tribal

youth. Home visits and referrals to services and programs are essential elements of the tribe’s plan for preventing and reducing truancy. The project’s main

objectives are to educate the community about the importance of addressing

truant behavior early, to decrease the community’s tolerance for truancy, and to

build capacity for assessing the needs of truant youth, those at risk of truancy,

and their families.

◆ The Tanana Chiefs Conference, Fairbanks, AK, is developing pilot youth courts

in 14 tribal villages to address youth crime and related behaviors and to promote

accountability and responsibility for youth actions among elders and peers. The

youth courts are organized around tribal principles that incorporate culture and

tradition in dealing with young people. The project is also drafting and adopting

juvenile codes/ordinances for use by youth courts, developing content for youth

court handbooks, and designing a training curriculum to help villages implement

the youth court program.

◆ The Burns Paiute Indian Reservation in Harney County, a rural area of eastern

Oregon, is using TYP funds to address alcohol and marijuana abuse, juvenile

crime, and academic failure; improve tribal youth service delivery systems; and

increase the availability and accessibility of community-based wraparound services for high-risk youth. The tribe also is working with parent volunteers and

other members of the community to develop a comprehensive 3-year plan to

combat the early onset of alcohol and drug use, reduce violence and criminal

behavior, and prevent youth from dropping out of school.

◆ The Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo, located in an urban setting near El Paso, TX, is

providing interventions for court-involved tribal youth and improving its tribal

juvenile justice system. The pueblo’s new home detention system reduces the

need to place youth away from their families. The pueblo’s community service

program has been expanded to include traditional restitution, mentoring activities that involve police officers, diversion programs that apply auxiliary community policing concepts, greater supervision of youth on probation, and more

activities to deter crime among court-involved youth.

◆ The Wampanoag Tribe, located in rural Aquinnah, MA, on the island of Martha’s

Vineyard, is establishing the Wampanoag Youth Program to engage at-risk youth

in culturally appropriate activities. The program has targeted 41 tribal youth who

have been referred by the juvenile court or who are considered to be at risk of

entering the juvenile justice system. Activities will include alcohol and drug abuse

prevention education and cultural events such as tribal powwows, nature walks,

storytelling, and drumming and dance shows.

◆ The Poarch Band of Creek Indians, Atmore, AL, a rural reservation that encompasses four southern Alabama counties and Florida’s Escambia County, is

developing a project to address the needs of a target population of approximately 660 at-risk youth. The project will emphasize the incorporation of traditional tribal cultural teachings and will include delinquency prevention activities,

an afterschool program, and intervention and prevention services in local

schools.
3

In FY 2002, OJJDP awarded 43 grants

through TYP. Although OJJDP issued a

single solicitation to cover both TYP and

the TYP Mental Health Project funding in

FY 2002, applicants were required to submit separate applications for TYP (Part A)

and Mental Health (Part B) funding. OJJDP

received 68 Part A applications and 16 Part

B applications. As in FY 1999–2001, eligible

applicants included federally recognized

tribes, consortiums of federally recognized tribes, and corporations that represent Alaska Native villages, and grantees

were funded for a 3-year budget and program period.

The sidebar on page 2 presents examples

of TYP-funded projects. The examples

illustrate the diverse activities undertaken

by grantees since the TYP program began

in FY 1999.

TYP Mental Health

Project

The TYP Mental Health Project was established in 2000 to promote mental health

and substance abuse (alcohol and drug

abuse) services for AI/AN youth and support juvenile delinquency prevention and

intervention efforts that help tribes develop and implement culturally sensitive

mental health programs. The project helps

tribes provide a range of youth support

services and programs that address the

mental health and related needs of AI/AN

youth and their families in various community settings (e.g., in schools, at violence prevention and healthcare treatment

programs, in the juvenile justice system).

The TYP Mental Health Project is part of

the Mental Health and Community Safety

Initiative for American Indian/Alaska

Native Children, Youth, and Families, a

federal initiative announced in 1999 and

developed by the U.S. Departments of

Education, Health and Human Services,

the Interior, and Justice. Since FY 2000,

this initiative has provided tribes easy-toaccess help in developing innovative

strategies to meet the mental health, behavior, substance abuse, and community

safety needs of AI/AN youth and their

families through a coordinated federal

process.

