(Ethete, WY) – The Northern Arapaho Business Council (NABC) is proud to announce the Tribe has been awarded over $620,000 from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance to establish a Tribal reentry agency on the Wind River Reservation.
The new agency will offer a full suite of culturally-appropriate reentry services to help Tribal adults transitioning from jails, correctional institutions and probationers, including: substance abuse treatment; aftercare housing; employment assistance and educational opportunities. Additionally, the agency also will coordinate with crime victims to ensure they receive proper notification and other assistance anytime an offender returns to the community.
Currently, there is no single Tribal agency on the Wind River Reservation devoted to reentry services.
“These federal grant dollars are badly needed and will make a life-changing difference for incarcerated or justice-involved Tribal Members,” said Councilmember Lee Spoonhunter, who has played an instrumental role in securing federal assistance to establish a Tribal reentry agency. “Access to transportation, housing and other public services is essential for individuals on probation or parole to receive the rehabilitative treatment they need to lead productive lives. That means it is less likelihood these individuals will re-offend, and that’s better for everyone who lives here.”
The grant will be awarded over five years, during which time the relevant Tribal, state and federal agencies and programs will coordinate. It is anticipated the reentry services will help reduce baseline recidivism rates by at least 50% among participants.