The work of a Healing to Wellness Court often impact and involves multiple jurisdictions. Many Wellness Courts have established referral and transfer agreements to serve tribal members and Native offenders who are charged or convicted off of tribal lands. The extent of collabroations range across the spectrum from informal acknowledgment to joint jurisdiction courts. This webpage details some of those collaborations between sovereigns.
Sample Court Transfer Agreement – State and Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts, National Judicial Opioid Tasforce, National Conference of Chief Justices (2018).
6/24/17 – Henu’ Community Wellness Court announces its grand opening, a joint jurisdiction court by the Kenaitze Indian Tribe and the State of Alaska Court System.
Joint Jurisdiction Courts: A Manual for Developing Tribal, Local, State & Federal Justice Collaborations, Jennifer Fahey, JD, MPH, Hon. Korey Wahwassuck, Alison Leof, PhD, Hon. John Smith, Project T.E.A.M., Center for Evidence-Based Policy, Oregon Health & Science University (June 2018).
This manual is a roadmap for tribal and community leaders who want to develop joint jurisdiction courts or initiatives in their own communities. It is intended to be a guide, articulating the process developed in one Minnesota community and adopted by other jurisdictions, as well as providing information on creating new joint jurisdiction initiatives.
Intergovernmental Collaborations to Heal, Protect, and Find Solutions: Joint Jurisdiction 101
Hon. Korey Wahwassuck and Hon. Abby Abinanti, Tribal Law amd Policy Institute (October 2023)
This publication provides general guidance to assist Tribes in making an informed decision concerning the possibility of developing a Joint Jurisdiction Court. The publication discusses what a Joint Jurisdictional Court is, the different models and approaches that exists, how a community can assess their readiness to implement a Joint Jurisdictional model, and will provide recommendations for design, development, and implementation of Joint Jurisdictional Courts from a practical standpoint. The publication also includes resources and tools used by active joint jurisdictional court practitioners.
For more information and resources for Joint Jurisdictional Court planning and implementation and an active directory of all operational Joint Jurisdictional Courts, see TLPI’s Joint Jurisdiction Courts Resource page.
Supplementary Materials
This manual includes references to supplementary materials which may assist tribes and their partners in establishing and managing joint jurisdiction courts.
Joint Power Agreements and Memoranda of Understanding
- Leech Lake Tribal Council Resolution on joining Cass County Wellness Court
- Joint Powers Agreement between the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe and the Cass County District Court
- Interagency Agreement between the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Tribal Court and the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Human Services
- Memorandum of Understanding between the Cass County Probation Department and the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Tribal Court
- Memorandum of Agreement between the Cass County Attorney and the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Tribal Court Prosecutor
- Joint Powers Agreement between the State of Minnesota, the Cass County/Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Wellness Court, and the Cass County Probation Department regarding court staffing
- Memorandum of Agreement between Cass County, the Minnesota Ninth Judicial District, and the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe regarding the Wellness Court and Juvenile Restorative Justice Program
Program Evaluations
- 2007 Program Evaluation of the Cass County-Leech Lake Wellness Court
- 2008 Minnesota Program Evaluation of DWI Courts
- 2013 Program Evaluation of the Cass County-Leech Lake Wellness Court
- 2014 Process, Outcome, and Cost Evaluation Report for the Cass County/Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Wellness Court
- 2016 Program Evaluation of the Itasca County-Leech Lake Wellness Court
Court Manuals and Program Documents
- Cass County-Leech Lake Wellness Court Manual – 2009
- Itasca County-Leech Lake Wellness Court Manual – 2013
- Itasca County-Leech Lake Wellness Court Participant Handbook – 2013
- Itasca County-Leech Lake Wellness Court Participant Contract
- Itasca County-Leech Lake Participant Roster Tracking Form
- Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians-El Dorado County Superior Court Wellness Court Manual – 2016
- Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians-El Dorado County Superior Court Wellness Court Participant Manual – 2016
Joint Jurisdiction: From Shingle Springs to Kenaitze
4th Annual Tribal Healing to Wellness Court Enhancement Training
September 9, 2015
Albuquerque, NM
Shingle Springs/El Dorado County Family Wellness Court PowerPoint
Kenaitze/Kenai Healing to Wellness Court PowerPointt
Hon. Suzanne Kingsbury, Hon. Anna Moran, Hon. Kim Sweet, and Hon. Christine Williams
Shingle Springs Family Wellness Court Materials:
- Shingle Springs/El Dorado Family Wellness Court Manual
- Shingle Springs/El Dorado Family Wellness Court Process
- Shingle Springs/El Dorado Family Wellness Court Brochure
- Shingle Springs/El Dorado Family Wellness Court Minute Order
- Shingle Springs/El Dorado Family Wellness Court Wellness Plan Order
Wellness Court Collaboration Resources
- Joint Jurisdiction Courts: Needs Assessment Findings and Summary Findings, Tribal Law and Policy Institute (2022).
- Tribal-State Court Forums: An Annotated Directory, 2nd ed., Tribal Law and Policy Institute (2020).
- Tribal-State Court Forums Policy Brief, Tribal Law and Policy Institute (2020).
- Korey Wahwassuck, The New Face of Justice: Joint Tribal-State Jurisdiction, 47 Washburn Law Journal 733 (2008).
- Korey Wahwassuck, John P. Smith, and John R. Hawkinson, Building a Legacy of Hope: Perspectives on Joint Tribal-State Jurisdiction, 36:2 William Mitchell Law Review 859 (2010).
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