The overall goal of the TYP Mental Health

Project is to provide mental health diagnostic and treatment services to AI/AN

youth who are involved in, or at risk of

becoming involved in, tribal and/or state

juvenile justice systems. The project’s

objectives are to:

◆ Provide mental health services for

AI/AN youth at risk of delinquency.

◆ Provide interventions for courtinvolved tribal youth.

◆ Improve tribal juvenile justice systems.

◆ Provide alcohol and drug abuse counseling services.

In FY 2000, OJJDP awarded TYP Mental

Health Project grants to six tribal communities to provide mental health treatment

and services to AI/AN youth. The grants

totaled nearly $1 million and ranged from

$75,000 to $300,000, depending on the size

of the AI/AN service population living on

or near a particular reservation.

In FY 2001, OJJDP awarded TYP Mental

Health Project grants totaling almost

$950,000 to five tribal communities.

Awards ranged from $125,000 to $300,000

(for a 3-year grant period), depending on

the size of the total AI/AN service population living on or near a particular reservation. OJJDP also awarded five TYP Mental

Health Project grants in FY 2002. (See

sidebar on page 4 for a summary of FY

2002 grantees’ activities.)

Comprehensive

Indian Resources

for Community and

Law Enforcement

Project 

The CIRCLE Project, with the assistance of

federal, state, and private partners, helps

tribal communities develop comprehensive planning and funding infrastructures

to fight crime, violence, and substance

abuse more effectively. The CIRCLE Project

is based on two key principles: 

◆ Local leadership is important in developing and implementing efforts to control crime, violence, and drug abuse.

◆ A comprehensive approach (i.e., one

that incorporates coordinated, multidisciplinary efforts) is needed to fight

crime, violence, and drug abuse.

The CIRCLE Project complements and is

supported by the federal Indian Country

Law Enforcement Initiative (see endnote 3

for a description of this initiative). Central

to the federal initiative and the CIRCLE

Project is a commitment to improving the

federal government’s work with AI/AN

communities. The CIRCLE Project, in

conjunction with federal agencies,4 serves

tribes in three pilot sites: the Northern

This Bulletin highlights OJJDP’s current

activities in the five program areas listed

on page 2 and briefly summarizes additional OJJDP activities that involve tribal

communities.

Tribal Youth Program

Congress established TYP in 1999 to address the rising rate of juvenile crime

in tribal communities, appropriating

$10 million for the program in FY 1999,

$12.5 million in FY 2000 and FY 2001, and

$12.47 million in FY 2002.3 Before 1999,

OJJDP assisted AI/AN tribes through the

passthrough of Formula Grants Program

funds by the states, discretionary grant

funds, and training and technical assistance. However, it did not have a program

solely dedicated to the overall goals of

preventing and controlling juvenile crime

in AI/AN communities and improving tribal juvenile justice systems.

TYP’s objectives are to:

◆ Provide prevention services to influence risk factors for delinquency.

◆ Provide interventions for court-involved

youth.

◆ Improve tribal juvenile justice systems.

◆ Provide prevention programs that

focus on alcohol and drugs.

In FY 2000, OJJDP awarded TYP grants

totaling approximately $8 million to 38

tribal communities. Awards ranged from

$73,352 to $498,475, based on the size of

the AI/AN service population living on or

near a particular reservation. A broad

spectrum of tribal communities responded

to the FY 2000 TYP solicitation—an indication that OJJDP is achieving its goal of

working with tribal communities of various population sizes and geographic locations. The marked increase in the number

of applications from Alaska and in firsttime applicants for TYP funds further

reflects the success of OJJDP’s outreach

efforts. 

In FY 2001, OJJDP awarded grants totaling

approximately $8 million to 30 AI/AN communities to develop programs to prevent

and control juvenile delinquency in AI/AN

communities and improve tribal juvenile

justice systems. Applications were invited

from federally recognized tribes and from

corporations representing Alaska Native

villages. Awards (for a 3-year grant period)

varied depending on the size of the AI/AN

service population living on or near a particular reservation.
4

Cheyenne Tribe in Lame Deer, MT; Oglala

Sioux Tribe in Pine Ridge, SD; and Pueblo

of Zuni in Zuni, NM. Participating tribes

receive special consideration for technical assistance and training related to

strategy development and implementation, and they are eligible to apply for

funding for law enforcement, tribal courts,

detention facilities, and youth programs.

