Joint Jurisdiction Manual

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The Center is helping tribes and their local, state and federal partners create joint jurisdiction collaborations.

Through a grant provided by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, U.S. Department of Justice, Center staff and affiliated consultants have worked with communities in Alaska, California, and Montana to develop joint jurisdiction wellness courts.

In 2007, Judge John Smith and Judge Korey Wahwassuck created the first joint jurisdiction court in the nation in Minnesota. Their collaborative work not only resulted in positive outcomes for the participants in their joint jurisdiction wellness court and won several national awards, the partnership also resulted in markedly improved relationships between members of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe and their neighbors in Cass and Itasca Counties. In 2013, the Bureau of Justice Assistance, U.S. Department of Justice provided grant funding to the Center to work with Judge Smith, Judge Wahwassuck and criminal justice consultant Jennifer Fahey to assist communities in developing joint jurisdiction justice collaborations.

In 2016, Project T.E.A.M. staff published a how-to manual for people interested in collaborating across jurisdictions for better outcomes, improved relationships, enhanced cultural understanding, more efficient use of limited resources, improved public safety, and a better future for communities. Download a copy of the manual here.

This project was supported by Grant No. 2012-IC-BX-K003 awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering and Tracking. Points of view or opinions in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.