OJS

Office of Justice Services

What We Do

OJS Mission Statement

To provide justice services and technical assistance to federally recognized Indian tribes and communities, and to respect and protect sovereignty through promotion of self-determination.

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Guiding Principles

Division of Corrections

Topic

Indian Country Corrections is one of the key components of Tribal Justice Systems. There are over 90 detention centers throughout Indian Country, of which, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Office of Justice Services (OJS) staffs and operates a quarter of these facilities. The remainder are operated by Tribes through the PL 93-638, Self-Governance Compacts and a few are fully funded and operated by a tribe. Indian Country facilities are either long or short term holding facilities. Each facility is unique in operation and location.

District IX

Topic

District IX is located at the Department of Interior in Sacramento, California, and was established in 2012. Prior to 2012, issues facing tribal law enforcement in California, was handled through the BIA-OJS District III Office in Phoenix, AZ. However, with the positive progression of the California Tribes and their desire to implement their own police departments, and pursue Deputation Agreements which would allow tribal officers to be issued Special Law Enforcement Commissions (SLEC), it was decided there was a need for a new district.

District VIII

Topic

District VIII interacts with a number of Tribal Law Enforcement Programs in the states of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Western Montana, and Alaska. District VIII covers a very diverse area from the foot of the Rocky Mountains to Coastal Villages, all the way to Annette Island in Alaska. The Tribal Police Departments in District VIII are as diverse as the area we cover.

District VII

Topic

District VII’s Headquarters Office is located in Bloomington, Minnesota. It is staffed with a Special Agent in Charge (SAC), Assistant Special Agent in Charge (ASAC), Corrections Program Specialist, and a Program Analyst. Until 2012, District VII was part of District I and was supervised by the Special Agent in Charge in Aberdeen, South Dakota. In 2012, BIA-OJS split District I into two parts, the eastern part becoming the newly formed District VII

District VI

Effective May 12, 2019, Terrell Leonard has been appointed and assumed responsibility as the Special Agent in Charge (SAC) of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Office of Justice Services (OJS) District VI (DVI) Office in Nashville, TN. The DVI Office oversees Indian Country law enforcement operations within the BIA Eastern Region jurisdiction servicing the State of Maine, south to Florida, then west to Louisiana by providing oversight and assistance for BIA OJS programs to 35 federally recognized tribes.