Source: United States Department of Justice News
Spokane, Washington – Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, today announced two Department of Justice grant awards to the Kalsipel Tribe of Indians – $ 609,751 in funding to provide services to crime victims on the Kalispel reservation and a $450,000 award to enhance advocacy on behalf of abused and neglected children involved in dependency proceedings within the Kalispel Tribal Court as well as in state court proceedings. Both grants were awarded on September 21, 2022.
Funding for the $609,751 grant was awarded through the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, Office for Victims of Crime (OVC). OVC is charged by Congress with administering the Crime Victims Fund (the Fund). Through OVC, the Fund supports a broad array of programs and services that focus on helping victims in the immediate aftermath of crime and continuing to support them as they rebuild their lives. Millions of dollars are invested annually in victim compensation and assistance in every U.S. state and territory. The award to the Kalispel Tribe is intended to provide services for crime victims that meet the needs identified by the community, while reflecting Tribal values and traditions.
Funding for the $450,000 grant was awarded through the U.S. Department of Justice Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation. The purpose of the grant is to enhance the Tribe’s ability to advocate on behalf of abused and neglected children involved in dependency proceedings within the Kalispel Tribal Court and Pend Oreille County Court. Funding is expected to be used to retain a program manager, conduct volunteer recruitment, and to provide appropriate training. Funding also will be used to procure legal counsel and representation to protect the interests of children involved in complex legal proceedings.
In announcing these awards, U.S. Attorney Waldref stated, “For many years the Department of Justice and the Kalispel Tribe have enjoyed a strong, cooperative relationship. I’m grateful for the Tribe’s leadership in Eastern Washington and its contributions to the Spokane community. These grants will help the Tribe continue to devote resources to protecting victims, especially abused and neglected children. By allocating these resources now, we are helping future generations build safer and stronger communities on the Kalispel Reservation and throughout Eastern Washington.”
Additional information about grants and funding through the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs is available at https://www.ojp.gov. Information about OVC is available at https://ovc.ojp.gov/.