[DOCID:185193tx_xxx-41]
From the Government Manual Online via GPO Access
[wais.access.gpo.gov]
[Page 322-359]
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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20530
Phone, 202-514-2000. Internet, http://www.usdoj.gov/.
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL Janet Reno
Chief of Staff Ann M. Harkins
Deputy Chief of Staff Wifredo Ferrer
Confidential Assistant to the Bessie L. Meadows
Attorney General
Assistants to the Attorney General Candace Kelly, Cheryl
L. Montgomery
Counsels to the Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco, Thomas
J. Perrelli,
E. Kinney
Zalesne
Deputy Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Jr.
Confidential Assistant Annie Bradley
Principal Associate Deputy Attorney Gary G. Grindler
General
Chief of Staff Kevin A. Ohlson
Associate Deputy Attorneys General James E. Castello,
Bernie J.
Delia,
Nicholas M.
Gess, Craig S.
Iscoe, Brian
A. Jackson,
Ronald D. Lee,
John T.
Morton,
Anthony S.
Murry, Deborah
S. Smolover,
Bea Witzleben
Counsel to the Deputy Attorney John Bentivoglio
General
Special Assistants to the Deputy Allyson S.
Attorney General Stollenwerck,
Christopher P.
Tenorio
Adviser for National Security Neal Kumar Katyal
Affairs to the Deputy
Attorney General
Director, Executive Office for Ronald D. Lee, Acting
National Security
Counsel for National Affairs James A. McAtamney
Associate Attorney General Raymond C. Fisher
Confidential Assistant Jayne Schreiber
Deputy Associate Attorneys General Kenneth Chernof, Ivan
Fong, Mary Lou
Leary, Douglas
Letter, Ricki
Seidman
Assistant Associate Attorney General Alexandra Verveer
Senior Counsel, Office of Peter R. Steenland,
Alternative Dispute Jr.
Resolution
Solicitor General Seth P. Waxman
Inspector General Michael Bromwich
Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Randolph Moss, Acting
Counsel
Assistant Attorney General, Office of Dennis K. Burke,
Legislative Affairs Acting
Assistant Attorney General, Office of Policy Eleanor D. Acheson
Development
Assistant Attorney General for Administration Stephen R. Colgate
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Assistant Attorney General, Antitrust Division Joel I. Klein
Assistant Attorney General, Civil Division David O. Ogden, Acting
Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights Bill Lann Lee, Acting
Division
Assistant Attorney General, Criminal Division James K. Robinson
Assistant Attorney General, Environment and Lois J. Schiffer
Natural Resources Division
Assistant Attorney General, Tax Division Loretta C. Argrett
Assistant Attorney General, Office of Justice Laurie Robinson
Programs
Director, Office of Public Affairs Myron Marlin
Directors, Office of Information and Privacy Richard L. Huff,
Daniel J.
Metcalfe
Director, Office of Intergovernmental Affairs (vacancy)
Director, Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys Donna Bucella
Director, Bureau of Prisons Kathleen M. Hawk
Sawyer
Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation Louis J. Freeh
Director, United States Marshals Service Eduardo Gonzalez
Director, Executive Office for Immigration Kevin Rooney
Review
Director, Executive Office for United States Joseph Patchan
Trustees
Director, Community Relations Service Rose Ochi
Director, Community Oriented Policing Services Joseph Brann
Administrator, Drug Enforcement Administration Thomas A. Constantine
Commissioner, Immigration and Naturalization Doris Meissner
Service
Chairman, United States Parole Commission Michael J. Gaines
Chairman, Foreign Claims Settlement Commission David Bradley, Acting
Chief, INTERPOL-U.S. National Central Bureau John Imhoff
Counsel, Office of Intelligence Policy and Frances Fragos
Review Townsend
Counsel, Office of Professional Responsibility Marshall Jarrett
Pardon Attorney Roger C. Adams
[For the Department of Justice statement of organization, see the Code
of Federal Regulations, Title 28, Chapter I, Part 0]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
As the largest law firm in the Nation, the Department of Justice serves
as counsel for its citizens. It represents them in enforcing the law in
the public interest. Through its thousands of lawyers, investigators,
and agents, the Department plays the key role in protection against
criminals and subversion, in ensuring healthy competition of business in
our free enterprise system, in safeguarding the consumer, and in
enforcing drug, immigration, and naturalization laws. The Department
also plays a significant role in protecting citizens through its efforts
for effective law enforcement, crime prevention, crime detection, and
prosecution and rehabilitation of offenders.
Moreover, the Department conducts all suits in the Supreme Court in
which the United States is concerned. It represents the Government in
legal matters generally, rendering legal advice and opinions, upon
request, to the President and to the heads of the executive departments.
