 Jurisdiction and Law Enforcement
Updated May 2008
Criminal jurisdiction and law enforcement issues create an immense opportunity for state-tribal cooperation. Criminal jurisdiction on tribal lands can be a confusing area of law because it can involve three different jurisdictions (tribal, federal and state) and must take into account additional factors such as the identify of the perpetrator, the identify of the victim, the specific type of crime committed and the locality of the crime.
The current jurisdictional framework has produced situations in which no single government has the authority to exercise full jurisdiction, absent some type of cooperative agreement. The confusion and possible jurisdictional gaps have contributed to the disproportionately high crime rates and under-prosecution of crimes, which negatively affect Native and non-Native citizens alike.
Cooperation between the states and tribes can address some of the uncertainty surrounding cross-jurisdictional issues.
To view PDF files, you must install  Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Resources:
-
- " Criminal Justice Issues In Indian Country" by Eileen Luna-Firebaugh, JD, MPA University of Arizona, Sovereignty Symposium Meeting May 2007.
- " Criminal Justice in Indian Country: State-Tribal Intergovernmental Strategies to Reduce Crime and Promote CommunityWellness" by Sarah Hammond, NCSL, Sovereignty Symposium Meeting May 2007.
- "Criminal Jurisdiction and Law Enforcement," States and Tribes: Building New Traditions, February 2006, by Andrea Wilkins. (for copies contact Sia Davis (303) 364-7700) For more information click here.
- "Homeland Security and Indian Country," States and Tribes: Building New Traditions, March 2005, by Catherine Chan and Sia Davis. (for copies contact Sia Davis (303) 364-7700) For more information click here.
- U.S. Department of Justice, "Jails in Indian Country, 2002"
- U.S. Department of Justice, "Violence Victimization and Race"
- U.S. Department of Justice, "American Indians and Crime"
- National Institute of Justice, "Policing American Indian Reservations," July 2001
National Congress of American Indians (NCAI)
The National Congress of American Indians is the oldest and largest tribal government organization in the United States. NCAI serves as a forum for consensus-based policy development among its membership of over 250 tribal governments from every region of the country. NCAI's mission is to inform the public and the federal government on tribal self-government, treaty rights, and a broad range of federal policy issues affecting tribal governments.
 State-Tribal Institute
|
