09.03.14

Hoeven Announces More Than $1 Million in DOJ Grants for North Dakota

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven today announced that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) awarded more than $1 million in grants for justice programs administered through the North Dakota Office of the Attorney General (AG), the Tribal Judicial Institute (TJI) at the University of North Dakota (UND) and the Bank of North Dakota (BND). Senator Hoeven is a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and passed the Commerce, Justice and Science (CJS) Appropriations bill in June, which directs the DOJ to develop a plan to support law enforcement in the Bakken.

  • Tribal Justice Institute at UND – $600,000 – The UND School of Law’s TJI will use the funds in partnership with the National Tribal Judicial Center (NTJC) at the National Judicial College to provide training and technical assistance for the Tribal Court Assistance Program. This program helps Indian tribes develop and enhance their justice systems to better respond to critical needs.
  • N.D. Attorney General’s Office – $468,920 – The AG received two grants. The first grant of $453,800 came from the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program to create a Statewide Intelligence System to improve agency communication, manage intelligence seamlessly and help the AG work with other law enforcement entities. The second grant of $15,120 will assist funding the North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (ND DOCR) PREA Auditing Project in conducting audits of its three adult facilities in the state.
  • Bank of North Dakota – $30,467 – The John R. Justice (JRJ) Student Loan Repayment Program provides student loan repayment help to public defenders and local and state prosecutors who commit to those roles for three years. BND administers the program for North Dakota and will use the funds to help those eligible for the JRJ program.

“We need to make sure our judicial system and law enforcement have the tools they need to continue to ensure justice and fight crime,” Hoeven said. “These funds will help better protect our communities and improve our ability to communicate and coordinate effective law enforcement strategies.”