Sara-Jane Smallwood, Promise Zone Coordinator, listens to a recommendation from Karol Mason, the Assistant Attorney General with the Office of Justice Programs, during a presentation at Jones Academy.
Officials from D.C. meet with Choctaw Nation program representatives
By Brandon Frye
Choctaw Nation
Federal Government Officials from D.C. met with members of the Executive and Judicial Branches of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma (CNO) at Jones Academy near Hartshorne on June 3 in an effort to further educate the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) on how the CNO serves its Tribal members.
Karol Mason, the Assistant Attorney General with the Office of Justice Programs (OJP), and Beth McGarry, the Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, aimed to familiarize themselves with the Justice, Education, Public Safety, and Reintegration programs of the CNO–as well as programs within the Chickasaw and Muscogee (Creek) Nations.
“Our goal is to be partners with you all to help you create safer, healthier communities,” Mason said.
In this case, the DOJ and OJP offer such help, in part, by way of funding and grants, according to Pam Young, Director of Legal Operations and Judicial Liaison with CNO.
“Two of the bureau heads that were in attendance are instrumental in authoring the grants which currently provide federal funding assistance to our Public Safety and the CNO Judicial Branch— a portion of these funds cover the operating expenses of the courts,” Young said. “We are consistently setting forth efforts to become stronger and more independent, however, we must continue to build upon our relations with these federal officials as we travel this journey. It was an honor to have Ms. Mason in Oklahoma Indian Country.”