The Attorney General supervises and directs these activities, as well as
those of the U.S. attorneys and U.S. marshals in the various judicial
districts around the country.
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The Department of Justice was established by act of June 22, 1870, as
amended (28 U.S.C. 501, 503, 509 note), with the Attorney General as its
head. Prior to 1870 the Attorney General was a member of the President's
Cabinet, but not the head of a department, the office having been
created under authority of act of September 24, 1789, as amended (28
U.S.C. 503).
The affairs and activities of the Department of Justice are
generally directed by the Attorney General. The offices, divisions,
bureaus, and boards of the Department follow.
Offices
Attorney General The Attorney General, as head of the Department of
Justice and chief law enforcement officer of the Federal Government,
represents the United States in legal matters generally and gives advice
and opinions to the President and to the heads of the executive
departments of the Government when so requested. The Attorney General
appears in person to represent the Government before the U.S. Supreme
Court in cases of exceptional gravity or importance. The Office of the
Attorney General oversees the Offices of Deputy Attorney General,
Associate Attorneys General, Legal Counsel, and Inspector General, as
well as the following offices whose public purposes are widely applied.
Solicitor General The Solicitor General represents the U.S. Government
in cases before the Supreme Court. He decides what cases the Government
should ask the Supreme Court to review and what position the Government
should take in cases before the Court. Also, he supervises the
preparation of the Government's Supreme Court briefs and other legal
documents and the conduct of the oral arguments in the Court. He or his
staff argue most of the Government's cases in the Supreme Court. The
Solicitor General's duties also include deciding whether the United
States should appeal in all cases it loses before the lower courts.
Legal Counsel The Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Office of
Legal Counsel assists the Attorney General in fulfilling the Attorney
General's function as legal adviser to the President and all the
executive branch agencies. The Office drafts legal opinions of the
Attorney General rendered in response to requests from the President and
heads of the executive departments. It also provides its own written
opinions and informal advice in response to requests from the various
agencies of the Government, as well as offices within the Department and
from Presidential staff and advisers, typically dealing with legal
issues involving agency disagreements or with pending legislation. The
Office also is responsible for providing legal advice to the executive
branch on all constitutional questions.
All Executive orders and proclamations proposed to be issued by the
President are reviewed by the Office of Legal Counsel for form and
legality, as are various other matters that require the President's
formal approval. In addition, the Office of Legal Counsel functions as
general counsel for the Department. It reviews all proposed orders of
the Attorney General and all regulations requiring the Attorney
General's approval.
The Office coordinates the work of the Department with respect to
treaties, executive agreements, and international organizations. It
performs a variety of special assignments referred by the Attorney
General or the Deputy Attorney General. However, it is not authorized to
give legal advice to private persons.
Information and Privacy The Office of Information and Privacy (OIP)
operates under the supervision of a Director, who manages the
Department's responsibilities related to the Freedom of Information Act
(FOIA) and the Privacy
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Act. These responsibilities include coordinating policy development and
compliance Governmentwide for FOIA, and by the Department for the
Privacy Act; and adjudicating all appeals from denials by any Department
component of access to information under those acts. OIP also processes
all initial requests under those acts for access to the records of the
Offices of the Attorney General, Deputy Attorney General, Associate
Attorney General, and other senior management offices of the Department.
Pardon Attorney The Office of the Pardon Attorney, in consultation with
the Attorney General or the Attorney General's designee, assists the
President in the exercise of his pardon power under Article II, section
2, of the Constitution. Generally, all requests for pardon or other
forms of executive clemency, including commutation of sentence, are
directed to the Pardon Attorney for investigation and review. The Pardon
Attorney prepares the Department's recommendation to the President for
final disposition of each application.
Community Relations Service The Service was created by title X of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000g et seq.). The Community
Relations Service is under the general authority of the Attorney General
and is headed by a Director, appointed by the President with the advice
and consent of the Senate.
The mission of the Service is to prevent and resolve community
conflicts and reduce community tensions arising from actions, policies,
and practices perceived to be discriminatory on the basis of race,
color, or national origin. The Service offers assistance to communities
in resolving disputes relating to race, color, or national origin and
facilitates the development of viable agreements as alternatives to
coercion, violence, or litigation. It also assists and supports
communities in developing local mechanisms as proactive measures to
prevent or reduce racial/ethnic tensions.
The services provided include conciliation, mediation, technical
assistance, and training, and involve specialized procedures for
preventing and resolving racial and ethnic conflicts. The Service
provides assistance directly to people and their communities. It shows
no partiality among disputing parties and, in promoting the principles
and ideals of nondiscrimination, applies skills that allow parties to
mediate their own disputes. The Service's conciliators, who are located
in 10 regional offices and 4 field offices around the country, assist
people of diverse racial and cultural backgrounds.
