How to tackle crime in Indian Country? Empower tribal justice, ex-Justice Department official says

By LINDSAY WHITEHURST
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — A quarter-century ago, the Justice Department had few meaningful relationships with Native American tribes. The recently retired longtime director of the department’s Office of Tribal Justice says the federal government worked with state and local police and courts, but tribal justice systems didn’t have the same level of recognition. Over the past 24 years, Tracy Toulou has confronted the serious public safety challenges facing Indian Country by working to expand the power of tribal justice systems. There’s still much work remaining, but Attorney General Merrick Garland says the office is now an institution within the Justice Department.