Tribal Civil and Criminal Legal Assistance Grants, Training and Technical Assistance

 

Goal: The goal of this program is to build and enhance capacity and improve delivery of legal services to individuals and tribes as well as to develop policies that improve access to tribal justice systems. Objectives: The objective varies with each new solicitation issued every three years, see the solicitation. For example, the Fiscal Year 2018 TCCLA solicitation focused on development, implementation, and enhancement of Holistic Defense initiative, a new approach to traditional defense representation. This enhanced approach brings together an interdisciplinary team of criminal defense, legal aid, social services, public health and public housing and others to provide culturally appropriate services to the defenses client. This initiative supports Indian tribes including those who are implementing either the Special Domestic Violence Criminal Jurisdiction of the Violence Against Womens Act or Enhanced Sentencing Authority of the Tribal Law and Order Act or seeking new defense strategies that can incorporate healing principles. Performance Measure 1: Number of individuals who received civil legal assistance; and, Performance Measure 2: Number of individuals who received criminal legal assistance.

Active 16.815 Office of Justice Programs, Department of Justice B - Project Grants Fiscal Year 2017 Current and planned TCCLA program accomplishments are found at the TCCLA webpage (https://www.bja.gov/ProgramDetails.aspx?Program_ID=102#horizontalTab6).
Fiscal Year 2018 For FY 2018, it was anticipated that six applications will be received. BJA made three awards (2 site-based, 1 TTA) ranging from $300,000 to $600,000.
Fiscal Year 2020 The Tribal Civil and Criminal Legal Assistance (TCCLA) Program webpage (https://bja.ojp.gov/program/tribal-civil-and-criminal-legal-assistance-tccla-program/overview). Success stories are posted to the Tribal Civil and Criminal Legal Assistance (TCCLA) Program webpage (https://bja.ojp.gov/program/tribal-civil-and-criminal-legal-assistance-tccla-program/overview). The Emerging Practices in Tribal Civil and Criminal Legal Assistance publication is located at: http://www.naicja.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Final-Revised-Emerging-Practices-11.8.2016-copy.pdf.
Fiscal Year 2021 Two awards granted totaling $1,200,000.
Fiscal Year 2022 Please visit https://bja.ojp.gov/program/tribal-civil-and-criminal-legal-assistance-tccla-program/overview Indian Tribal Justice Technical and Legal Assistance Act of 2000, 25 U.S.C. 3651, et seq.
Public Law 105-559, 25 U.S.C. 3661-3666
Department of Justice Appropriations Act, 2023, Public Law 117-328, Statute 136,4459, 4536 Applicants for Tribal Legal Assistance Services Grants are limited to non-profit organizations, as defined by (Internal Revenue Code ? 501(c)(3)), including tribal enterprises and educational institutions (public, private, and tribal colleges and universities), with experience providing legal assistance services to eligible individuals pursuant to federal poverty guidelines, federally-recognized Indian tribes, or tribal justice systems. N/A Please check the annual solicitation requirements available at the OJP website (https://ojp.gov/funding/Explore/SolicitationRequirements/index.htm) and Frequently Asked Questions at the BJA's TCCLA webpage (https://bja.ojp.gov/program/tribal-civil-and-criminal-legal-assistance-tccla-program/overview) for documentation such as a tribal agreement or verification by non-profits that they have 501(c)(3) status. Applicants are requested to attach an Internal Revenue Service determination letter recognizing the applicant as a 501(c)(3) tax exempt status identified as a public charity classification. 2 CFR 200, Subpart E - Cost Principles applies to this program. Preapplication coordination is not applicable. 2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards applies to this program. 2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards applies to this program. See Current Fiscal year's solicitation available at: https://www.ojp.gov/funding/explore/current-funding-opportunities. Notice of Funding Opportunities for this listing will be posted on Grants.gov. BJA reviews applications for completeness, accuracy, and compliance with all program requirements. After the OJP Assistant Attorney General approval, funds obligated and award package approved, a recipient will receive a federal award notification by email via the Justice Grants System or JustGrants. To accept an award, the recipient will sign in to JustGrants and complete the entire process of reviewing and accepting an award. Due to the small number of applicants, BJA may elect to make awards for applications submitted under this solicitation in future fiscal years, dependent on the merit of the applications and the availability of appropriations. Contact the headquarters or regional location, as appropriate for application deadlines From 90 to 120 days. See current fiscal year's solicitation available at https://www.ojp.gov/funding/explore/current-funding-opportunities. There are no appeal rights for rejection of a discretionary application. Please see section 28 CFR Part 18. See solicitation for continuation funding intent. Solicitation is located at https://www.ojp.gov/funding/explore/current-funding-opportunities. See current fiscal year solicitation for criteria for selecting proposals. Solicitation is located at https://www.ojp.gov/funding/explore/current-funding-opportunities. For the TCCLA solicitation, Category 1 and 2 deliverables include direct legal assistance services or project-based activities. Awardees are expected to provide direct civil and criminal legal assistance services to individuals pursuant to federal poverty guidelines, Indian tribes and tribal justice systems. Civil legal services may include guardian ad-litem appointments, court appointed special advocates, and development and enhancement of tribal court policies, procedures, and codes. Criminal legal services may include adult criminal actions, juvenile delinquency actions, and guardian ad-litem appointments arising out of criminal delinquency acts or enhancement of tribal court policies and procedures and code. For project-based activities, grantees will partner with Indian tribe(s) to provide legal or technical assistance such as development of intergovernmental agreements, development of criminal code, establishing a public defense office, or law enforcement training. Grantees are expected to coordinate and collaborate at the local level to effectively utilize resources and engage tribal justice system community, educational institutions, community-based organizations, and neighboring jurisdiction(s) when appropriate. Performance Reports: To assist in fulfilling the Departments responsibilities under the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA), Public Law 103-62, and the GPRA Modernization Act of 2010, Public Law 111–352, recipients must provide data that measures the results of their work. Not applicable. In accordance with the requirement set forth in 2 CFR 200, Subpart F, grantees must maintain all financial records, supporting documents, statistical records, and all other records pertinent to the award for at least 3 years following the close of the most recent audit. Statutory formula is not applicable to this assistance listing.

Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. Award project periods are up to 24 months. See the following for information on how assistance is awarded/release: DOJ Grants Financial Guide (https://www.ojp.gov/funding/financialguidedoj/overview), and for post award instructions. None/Not specified. Norena Henry
U.S. Department of Justice
Office of Justice Programs
Bureau of Justice Assistance
810 7th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20531 US
AskBJA@usdoj.gov
Phone: 1-202-616-6500 https://bja.ojp.gov/program/tribal-civil-and-criminal-legal-assistance-tccla-program/overview 15-0404-0-1-754 (Project Grants) FY 22 FY 23 est $2,196,000.00; FY 24 FY 21$2,073,596.00; FY 20$600,000.00; FY 19$1,220,000.00; FY 18$1,400,000.00; FY 17$1,200,000.00; FY 16$1,200,000.00; - The awards vary by fiscal year and annual appropriations. Please see the current fiscal year funding amounts at https://www.ojp.gov/funding/explore/overview or www.bja.gov. FY23 Award Range: Category 1 maximum award amount $1,098,000 Category 2 maximum award amount $1,098,000 Not applicable. Fiscal Year 2017 Legal aid, civil legal assistance, Indigent defense, criminal defense counsel services, criminal legal assistance, veterans’ clinic, project-based activities such as code development, intergovernmental collaborative activities. Criminal and civil legal assistance training and technical assistance for grantees and partnering tribes or tribal justice systems and, if resources allow, other tribes.
Fiscal Year 2018 Legal aid, civil legal assistance, Indigent defense, criminal defense counsel services, criminal legal assistance, veterans’ clinic, project-based activities such as code development, intergovernmental collaborative activities. Criminal and civil legal assistance training and technical assistance (TTA) for grantees and partnering tribes or tribal justice systems and, if resources allow, other tribes. For Fiscal Year 2018, holistic defense model for criminal defense will be sponsored.
Fiscal Year 2019 With support from BJA, the Northern Cheyenne Tribe of Montana and the United States District Court in Montana are in the final stages of developing a Joint Jurisdiction Wellness Court that will handle cases of adult tribal members who have been charged with drug- or alcohol-related felonies. Initially, participants may enter the program after serving a sentence (reentry) or prior to a conviction (diversion). The tribe and the federal government will coordinate in administering court proceedings and providing services to defendants appearing before the wellness court.
Fiscal Year 2020 Examples include direct legal aid services for low income individuals, indigent defense services, pro se services, veteran’s legal clinic, criminal history expungement legal clinic, setting up a public defender’s office, tribal law practice group, criminal law practice, Guardian Ad Litem appointments, and court-appointed special advocates. Justice collaborations include but not limited to tribal-state memorandum of Agreement / Memorandum of Understanding, diversion programs, tribal chiefs of polices working group working to strengthen tribal-state relations and activities to improve public safety in their regions, tribal codes (law) and policies and procedures development, joint jurisdictional courts, and medical-legal partnerships. Success stories are posted to the Tribal Civil and Criminal Legal Assistance (TCCLA) Program webpage (https://bja.ojp.gov/program/tribal-civil-and-criminal-legal-assistance-tccla-program/overview). The Emerging Practices in Tribal Civil and Criminal Legal Assistance publication is located at: http://www.naicja.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Final-Revised-Emerging-Practices-11.8.2016-copy.pdf.