The Service offers its assistance either on its own motion, when in
its judgment peaceful relations among the citizens of a community are
threatened, or upon request of State or local officials or other
interested persons. The Service seeks the cooperation of appropriate
State and local, and public and private agencies in carrying out the
agency's mission.
Regional Offices--Community Relations Service
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Address Director Phone/FTS
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Boston, MA (99 Summer St., 02110).............. Martin A. Walsh................................ 617-424-5715
New York, NY (26 Federal Plz., 10278).......... Patricia Glenn................................. 212-264-0700
Philadelphia, PA (2d and Chestnut Sts., 19106). Henry Mitchum, Acting.......................... 215-597-2344
Atlanta, GA (75 Piedmont Ave. NE., 30303)...... Ozell Sutton................................... 404-331-6883
Chicago, IL (55 W. Monroe St., 60603).......... Jesse Taylor................................... 312-353-4391
Dallas, TX (1420 W. Mockingbird Ln., 75247).... Richard Sombrano, Acting....................... 214-655-8175
Kansas City, MO (323 W. 8th St., 64105)........ Atkins Warren.................................. 816-426-7434
Denver, CO (1244 Speer Blvd., 80204-3584)...... Silke Hansen, Acting........................... 303-844-2973
San Francisco, CA (Suite 790, 120 Howard St., Vermont McKinney, Acting....................... 415-744-6565
94105).
Seattle, WA (915 2d Ave., 98101)............... Robert Lamb, Jr................................ 206-220-6700
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For further information, contact any regional office or the Director,
Community Relations Service, Department of Justice, Suite 2000, 600 E
Street NW., Washington, DC 20530. Phone, 202-305-2935.
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Justice Management Division Under the direction of the Assistant
Attorney General for Administration, the Division provides assistance to
senior management officials relating to basic Department policy for
evaluation, budget and financial management, asset forfeiture
management, personnel management and training, equal opportunity
programs, automatic data processing and telecommunications, security,
records management, procurement, real property and materiel management,
and for all other matters pertaining to organization, management, and
administration.
The Division provides direct administrative support services, such
as personnel, accounting, payroll, procurement, budget, and facilities
and property management to the offices, boards, and divisions of the
Department; and operates several central services, such as automated
data processing.
The Division develops and promulgates Departmentwide policies,
standards, and procedures for the management of automated information
processing resources and for the directive system and reviews their
implementation. The Division collects, organizes, and disseminates
recorded information that is necessary for the Department to carry out
its statutory mandate and provides general research and reference
assistance regarding information to Department staff, other Government
attorneys, and members of the public.
Professional Responsibility The Office of Professional Responsibility,
which reports directly to the Attorney General, is responsible for
investigating allegations of criminal or ethical misconduct by employees
of the Justice Department. The Counsel on Professional Responsibility
heads the Office, the role of which is to ensure that departmental
employees continue to perform their duties in accordance with the high
professional standards expected of the Nation's principal law
enforcement agency.
All allegations of misconduct against Department attorneys that
relate to the exercise of their discretion to investigate, litigate, or
provide legal advice are reported to the Office of Professional
Responsibility. The Office also has jurisdiction to investigate
allegations of misconduct by law enforcement personnel when they are
related to allegation of misconduct by attorneys within the Office's
jurisdiction. The Office usually conducts its own investigations into
allegations.
The Office may also participate in or direct an investigation
conducted by another component of the Department, or may simply monitor
an investigation conducted by an appropriate agency having jurisdiction
over the matter. In addition, the Office oversees the internal
inspection operations of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Drug
Enforcement Administration.
The Counsel submits an annual report to the Attorney General that
reviews and evaluates the Department's internal inspection units. The
Counsel makes recommendations to the Attorney General on the need for
changes in policies or procedures that become evident during the course
of internal inquiries reviewed or initiated by the Office.
Intelligence Policy and Review The Office of Intelligence Policy and
Review, under the direction of the Counsel to the Attorney General for
Intelligence Policy, is responsible for advising the Attorney General on
all matters relating to the national security activities of the United
States. The Office also serves as adviser to the Attorney General and
various client agencies, including the Central Intelligence Agency, the
Federal Bureau of Investigation, the National Security Agency, and the
Defense and State Departments, concerning questions of law, regulation,
and guidelines as well as the legality of domestic and overseas
intelligence operations.
