Indian Alcohol and Substance Abuse Program
The purpose of the Indian Alcohol and Substance Abuse Program is to reduce crimes associated with the distribution and use of alcohol and controlled substances in tribal communities. The program seeks to mobilize tribal communities to implement or enhance innovative, collaborative efforts that address public safety issues related to alcohol and substance abuse. Under the program, tribes will develop new or enhance existing strategies that prevent, interdict, and treat alcohol and drug use by members of tribal communities.
Applicants are expected to link law enforcement and treatment services into a meaningful and effective strategy that can be implemented over a 3-year grant period. Essential objectives include:
- Establishing a project advisory team, which may be either an existing or newly formed group. (Note: Project advisory teams most often are comprised of elected officials, service providers, and key community stakeholders. The team's mission is to plan, implement, and monitor the tribe's comprehensive strategy to control and prevent alcohol- and substance abuse-related crime.)
- Identifying, apprehending, and prosecuting those illegally transporting, distributing, and using alcohol and controlled substances in tribal communities.
- Preventing and reducing the number of alcohol- and substance abuse-related traffic fatalities and injuries.
- Developing/enhancing partnerships among federal, tribal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.
- Establishing strategies for engaging the tribal community and nontribal communities (as applicable) in identifying and responding to problems.
- Reducing the recurrence of alcohol- and substance abuse-related crimes.
- Increasing the coordination between the tribal criminal justice system and tribal support services.
- Integrating federal, state, local, and tribal-based services for offenders and their families.
- Creating or making available culturally appropriate treatment and/or other services.
Legislation: The Indian Alcohol and Substance Abuse Demonstration Program was created by the FY 2001 Consolidated Appropriations Act (Public Law 106-553).
In FY 2002, BJA made awards to 25 tribal communities based on a competitive application process that
involved 3 funding categories: law enforcement, treatment services, and a combined comprehensive
component. Grant awards under the first two categories were up to $175,000 each. Under the combinedcomponent, tribes were expected to work with law enforcement, treatment providers, and key community
stakeholders to develop and implement a comprehensive, systemwide strategy to control and prevent
crime-related alcohol and substance abuse. Grant awards for the combined component were up to
$350,000 each. Under all three categories, program periods could not exceed 24 months.
In FY 2003 and 2004, applications focused on the development and implementation of a comprehensive
strategy. Although the goals and objectives remained relatively similar, feedback from the field prompted
BJA to increase grant awards to $500,000 and extend project periods to 36 months. Of the 39 submissions
that BJA received, 15 applicants (6 in FY 2003, 9 in FY 2004) received federal funding. BJA set aside
resources that would allow the 24 nonrecipients to participate in the technical assistance and training
offered to grantees.
Both onsite and offsite technical assistance and training are available to all grantees. Technical assistance
also is provided to help grantees develop program goals and measure how well these goals are being met.
Program Accomplishments:
The collaborative efforts of these agencies and organizations resulted collectively in providing technical assistance and training to 750 persons representing 64 American Indian and Alaska Native communities. This included conferences, workshops, cluster/regional round-table trainings, and advisory meetings, where training topics covered:
- comprehensive strategy development, corrections, law enforcement jurisdiction, and delinquency prevention [Green Bay, WI]
- substance abuse prevention and reducing recidivism [Albuquerque, NM]
- interdiction, intervention, and prevention [Fargo, ND]
- team building and grant implementation [Green Bay, WI]
- interdiction, intervention, and prevention [Appleton, WI]
- two Salish Gatherings in partnership with the Lummi Nation [Bellingham, WA]
Scholarships allowed nearly 100 additional non grantee representatives to participate in the events mentioned above. Technical assistance providers, through a mututally supportive effort, accomplished:
- Faculty development workshop for 28 tribal persons, which served to enhance their capacity to train and facilitate events. This skill-building workshop enhanced attendees’ ability to train and mentor others, as well as to prepare them for potential select services at forthcoming BJA-sponsored Tribal justice events.
- IASA Advisory Board meetings in Seattle, WA, Denver, CO, and Green Bay, WI assisted grantees in the development of a training calendar, identification of a training and technical assistance plan, and to provide onsite mentoring opportunities.
- Pre- and post-conference activities for the 2004 National Training Conference for Criminal Justice and Community Leaders
- Development and production of tools in support of grant implementation (program newsletter, CD ROMs, website, etc.) to share
information on what’s working in tribal communities.
- Planning for the annual National Training Conference for Criminal Justice and Community Leaders. This national-scope venue is sponsored
by the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, Oneida Nation of Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Department of Justice and Office of Justice
Assistance, Green Bay metropolitan area governments, FVTC, the National Crime Prevention Council, and BJA.
Additional technical support was delivered through: on-site meetings, telephone conferences, and online assistance that guided grantees
through the various stages of development and strategy implementation.
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