Responding to Violence in Tribal Communities Conference and Roundtable
February 24-26, 2025
Peppermill Resort Spa Casino
Reno, Nevada
The conference will provide tribal justice system officials with recent legal updates and information to support the development of violent crime responses. The conference will highlight strategies to improve violent crime responses through multi-disciplinary and collaborative approaches. The final day of the conference will include a facilitated roundtable discussion giving participants an opportunity to discuss new programs in their respective tribal communities while also providing opportunities to highlight ongoing and/or unmet needs that may be hindering tribal capacity to implement violent crime responses.
Conference Sessions will include:
- Criminal jurisdiction and arrest authority updates to include an examination of VAWA special tribal criminal jurisdiction, Oklahoma v. Castro- Huerta and United States v. Cooley
- Vicarious trauma responses for tribal justice system professionals
- Community-based strategies to prevent and address violence in tribal communities
- Data driven responses to violent crimes
- Adjudicating major crimes in Tribal Courts.
- Developing responses to violent crimes and MMIP cases and the DOJ Tribal Access Program (TAP) to access data and protect crime victims.
- Building capacity to combat drug trafficking in tribal communities
- Post-adjudication supervision of violent offenders through tribal reentry and probation programs
Roundtable topics will include:
Discussions on the types of violence occurring in tribal communities, tribal codes to support violent crime responses, jurisdictional issues, and community responses to violence. As a participant you will be invited to share your professional experiences in addressing violent crimes and measures taken by your tribal community to prevent and/or address violent crimes. The overall goal of the roundtable will be to provide a forum for tribal justice system professionals to discuss issues pertaining to violence, needs of tribal justice systems, and resources or opportunities to improve violent crime responses.
Specific topics to be discussed will include:
- Types of violence occurring in your tribal community
- Strategies, programs, resources, or services that have been developed to respond to crimes of violence, including innovative or culturally based programs
- Unmet needs of tribal justice system professionals that are or may be hindering violent crimes responses or prevention
- Any existing or necessary collaborations that may aide in developing effective responses to violent crimes in tribal communities
Who should attend?
- Affiliates of federally recognized tribes working in tribal justice systems including tribal leaders, tribal court judges, tribal prosecutors and attorneys, probation and reentry providers, and other tribal justice system officials
- BJA-funded grantees may use existing travel funds in their grant budget to cover the costs to attend this conference. Please contact your BJA Grant Manager if you need to reallocate grant funds to cover these costs.
Monday, February 24, 2025
7:30-8:30a.m. | Registration
8:30-8:45a.m. | Opening Prayer and Welcoming Remarks (BJA placeholder)
8:45-10:15a.m. | Violent Crimes in Tribal Communities: Statutory and Common Laws Impacting How We Respond to Violence in Tribal Communities
This session will provide participants within criminal jurisdictional updates resulting from recent federal legislation and case law. Specific discussions focus on special tribal criminal jurisdiction, cases impacting tribal arrest authority, tribal laws and collaborations impacting charging decisions and sentencing approaches in cases involving violent crimes.
10:15-10:30a.m. | Break
10:30a.m.-12:00p.m. | Vicarious Trauma: Addressing the needs of Tribal Justice System Professionals
This session will provide participants with information on how exposure to violence impacts tribal justice system professionals and will explore ways in which tribal justice system planners and practitioners can meet the needs of justice system professionals who have experienced trauma.
12:00-1:30p.m. | Lunch on your own
1:30-2:45p.m. | Building Community-based Strategies to Address Violence in Tribal Communities
This session will provide participants with information relevant to the planning and implementation of community-based strategies to address violence. During the session, participants will learn more about community-based responses to violence and will learn about some current examples of community-based strategies that have been implemented by other jurisdictions. There will be specific discussion on strategies focusing on de-escalation of violence, and key considerations or inclusions when developing de-escalation strategies. The presentation will then highlight an innovative program based in South Dakota aimed at reducing and intervening in cases of violence involving tribal youth and gangs.