The Office prepares and files all applications for surveillances and
searches under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978,
assists Government agencies by providing legal advice on matters of
national security law and policy and represents the Department of
Justice on a variety of interagency committees. The Office also
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comments on and coordinates other agencies' views regarding proposed
legislation affecting national security and intelligence matters.
The Office maintains an Intelligence Analytic Unit (IAU) to keep the
Attorney General, Deputy Attorney General, and other senior Department
officials currently informed on matters pertaining to their
responsibilities.
Executive Office for United States Attorneys (EOUSA) The Office was
created on April 6, 1953, by Attorney General Order No. 8-53, to meet a
need for a closer liaison between the Department of Justice in
Washington, DC, and the U.S. attorneys. The Office is under the
supervision of the Deputy Attorney General.
The mission of EOUSA is to provide general executive assistance to
the 94 Offices of the U.S. attorneys and to coordinate the relationship
between the U.S. attorneys and the organization components of the
Department of Justice and other Federal agencies.
U.S. Trustee Program The Program was established by the Bankruptcy
Reform Act of 1978 (11 U.S.C. 101 et seq.) as a pilot effort in 10
regions encompassing 18 Federal judicial districts. It was expanded
nationwide by the Bankruptcy Judges, United States Trustee, and Family
Farmer Act of 1986 (100 Stat. 3088). The Program acts in the public
interest to promote the efficiency and protect the integrity of the
bankruptcy system; it oversees administrative functions, monitors
parties' conduct, and acts to ensure compliance with applicable laws and
procedures; and it identifies and helps investigate bankruptcy fraud and
abuse. The Program is funded by the U.S. Trustee System Fund, which
consists primarily of fees paid by individuals and businesses in
bankruptcy.
The U.S. trustees supervise the administration of four of the five
types of bankruptcy proceedings defined under the Bankruptcy Code:
liquidation proceedings under chapter 7; reorganization proceedings
(usually business-related) under chapter 11; family farm reorganization
proceedings under chapter 12; and wage-earner reorganization proceedings
under chapter 13. The U.S. trustees do not have a significant role in
chapter 9 municipal debt adjustment proceedings. Their responsibilities
include:
--appointing and supervising the private trustees who administer
chapter 7, 12, and 13 bankruptcy cases;
--ensuring that bankruptcy estates are administered promptly and
efficiently and that professional fees are reasonable;
--serving as trustees in chapter 7, 12, and 13 cases where private
trustees are unwilling to serve;
--taking legal action to enforce the requirements of the Bankruptcy
Code and to prevent fraud and abuse;
--referring matters for investigation and criminal prosecution when
appropriate; and
--in chapter 11 business cases, appointing and convening creditors'
committees, reviewing applications for retention of professionals and
payment of fees, reviewing disclosure atatements and informing the court
about their accuracy, and appointing trustees or examiners as needed.
Executive Office for U.S. Trustees The Attorney General is charged with
the appointment and supervision of the U.S. trustees and assistant U.S.
trustees. Day-to-day policy and legal direction, coordination, and
control are provided by the Director of the Executive Office for U.S.
Trustees who is appointed by the Attorney General. The Executive Office
also provides administrative and management support to U.S. trustee
offices around the country.
For further information, contact the Executive Office for U.S. Trustees,
Department of Justice, Suite 700, 901 E Street NW., Washington, DC
20530. Phone, 202-307-1391.
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Divisions
Antitrust Division
The Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Antitrust Division is
responsible for promoting and maintaining competitive markets by
enforcing the Federal antitrust laws. Such enforcement, which is the
principal function of the Division, involves investigating possible
antitrust violations, conducting grand jury proceedings, preparing and
trying antitrust cases, prosecuting appeals, and negotiating and
enforcing final judgments. The antitrust laws affect virtually all
industries and apply to every phase of business, including
manufacturing, transportation, distribution, and marketing. They
prohibit a variety of practices that restrain trade, such as price-
fixing conspiracies, corporate mergers likely to reduce the competitive
vigor of particular markets, and predatory acts designed to achieve or
maintain monopoly power. The Division prosecutes serious and willful
violations of the antitrust laws by filing criminal suits that can lead
to large fines and jail sentences. Where criminal prosecution is not
appropriate, the Division seeks a court order forbidding future
violations of the law and requiring steps by the defendant to remedy the
anticompetitive effects of past violations.
The Division also is responsible for acting as an advocate of
competition within the Federal Government. This involves formal
appearances in Federal administrative agency proceedings, development of
legislative initiatives to promote deregulation and eliminate
unjustifiable exemptions from the antitrust laws, participation on
executive branch policy task forces, and publication of reports on
regulated industry performance. The Division provides formal advice to
other agencies on the competitive implications of proposed transactions
requiring Federal approval, such as construction of nuclear powerplants
and mergers of financial institutions. It also consults with Federal
agencies on a variety of other matters, including the issuance of
Federal coal and oil drilling leases and the disposition of surplus
Government property.
