Legal and Policy Updates
Alaska Court System Streamlines Sentencing Recommendation Process for Tribes
Tribes can make culturally appropriate sentencing recommendations for members of their community with criminal cases in state court resulting in convictions. Alaska Criminal Rule 11(i) and Delinquency Rule 23(f) encourage the use of restorative justice practices in state court proceedings. A tribe’s restorative justice process can be a sentencing circle, ...
Department of Justice Confirms Tribal Jurisdiction
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) recently issued a memorandum confirming that Tribes in Alaska can exercise criminal jurisdiction over all Native people within their Village. The memorandum underscores what Congress made clear in the 2022 reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. The Act directly addressed jurisdiction of ...
Opportunities for Tribes to Collaborate with the State of Alaska
There are several options for Alaska Tribes to work with the State on justice-related matters. One of the options provides an opportunity to become involved in State criminal matters involving tribal citizens. Three Opportunities for Tribes to Collaborate with the State of Alaska
Brackeen v. Haaland decision does not impact the Indian Child Welfare Act in Alaska
After waiting over a year, the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, issued an opinion in Brackeen v. Haaland upholding Congress’ authority to enact the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). ANJC and our partners are currently reviewing the complicated 325-page decision, but an initial review indicates that the decision should ...
Secretary Haaland launches new Missing & Murdered Unit
A few weeks into her new role as Secretary of the Interior, Deb Haaland has prioritized the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) crisis. Last week, Secretary Haaland announced a new Missing & Murdered Unit (MMU) under the Bureau of Indian Affairs. “Violence against Indigenous peoples is a crisis that ...
H.R. 1620 Violence Against Women Act
The U.S. House of Representatives voted and passed H.R. 1620 Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization on March 17, 2021. The bill has been sent to the U.S. Senate for consideration. The reauthorization features expanded provisions that will improve protections for Alaska Native and Native American women.
New Baseline Report on Alaska’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous Womxn and Girls
Data for Indigenous Justice recently released a new baseline report on Alaska’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous Womxn and Girls. Available here: We Are Calling To You
ANJC Provided Testimony to Four Efforts in Late 2020
Our team regularly provides feedback to federal partners regarding justice funding for restorative justice and victim services, and education regarding solutions for addressing the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People. During the height of the pandemic ANJC submitted written testimony for the following consultations: The Administration for Children and ...
Alaska Criminal Justice Commission Report Shows Low Prosecution Rate for Sex Offenses
In October 2020, the Alaska Criminal Justice Commission released its 2020 Annual Report. Among the findings, in 2018-2019 Alaska law enforcement referred 621 sex offense cases for prosecution to the Department of Law. However, only 322 referrals were accepted for prosecution as a sex offense. This means that barely 50% ...
High Rates of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women in Alaska
In a recent study by the Urban Indian Health Institute, Anchorage was listed as having the third highest number of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls (MMIW), and Alaska ranks fourth in the nation for the highest number of MMIW cases. As a direct service provider offering victim and ...