The Tribal Issues Advisory Group (TIAG) is established by the United States Sentencing Commission (Commission) as an ad hoc advisory group to the Commission under 28 U.S.C. § 995 and Rule 5.4 of the Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure.
The purpose of the TIAG is— (1) to assist the Commission in carrying out its statutory responsibilities under 28 U.S.C. § 994(o); (2) to provide to the Commission its views on federal sentencing issues relating to American Indian defendants and victims and to offenses committed in Indian Country; (3) to study— (A) the operation of the federal sentencing guidelines as they relate to American Indian defendants and victims and to offenses committed in Indian Country, and any viable methods for revising the guidelines to (i) improve their operation or (ii) address particular concerns of tribal communities and courts; (B) whether there are disparities in the application of the federal sentencing guidelines to American Indian defendants, and, if so, how to address them; (C) the impact of the federal sentencing guidelines on offenses committed in Indian Country in comparison with analogous offenses prosecuted in state courts and tribal courts; (D) the use of tribal court convictions in the computation of criminal history scores, risk assessment, and for other purposes; (E) how the federal sentencing guidelines should account for protection orders issued by tribal courts; and (F) any other issues relating to American Indian defendants and victims, or to offenses committed in Indian Country, that the TIAG considers appropriate; (4) to recommend to the Commission means to establish regular and meaningful consultation and collaboration with tribal officials in the development of sentencing policies that have tribal implications; and(5) to perform any other related functions as the Commission requests.