In addition, the Antitrust Division represents the United States in
judicial proceedings to review certain orders of regulatory agencies and
provides direct court representation for the Secretary of the Treasury
in certain Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms cases. It also
participates in Federal Trade Commission cases before the Supreme Court.
In the international law area, the Division represents the United
States on the Committee on Competition Law and Policy of the
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development; participates in
the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and in the World
Trade Organization's trade and competition working group; and, in
conjunction with the Department of State, maintains liaison with foreign
governments on antimonopoly laws and policies.
For further information, contact the FOIA Unit, Antitrust Division,
Department of Justice, 325 Seventh Street NW., Washington, DC 20530.
Phone, 202-514-2692.
Civil Division
The Civil Division represents the United States, its departments and
agencies, Members of Congress, Cabinet officers, and other Federal
employees. Its litigation reflects the diversity of Government
activities, involving, for example, the defense of challenges to
Presidential actions; national security issues; benefit programs; energy
policies; commercial issues such as contract disputes, banking,
insurance, patents, fraud, and debt collection; all manner of accident
and liability claims; and violations of the immigration and consumer
protection laws. Each year, Division attorneys handle thousands of cases
that collectively involve billions of dollars in claims and recoveries.
The Division confronts significant policy issues, which often rise to
constitutional dimensions, in defending and enforcing various Federal
programs and actions.
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The Civil Division litigates cases in all Federal district courts,
the U.S. Courts of Appeals, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, other
Federal and State courts, and the courts of foreign nations. Division
attorneys either conduct this litigation personally or they supervise or
assist the U.S. attorneys and foreign counsel to whom the Division
refers the cases. The Division is composed of seven major groups: the
Torts Branch, the Commercial Litigation Branch, the Federal Programs
Branch, the Appellate Staff, the Office of Consumer Litigation, the
Office of Immigration Litigation, and an Office of Management Programs.
Torts The Torts Branch is responsible for suits under the Federal Tort
Claims Act, including the broad range of tort litigation arising from
the operation of the Federal Government, aviation disasters,
environmental and occupational disease, and radiation and toxic
substance exposure. It also handles maritime litigation and suits that
seek personal monetary judgements against individual officers or
employees.
Tort litigation more specifically includes the defense of all
Federal Tort Claims Act suits against the United States and the
prosecution of suits in tort on behalf of the United States. Suits and
administrative claims for death, personal injury, and property damage
brought under the Tort Claims Act allege negligence on the part of the
Government and involve matters such as blood products litigation, suits
arising from high speed police chases, attack by wild animals in
national parks, medical malpractice, mail bombs, and the control of
civilian, military, and commercial air traffic. In addition, the Torts
Branch defends petitions filed pursuant to the Vaccine Injury
Compensation Program and is responsible for administering the Radiation
Exposure Compensation Act.
Tort litigation also includes all legal proceedings involving the
United States related to ships, shipping, navigable waters, and
workmen's compensation. The Division's admiralty litigation includes
suits for personal injury and property damage involving vessels, shore
installations, and maritime personnel, equipment, and cargoes; suits
arising out of contracts involving shipping, chartering of vessels, and
the construction, repair, and salvaging of vessels; proceedings to
enforce navigation and shipping laws; and litigation based on
international maritime agreements.
Commercial Litigation The Commercial Litigation Branch is responsible
for litigation associated with the Government's diverse financial
involvements.
This litigation includes all monetary suits involving contracts,
express or implied; actions to foreclose on Government mortgages and
liens; bankruptcy and insolvency proceedings; and suits against
guarantors and sureties.
Branch attorneys bring suit under the False Claims Act (31 U.S.C.
3729) for the recovery of treble damages and civil penalties and
alternative remedies, in connection with fraud in the award or
performance of Government contracts, false claims presented in
connection with Federal programs such as Medicare, the submission of
false statements and vouchers to Government agencies, and the use of
other fraudulent devices in transactions with the Government. These
suits include those filed pursuant to the qui tam provisions of the
False Claims Act, in which private citizens with knowledge of fraud
against the Government may file a lawsuit against the perpetrators on
behalf of the United States and share in a percentage of any monetary
recovery. Branch attorneys also bring suits to recover sums paid to
bribe Government officials and kickbacks in Government procurement.
The Branch is responsible for all cases in the U.S. Court of
International Trade, including suits brought by importers of merchandise
to challenge the appraisement or classification of imported goods or
other decisions of the U.S. Customs Service in its administration of the
tariff laws and schedules.
