OVW Fiscal Year 2023 Special Tribal Criminal Jurisdiction: Targeted Support for Alaska Native Tribes Special Initiative - Solicitation

This program is authorized by the Indian Civil Rights Act of 1969 (codified as amended at 25 U.S.C. § 1304(h)(2)). The OVW Special Tribal Criminal Jurisdiction Program (Tribal Jurisdiction Program) (CFDA# 16.025) supports tribes in their efforts to exercise special Tribal criminal jurisdiction (STCJ) over non-Indians who commit "covered crimes" and provides technical assistance for planning and implementing changes in their criminal justice systems necessary to exercise the jurisdiction. "Covered crimes" are limited to assault of Tribal justice personnel; child violence; dating violence; domestic violence; obstruction of justice; sexual violence; sex trafficking; stalking; and violation of a protection order. Grant recipients are committed to exercising the jurisdiction to ensure that victims find safety and justice and that non-Indians who commit covered crimes within their jurisdiction are held accountable. For additional information about this program and related performance measures, including how awards contribute to the achievement of program goals and objectives, see:

OVW grant program information: OVW Grants and Programs Webpage.
Program performance measures under the Measuring Effectiveness Initiative: VAWA Measuring Effectiveness Initiative webpage.
Program-specific sections in OVW's most recent report to Congress on the effectiveness of VAWA grant programs.

This targeted FY 2023 special initiative solicitation under the Tribal Jurisdiction Program is designed to assist Alaska Native tribal governments, or consortia of Alaska Native tribal governments, that plan to seek designation by the Attorney General as participating tribes able to exercise jurisdiction over non-Indians through the Alaska Pilot Program for STCJ, which was established by the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022, 25 U.S.C. § 1305(d). For more information on the Alaska Pilot Program, including a description of the statutory requirements regarding designation, see the Department of Justice's tribal consultation framing paper on the Alaska pilot, available at www.justice.gov/file/1518536/download.

Note: An award under this special initiative does not constitute or replace designation by the Attorney General as a participating tribe to exercise STCJ under the Alaska Pilot Program.