DOJ’s National Institute of Justice is overseeing an evaluation of the CIRCLE Project

being conducted by the Harvard Project

on American Indian Development at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School

of Government in Cambridge, MA. A draft

report for Phase I of the evaluation, which

covers the first 18 months of the project,

was submitted in spring 2002 and is still

being reviewed. Phase II of the evaluation

began in December 2002 and will address

the subsequent 30 months.

Training and Technical

Assistance

For the past several years, OJJDP has provided training and technical assistance

to tribal communities through American

Indian Development Associates (AIDA)

of Albuquerque, NM. The agency’s twopronged approach to training and technical assistance involves (1) helping TYP

grantees implement their programs and (2)

helping other AI/AN communities develop

or enhance their juvenile justice systems. 

AIDA responds to requests for training

and technical assistance initiated by TYP

grantees or program managers. AIDA determines the type of technical assistance or

training to be provided to TYP grantees by

reviewing each community’s history and

needs. In some cases, AIDA may need to

provide training about concepts before

changes in tribal juvenile justice systems

can take place. For example, Indian nations

that rely on customs and traditions may

need to learn about American-style justice

systems before they are ready to develop

written policies and procedures. In other

instances, nations that do not have jurisdiction over their youth may need help

developing intergovernmental agreements

to influence prosecution, adjudication, or

disposition alternatives.

AIDA helps tribal communities that are not

TYP grantees improve their juvenile justice

systems and address issues of youth and

wellness, community development, and

program planning and development. In

2001, AIDA conducted 31 training and technical assistance projects for TYP grantees.

In FY 2002, OJJDP competitively solicited

applicants to continue providing training

and technical assistance to TYP grantees

and other tribal communities. In April 2003,

the Native American Alliance Foundation

was selected as the new provider.

Research and

Evaluation

Since 1999, OJJDP has used TYP funds

to support a number of research and

evaluation activities designed to provide

empirical evidence about juvenile justice

and delinquency prevention policies and

practices and their impact on tribal

youth. In developing guidelines for TYP

research and evaluation, OJJDP convened

an American Indian focus group. This

group developed three principles to guide

TYP-funded research and evaluation activities. The group determined that research

and evaluation should:

TYP Mental Health Project: Activities of FY 2002

Grantees

◆ Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians of Oregon, as part of a comprehensive

working plan to improve the quality of tribal life, is focusing on juvenile drug and

alcohol use and will provide related services to at-risk tribal youth ages 8–18 in

an 11-county service area that encompasses the cities of Portland, Salem, and

Eugene. The project will include a needs assessment to identify risk factors facing tribal youth and an evaluation of existing services. Planned activities include

culturally appropriate parenting training, gender-specific programs, behavioral

and psychological assessments, and a variety of therapies (e.g., narrative,

sandtray, adventure-based, and family programs).

◆ Eastern Aleutian Tribes, Inc., a nonprofit organization providing healthcare services to seven rural communities in the Aleutians East Borough of Alaska, will

improve the delivery of comprehensive mental health services and substance

abuse treatment for tribal youth ages 12–20. The program seeks to improve

access to appropriate interventions for court-involved youth and their families,

including counseling for depression, anxiety, conduct disorder, post-traumatic

stress disorder, and other mental health problems; standardize intake assessments for youth who come into contact with local law enforcement; enhance

alcohol and drug abuse counseling for youth; and provide appropriate training

for service providers.

◆ The Mount Sanford Tribal Consortium, a tribal health organization serving two

Athabascan Indian villages in the sparsely populated Copper River region in

Alaska’s interior, is revising and expanding mental health services to address

risk factors related to delinquent behavior among tribal youth. All 48 tribal youth

ages 5 to 17 are eligible to receive the expanded services, which are being

developed by a coalition of tribal council members, other community members,

and service providers. A youth counselor will be hired to diagnose and provide

treatment for conduct disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse,

and other serious problems among referred youth.