The Branch has responsibility for all litigation in the U.S. Court
of Federal Claims except for those cases assigned to the Environment and
Natural Resources
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Division and the Tax Division. Included are:
--patent cases and suits arising out of construction, procurement,
service contracts, and claims associated with contract terminations;
--claims involving freight rate disputes arising out of the
transportation of Government property;
--claims for just compensation under the fifth amendment;
--claims for salary or retirement by civilian and military
personnel; and
--cases assigned by congressional reference or special legislation.
Likewise, Branch attorneys handle the majority of cases before the
Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. This litigation involves
appeals of decisions made by the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, the U.S.
Court of Veterans Appeals, Boards of Contract Appeals, the Merit Systems
Protection Board, and Federal district courts.
The Branch handles all litigation involving the rights, liabilities,
and administrative functions of the Government with respect to patent,
copyright, and trademark matters. This includes:
--defense of patent infringement suits based on the liability of the
United States for infringements in connection with the performance of
Government contracts;
--legal proceedings to establish Government priority of invention;
--suits for specific performance to require transfer of rights and
title and payment of royalties;
--suits to cancel patents acquired by fraud upon the Patent Office;
--defense of administrative acts of the Register of Copyrights; and
--actions on behalf of the Government involving the use of
trademarks.
The Branch is also responsible for the supervision of litigation in
foreign courts involving the United States as a party and suits against
U.S. employees stationed abroad who are being sued in the course of
their Government service. Additionally, the Branch renders international
judicial assistance to foreign tribunals.
Federal Programs The Federal Programs Branch defends the programs,
policies, and decisions of virtually all Federal departments and
agencies, the President, Cabinet officers, Members of Congress, and
other Government officials. It defends against constitutional challenges
to statutes, suits to overturn Government policies and programs, and
challenges to the legality of Government decisions. These suits
typically seek injunctive and declaratory relief and range from
objections to the way that the Government deals with its employees to
allegations that the President has violated the Constitution or Federal
law. The Branch also initiates suits to enforce regulatory statutes and
to remedy or prevent statutory or regulatory violations.
The areas of litigation include:
--defense of suits against the heads of Federal departments and
agencies and other government officials to enjoin official actions, as
well as suits for judicial review of administrative decisions, orders,
and regulations;
--defense and prosecution of suits involving national security,
including suits to protect sensitive intelligence sources and materials;
--prosecution of suits to prevent interference with Government
operations;
--litigation concerning the constitutionality of Federal laws;
--defense of suits raising employment discrimination claims and
Government personnel issues; and
--defense of suits involving specialized statutes, such as the
Freedom of Information Act, the Federal Advisory Committee Act, and the
Privacy Act.
Appellate Staff The Appellate Staff has primary responsibility for the
litigation of Civil Division cases in the appellate courts. The Staff
prepares Government briefs and presents oral argument for the cases.
Additionally, the Appellate Staff participates in drafting all documents
filed for these cases in the United States Supreme Court, including
briefs on the merits, petitions for certiorari, and jurisdictional
statements.
Consumer Litigation The Office of Consumer Litigation is responsible
for
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civil and criminal litigation and related matters arising under various
consumer protection and public health statutes, including the Federal
Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, the Federal Trade Commission Act, the
Consumer Product Safety Act, the Hazardous Substances Act, and the Truth
in Lending Act. The Office also serves as a liaison with other Federal
agencies and with local enforcement agencies for the referral of
consumer complaints outside the jurisdiction of the Department of
Justice.
Immigration Litigation The Office of Immigration Litigation is
responsible for conducting civil litigation under the Immigration and
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101) and related laws and for representing
the United States in civil litigation brought against employees of the
Immigration and Naturalization Service. In addition, this Office handles
district court litigation, removal order review proceedings, habeas
corpus review and general advice, and immigration-related appellate
matters. The Office is also responsible for cases pertaining to the
issuance of visas and passports, and for litigation arising under the
amnesty and employer sanctions provisions of the Immigration Reform and
Control Act of 1986 (8 U.S.C. 1255a, 1324a), the criminal and terrorist
alien reforms of 1990 and 1996, and the immigration enforcement reforms
of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of
1996.
Management Programs The Office of Management Programs provides
management and administrative services to the Division, including
administrative policy development, management, budget formulation and
execution, management information systems, office automation, and
automated litigation support.
For further information, contact the Office of the Assistant Attorney
General, Civil Division, Department of Justice, Tenth Street and
Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20530. Phone, 202-514-3301.
