(The Center Square) – Alaska is receiving $22 million from the Department of Justice to provide services to Native Alaskans victimized by crime.
The DOJ’s Office on Violence Against Women awarded an additional $774,790 for Native Americans.
The funds will cover counseling, legal assistance, housing and other services for crime victims, according to a news release from the DOJ.
Attorney General Merrick Garland visited the state this week.
“The Justice Department recognizes that Alaska Native families and communities have endured persistently high levels of violence and that women and girls have borne the brunt of that violence,” Garland said. “We are here today to reaffirm the Justice Department’s commitment to working across the federal government and with Alaska Native communities to meet these urgent challenges.”
Native Alaskans comprised 48% of all murder victims in 2020 despite making up just 15% of the population, according to the Uniform Crime Report from the Alaska Department of Safety.
Nearly 58% of all rape suspects in 2021 were Alaska Natives, according to DPS’s report on 2021 crime statistics. More than 53% of arson arrestees were Alaska Natives.
The $22 million Alaska grant is part of nearly $70 million in DOJ grants awarded to 212 tribes nationwide.