2:45-3:00p.m. | Break
3:00-4:15p.m. | Using Data to Develop Responses and Prevention Strategies to Violent Crimes in Tribal Communities
This session will help participants better understand the correlation between data and the development of systemic responses to violence in tribal communities. The session will provide important information providing a framework for data-driven responses while also exploring how data-driven responses can be helpful in reducing violence. Particular emphasis will be on walking participants through ways to collect and use data from their tribal community as a means to develop and implement tailored strategies to address violence while reinforcing evidence-based practices.
4:15-4:30p.m. | Day One Closing Comments, Question and Answer, and Housekeeping
Tuesday, February 25, 2025
7:30-8:30a.m. | Registration
8:30-8:45a.m. | Overview of the Day and Housekeeping
8:45-10:15a.m. | Adjudicating Major Crimes in Tribal Courts
This session will highlight the experiences of tribes who have adjudicated violent crimes cases in tribal courts and will include, but not be limited to discussions on case preparation, ICRA considerations, evidentiary concerns, jury considerations, and assignments of qualified judges.
10:15-10:30a.m. | Break
10:30-11:45a.m. | Developing Responses to Violent Crimes and MMIP Cases and the DOJ Tribal Access Program (TAP) to Access Data and Protect Crime Victims
This session will highlight current resources available to assist tribal communities as they respond to reports of missing or murdered persons. The session will also highlight multi-disciplinary and multi-jurisdictional collaborations and the importance of developing community response plans to ensure readiness to respond in the event that MMIP cases arise. Additionally, this session will provide valuable information about the DOJ Tribal Access Program (TAP) and how Tribes are utilizing TAP to access FBI maintained criminal history record information to share domestic violence protection orders, arrest warrants, solve MMIP cases, and to prohibit dangerous persons from accessing firearms.
11:45a.m.-1:30p.m. | Lunch on your own
1:30-2:45p.m. | Building Capacity to Address Drug Trafficking in Tribal Communities
This session will include important information that will; help participants understand the correlation between drug trafficking and violence in tribal communities. The session will include information on who is committing these crimes, the violence connected to drug trafficking and strategies to help law enforcement and justice system officials identify and address trafficking through task forces, collaborative agreements, and other efforts that can help to clarify arrest authority while overcoming other obstacles that may delay or hinder effective responses.
2:45-3:00p.m. | Break
3:00-4:15p.m. | Post-Adjudication of Violent Offenders
This session will highlight post-adjudication responses to aide tribal justice system professionals with effectively monitoring and working with individuals who have been convicted of crimes of violence. The session will highlight what tribal probation officers should consider when developing case plans, addressing personal safety, addressing victim safety, and creating policies and engaging in multi-disciplinary collaborations to reinforce these strategies.
4:15-4:30p.m. | Day Two Closing Comments and Overview of Wednesday's Roundtable
Wednesday, February 26, 2025
7:30-8:00a.m. | Registration
8:15-8:30a.m. | Overview of the Day's Agenda, Roundtable Process, and Housekeeping
8:30-10:00a.m. | Roundtable Discussions Part One
Prevalent violent crimes, obstacles and challenges for tribal justice systems, culturally-based and community-based approaches.
10:00-10:15a.m. | Break
10:15-11:45a.m. | Roundtable Discussions Part Two
Current response to violent crimes including discussions on community-based approaches, multi-disciplinary and multi-jurisdictional responses, victim-centered approaches, and effective services for violent offenders (including reentry strategies and issues); resource and technical assistance needs to support violent crime responses.
11:45a.m.-12:00p.m. | Closing Comments
The conference is free for all participants. However, each participant is responsible for their own travel costs.
Peppermill Resort Spa Casino
2707 South Virginia Street
Reno, Nevada
P: 866.821.9996*
A block of rooms has been established for the conference.
Cutoff date for room block reservations is Monday, February 10, 2025 at 5 p.m. PT.
*Please reference the Group Code GTJI2225 when making reservations by phone.
Transportation Shuttles
Reno-Tahoe International Airport to Peppermill Resort Spa Casino
- Departs every half hour from 4:15 a.m.-11:45 p.m.
- Pick up is at the North exit of the baggage claim area.
Peppermill Resort Spa Casino to Reno-Tahoe International Airport
- Departs every half hour from 4:00 a.m. - 11:30 p.m.
- Pick up is at the valet area outside the hotel lobby.