Civil Rights Division
The Civil Rights Division, headed by an Assistant Attorney General, was
established in 1957 to secure effective Federal enforcement of civil
rights. The Division is the primary institution within the Federal
Government responsible for enforcing Federal statutes prohibiting
discrimination on the basis of race, sex, disability, religion, and
national origin. The Division is composed of the following Sections:
Appellate Section The Appellate Section handles civil rights cases in
the courts of appeals and, in cooperation with the Solicitor General, in
the Supreme Court. The Section frequently participates in amicus curiae
cases that affect the Division, and provides counsel to the Department
on civil rights and appellate litigation. It handles all appeals from
both favorable and adverse judgments in which the Government
participates.
Coordination and Review Section This Section coordinates the
enforcement by Federal agencies of various civil rights statutes that
prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin,
sex, and religion in programs and activities that receive Federal
financial assistance. The Section also conducts compliance reviews and
investigates complaints of discrimination on the basis of race, color,
national origin, sex, age, and religion in the services and activities
of recipients of Federal financial assistance from the Department of
Justice. The Section is taking the lead role in implementing the
President's initiative, announced in June 1997, to reinvigorate the
enforcement of title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C.
1681 et seq.).
Criminal Section Under the Federal criminal civil rights statutes, the
Criminal Section prosecutes conduct involving conspiracies to interfere
with federally protected rights, deprivation of rights under color of
law, the use of force or threat of force to injure or intimidate someone
in their enjoyment of specific rights (such as voting, housing,
employment, education, public facilities, and accommodations),
interference with the free exercise of religious beliefs or
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damage to religious property, and the holding of a worker in a condition
of slavery or involuntary servitude. More recently, the Section began
enforcing the criminal aspects of the new Freedom of Access to Clinic
Entrances Act (FACE). This statute prohibits conduct intended to injure,
intimidate, or interfere with persons seeking to obtain or provide
reproductive services. Also, a task force staffed by attorneys from both
the Criminal and Civil Rights Divisions was created by the Attorney
General to determine if there is any organized criminal effort to commit
violence upon abortion providers.
Disability Rights Section This Section (previously the Public Access
Section) enforces titles I, II, and III of the Americans with
Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and Department of Justice regulations
implementing these provisions, provides technical assistance to entities
covered by the ADA and to persons protected by the ADA, and coordinates
the technical assistance efforts of all Federal agencies with technical
assistance responsibilities under the ADA. The Section also certifies
that State or local building codes meet or exceed the requirements of
the ADA. In addition, the Section is responsible for carrying out the
Department's responsibilities under section 504 of the Rehabilitation
Act of 1973. For the ADA Information Line, phone 800-514-0301 (voice) or
800-514-0383 (TDD). ADA information is also available through the
Internet, at http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/adahom1.htm.
Educational Opportunities Section The Educational Opportunities Section
enforces title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal
Educational Opportunities Act of 1974. In addition, it represents the
Department of Education in certain suits filed against and on behalf of
the Secretary of Education. The Section closely monitors approximately
400 school districts operating under desegregation court orders.
Employment Litigation Section The Employment Litigation Section
enforces the provisions of title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as
amended, and other Federal laws prohibiting employment practices that
discriminate on the grounds of race, sex, religion, and national origin,
as they apply to State and local government employers.
Housing and Civil Enforcement Section The Housing and Civil Enforcement
Section has principal responsibility for enforcing the Fair Housing Act
of 1968, as amended, which prohibits discrimination in housing on the
basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, and
familial status. The act allows the Section to bring cases on behalf of
individuals where a complaint is filed with the Department of Housing
and Urban Development (HUD). Additionally, the Section enforces the
Equal Credit Opportunity Act, which prohibits discrimination in credit
transactions; and title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which
prohibits discrimination in places of public accommodations, such as
hotels, restaurants, and places of entertainment.
Office of Special Counsel for Immigration Related Unfair Employment
Practices The Office of Special Counsel for Immigration Related Unfair
Employment Practices was established pursuant to section 102 of the
Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (8 U.S.C. 1324b). The Special
Counsel is responsible for investigating and prosecuting charges of
national origin and citizenship status discrimination in hiring, firing,
or recruitment. Jurisdiction over national origin charges is limited to
those not covered by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Jurisdiction over citizenship status is exclusive.
The Special Counsel files complaints before an administrative law
judge based on charges filed with this Office or on its own independent
investigations. Appeals of administrative decisions are to the U.S.
Courts of Appeals.
In addition, the Special Counsel coordinates with the Immigration
and Naturalization Service, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission,
and other Federal agencies in promoting public awareness of the
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antidiscrimination provisions of the act, through employer and public
interest conferences, public service announcements, and nationwide
distribution of enforcement information.