◆ The Osage Nation Counseling Center, in Pawhuska, OK, is establishing an

inpatient treatment center to provide a continuum of delinquency prevention

and residential treatment services for at-risk males ages 13–18. The nearby city

of Hominy has provided the facility, and the counseling center is collaborating

with other State and tribal agencies to provide mental health services and

alcohol/drug abuse treatment to court-referred youth. The program will focus

on alcohol and drug abuse education, violence prevention, gang education,

and counseling for individuals, families, and groups. Once youth have completed long-term counseling and treatment at the center, their care will continue

through home visits by program staff.

◆ The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, located near Topeka, KS, is developing

a mental health service program to prevent and reduce delinquent behavior

among tribal youth ages 5 to 18 residing on the reservation, in surrounding

rural Jackson County, and in the Topeka urban area. The program, which will

serve 50 to 75 at-risk youth each year, will include crisis intervention, mental

health screening, and counseling for suicidal behavior, depression, anxiety,

conduct disorder, and other mental health problems.
An Overview of Selected Tribal Research and

Evaluation Activities

◆ The Michigan Public Health Institute in Okemos, MI, in partnership with the

Native American Institute at Michigan State University, is helping five tribes

evaluate programs being conducted with TYP grants.

◆ The College of Menominee Nation in Keshena, WI, is working with Menominee

organizations to develop, demonstrate, and evaluate a culturally appropriate,

community-based, family-centered, integrated approach to the prevention of

delinquency among tribal youth ages 11–18.

◆ New Mexico State University in Las Cruces is conducting a study that examines

delinquency and the legal processing of Native American juveniles in a Four

Corners tribe during the past 11 years, taking into account changes in tribal

resources during that time, such as the opening of a casino on the reservation.

◆ The Navajo Nation Judicial Branch in Window Rock, AZ, is conducting a comprehensive assessment of gang activity, the first such assessment undertaken

by a tribal government, to identify approaches that can be adopted by tribes to

deal with gangs.

◆ Building on the Navajo gang study, researchers at California State University

in Sacramento are using ethnographic observation and interviewing community

members and gang members to document and profile the youth gang experience in up to six tribal sites across the Nation.

More information on these projects can be found in the OJJDP Fact Sheet

OJJDP’s Program of Research for Tribal Youth (Fung and Wyrick, 2001).

5

◆ Provide useful, practical results that

are relevant to the parties who are the

focus of the research.

◆ Involve local community members in

decisionmaking and implementation

activities.

◆ Acknowledge and respect native customs, traditions, values, and history.

Tribal research and evaluation activities

address a range of issues relating to juvenile justice and delinquency prevention

efforts in tribal communities. (See sidebar

on this page for a description of selected

projects.) 

OJJDP also supports two new research

programs designed to help AI/AN communities develop and implement juvenile

delinquency programs and improve tribal

juvenile justice systems. These programs

are described in the sections that follow.

The Tribal Youth FieldInitiated Research and

Evaluation Program

The Tribal Youth Field-Initiated Research

and Evaluation Program supports projects

that focus on tribal youth and address

child abuse and neglect, substance abuse,

and indigenous approaches to juvenile

justice. One such project, Understanding

the Causes of and Responses to Pueblo

Youth Crime and Violence, will award

$200,000 to Sandoval Indian Pueblos, Inc.,

a consortium of five pueblos in Sandoval

County, NM, to explore the causes of and

responses to youth substance abuse and

crime. The study will use secondary and

archival data sources, youth surveys, and

interviews of tribe members to assess the

nature of juvenile delinquency in the pueblos. Another project, the Anishinaabek

Juvenile Justice Study, will award approximately $200,000 to the Red Cliff Band of

Lake Superior Chippewa to conduct a formative evaluation of the juvenile justice system on the Red Cliff Reservation. The

evaluation will focus on the reservation’s

tribal court, tribal substance abuse programs, and Indian Child Welfare program.

The Longitudinal Study of

Tribal Youth Risk and

Resiliency

In 2002, OJJDP began supporting the Longitudinal Study of Tribal Youth Risk and

Resiliency Using the Community Readiness

Model (the Longitudinal Study), which will

examine risk and protective factors for

juvenile delinquency within the unique

cultural and historical context of a tribal

community. By emphasizing cultural and

historical factors, the Longitudinal Study

will significantly improve knowledge concerning individual, family, community,

school, and peer factors that affect

delinquency and resiliency among tribal

youth. It will also promote the development of culturally appropriate research

methods for use with tribal populations.

The first 2 years of the Longitudinal Study

will consist of a feasibility study (to plan

for the actual longitudinal study). After

the feasibility study has been completed,

and depending on the availability of funds,

OJJDP anticipates supporting the Longitudinal Study for up to 5 more years. 

In April 2002, OJJDP awarded approximately $650,000 in the form of a cooperative agreement (for a 2-year project and

budget period) to Colorado State University’s Tri-Ethnic Center for Prevention

Research to administer and conduct the

feasibility study. OJJDP will be actively

involved in this important research project through close communication with the

grantee, participation in initial site visits

to eligible tribes being considered for participation in the study, and followup visits

to participating sites.

Other Tribal Youth

Initiatives

The five program areas described thus

far in this Bulletin (TYP, the TYP Mental

Health Project, the CIRCLE Project, training and technical assistance, and research

and evaluation) focus specifically on tribal

youth and communities. Tribal communities are active participants in a number

of other OJJDP programs and initiatives

as well. Tribal communities, for example,

were among the grant recipients in several major OJJDP initiatives, including

the Juvenile Mentoring Program, the Safe

Schools/Healthy Students Initiative, the

Drug-Free Communities Support Program,

the Enforcing the Underage Drinking Laws

Program, and CASA (the Court Appointed

Special Advocate Initiative). OJJDP is also

developing training support for tribal law

enforcement officers. In 2001, the National

Youth Gang Center (NYGC) implemented a

new survey of youth gangs in AI/AN communities that measures the prevalence,

composition, and activities of gangs in

federally recognized tribes that had not

previously been included in NYGC’s annual National Youth Gang Survey of law

enforcement agencies. 

In December 2000, OJJDP published a

special issue of its journal Juvenile Justice (Volume VII, Number 2) that focuses

on the subject of preventing and combating delinquency among tribal youth. This
Electronic subscriptions are now available for OJJDP News @ a

Glance, a bimonthly newsletter that presents up-to-date notices of

and quick access to agency activities, recent publications, funding

opportunities, and upcoming events.

To subscribe,

Go to OJJDP’s Web site (ojjdp.ncjrs.org).

Click on “Subscribe to OJJDP 

News @ a Glance.”

Fill in your name and e-mail address. 

Or

Download individual issues from

ojjdp.ncjrs.org/about/newsletter.html. 

6

issue includes an interview with Senator

Ben Nighthorse Campbell of Colorado,

an overview of OJJDP’s Tribal Youth Program, and a discussion of the importance

of cultural practices in delinquency prevention programs.

For Further Information

J. Robert Flores, Administrator for OJJDP,

invites inquiries on OJJDP programs and

activities. He can be reached at

202–307–5911.

Additional information on OJJDP tribal initiatives appears in the following OJJDP

Fact Sheets: OJJDP’s Program of Research

for Tribal Youth (Fung and Wyrick, 2001);

Training and Technical Assistance for Indian Nation Juvenile Justice Systems (Melton

and Bird, 1999); Tribal Court CASA: A Guide

to Program Development (Frey, 2002); Tribal Youth Program (Andrews, 1999); and

United National Indian Tribal Youth, Inc.

(Sagiri, 2001). These publications and

others listed in the “References” section

may be ordered from the Juvenile Justice

Clearinghouse. Refer to the box on page 7

for information on how to order publications or obtain information from JJC. 

For more information on OJJDP’s tribal

youth initiatives, contact:

Laura Ansera, Program Manager

Tribal Youth Program

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency

Prevention

State and Tribal Assistance Division

810 Seventh Street NW.

Washington, DC 20531

202–514–5679

anseral@ojp.usdoj.gov

In March 2003, OJJDP launched a Web

page (ojjdp.ncjrs.org/typ) devoted to

tribal youth initiatives. 

Endnotes

1. The terms “Indian tribe,” “tribal,” and

“tribe(s)” mean “any Indian tribe, band,

nation, or other organized group or community, including Alaska Native village or

regional or village corporation, as defined

in or established pursuant to the Alaska

Native Claims Settlement Act . . . which

is recognized as eligible for the special

programs and services provided by the

United States to Indians because of their

status as Indians” (25 U.S.C. § 450b(e)).

2. During 2000, the juvenile arrest rate for

violent crime reached its lowest level in 14

years and the number of juvenile arrests

in each category tracked by the Federal

Bureau of Investigation in its Violent

Crime Index (murder, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault) fell (Snyder,

in press). 

3. TYP is part of the federal Indian Country Law Enforcement Initiative, a 4-year

joint initiative of the U.S. Departments of

Justice and the Interior to improve law

enforcement and the administration of

criminal and juvenile justice in Indian

country. The initiative also addresses the

need for additional resources to respond

to crime in AI/AN communities, including

increased funding for tribal police officers,

courts, detention facilities, and prevention

and intervention programs.

4. Partner agencies include the Office of

the Attorney General, the Office of Tribal

Justice, the Office of Justice Programs, and

the Office of Community Oriented Policing

Services. The U.S. Attorney also plays a

role in the CIRCLE Project, and the Federal

Bureau of Investigation and the U.S.

Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Indian Affairs contribute to project efforts

through their involvement in the Indian

Country Law Enforcement Initiative.

References

Andrews, C. 1999. Tribal Youth Program.

Fact Sheet (FS 99108). Washington, DC: U.S.

Department of Justice, Office of Justice

Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and

Delinquency Prevention. 

Frey, H.E. 2002. Tribal Court CASA: A Guide

to Program Development. Fact Sheet (FS

200209). Washington, DC: U.S. Department

of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency

Prevention. 

Fung, C., and Wyrick, P.A. 2001. OJJDP’s

Program of Research for Tribal Youth. Fact

Sheet (FS 200110). Washington, DC: U.S.

Department of Justice, Office of Justice

Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and

Delinquency Prevention. 

Melton, A.P., and Bird, E. 1999. Training

and Technical Assistance for Indian Nation

Juvenile Justice Systems. Fact Sheet (FS

99105). Washington, DC: U.S. Department

of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency

Prevention.

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency

Prevention. 2000. Juvenile Justice, Volume

VII, Number 2 (American Indian issue).

Journal (NCJ 184747). Washington, DC:

U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice

If you would like a copy mailed to you, contact the Juvenile Justice 

Clearinghouse by phone at 800–638–8736, by e-mail at puborder@ncjrs.org, 

or by mail at P.O. Box 6000, Rockville, MD 20849–6000.
7

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How To Access Information From OJJDP’s Juvenile

Justice Clearinghouse 

All OJJDP publications mentioned in this Bulletin are available from the Juvenile

Justice Clearinghouse (JJC) via telephone, fax, and the Internet. JJC also welcomes questions via telephone, fax, or e-mail. When ordering a publication, please

refer to its NCJ or Fact Sheet (FS) number.

Telephone:

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Fax:

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Fact Sheets and Bulletins only)

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Colleagues

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We encourage you to reproduce this

document, share it with your colleagues, and reprint it in your newsletter or journal. However, if you

reprint, please cite OJJDP and the

author of this Bulletin. We are also

interested in your feedback, such as

how you received a copy, how you

intend to use the information, and

how OJJDP materials meet your individual or agency needs. Please direct

your comments and questions to:

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Publication Reprint/Feedback

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Rockville, MD 20849–6000

800–638–8736

301–519–5600 (fax)

E-mail: tellncjrs@ncjrs.org

Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and

Delinquency Prevention. 

Office of the Associate Attorney General.

1999. Indian country law enforcement

review. Unpublished report. Washington,

DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of

the Associate Attorney General. 

Rennison, C. 2001. Violent Victimization

and Race, 1993–98. Report (NCJ 176354).

Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau

of Justice Statistics. 

Sagiri, Y. 2001. United National Indian Tribal Youth, Inc. Youth in Action Fact Sheet

(YFS 00107). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and

Delinquency Prevention. 

Snyder, H. 2002. Juvenile Arrests 2000. Bulletin (NCJ 191729). Washington, DC: U.S.

Department of Justice, Office of Justice

Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and

Delinquency Prevention.

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency

Prevention is a component of the Office of

Justice Programs, which also includes the

Bureau of Justice Assistance, the Bureau of

Justice Statistics, the National Institute of

Justice, and the Office for Victims of Crime.

This Bulletin was prepared by Kay McKinney,

formerly Acting Director of OJJDP’s Information

Dissemination and Planning Unit.
Bulletin NCJ 193763

*NCJ~193763*