Special Litigation Section The Special Litigation Section is
responsible for protecting the constitutional and statutory rights of
persons confined in certain institutions owned or operated by State or
local governments, including facilities for individuals with mental and
developmental disabilities, nursing homes, prisons, jails, and juvenile
detention facilities where a pattern or practice of violations exist.
This authority is granted by the Civil Rights of Institutionalized
Persons Act. The Section is also responsible for civil enforcement
provisions of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE) which
prohibits force or the threat of force for the purpose of interfering
with the provision of reproductive services; and the police misconduct
provision of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994,
which gives the Attorney General authority to remedy patterns and
practices of misconduct by certain law enforcement authorities.
Voting Section The Voting Section is responsible for the enforcement of
the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the Voting Accessibility for the Elderly
and Handicapped Act, the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting
Act, the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, and other statutory
provisions designed to safeguard the right to vote of racial and
language minorities, illiterate persons, individuals with disabilities,
overseas citizens, persons who change their residence shortly before a
Presidential election, and persons 18 to 20 years of age.
Under section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, the Section brings
lawsuits to remedy discriminatory election practices. Under section 5 of
the Voting Rights Act, the Section reviews voting changes submitted to
the Attorney General and defends section 5 litigation in court to assure
that redistricting plans and other changes in voting practices and
procedures do not abridge the right to vote of racial or language
minorities. Under section 8 of the Voting Rights Act, the Attorney
General requests the assignment of Federal observers--who generally are
employees of the Office of Personnel Management--to monitor polling
place activities on election day to document and deter discriminatory
practices.
Administrative Management Section This Section supports the Division by
providing a diverse array of management and technical services,
including personnel administration, budget formulation and execution,
facilities services, mail and file operations, litigation support,
office automation, databases, and geographic information system support.
This Section also contains the Freedom of Information/Privacy Act
Branch, which ensures that the Division complies with all aspects of the
Freedom of Information and Privacy Acts.
For further information, contact the Executive Officer, Civil Rights
Division, Department of Justice, P.O. Box 65310, Washington, DC 20035-
5310. Phone, 202-514-4224. Internet, http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/.
Criminal Division
The Criminal Division develops, enforces, and supervises the application
of all Federal criminal laws, except those specifically assigned to
other divisions. The Division and the 93 U.S. attorneys are responsible
for overseeing criminal matters under more than 900 statutes, as well as
certain civil litigation. In addition to its direct litigation
responsibilities, the Division formulates and implements criminal
enforcement policy and provides advice and assistance. The Division
approves or monitors sensitive areas of law enforcement such as
participation in the Witness Security Program and the use of electronic
surveillance; advises the Attorney General, Congress, the Office of
Management and Budget, and the White House of matters of criminal law;
provides legal advice and assistance to Federal prosecutors and
investigative agencies; and provides leadership for coordinating
international as well as
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Federal, State, and local law enforcement matters.
Office of Administration The Office of Administration performs a wide
range of administrative and managerial functions for the components of
the Criminal Division, including budget preparation and execution,
personnel actions, computer support services, mail and records services,
procurement, and security.
Appellate Section The Appellate Section prepares draft briefs and
certiorari petitions for the Solicitor General to be filed in the U.S.
Supreme Court; makes recommendations to the Solicitor General as to
whether further review on adverse decisions in the district courts and
courts of appeals is necessary; and prepares briefs and argues cases in
the courts of appeals. In addition, Section attorneys occasionally
participate in district court litigation in major criminal cases.
Asset Forfeiture/Money Laundering Section The Section provides
centralized management for the Department's asset forfeiture program to
ensure its integrity and maximize its law enforcement potential, while
also providing managerial direction to the Department's components
concerned with money laundering. The Section initiates, coordinates, and
reviews legislative and policy proposals impacting on the asset
forfeiture program and money laundering enforcement and serves as the
Department's contact for Congress, other executive branch agencies, and
State and local law enforcement agencies.
The Section works with the entire spectrum of law enforcement and
regulatory agencies using an interagency, interdisciplinary, and
international approach. The Section is mandated to coordinate
multidistrict investigations and prosecutions; develop regulatory and
legislative initiatives; ensure the uniform application of forfeiture
and money laundering statutes; litigate complex, sensitive, and
multidistrict cases; and provide litigation assistance to the U.S.
attorneys' offices and Criminal Division components.
The Section oversees asset forfeiture and money laundering training
and conducts seminars for Federal prosecutors, investigating agents, and
law enforcement personnel. It also produces legal publications and
training materials to enhance its legal support functions.
The Section also adjudicates all petitions for remission or
mitigation of forfeited assets in judicial forfeiture cases, administers
the Weed and Seed Program and the Equitable Sharing Program, and
oversees the approval of the placement of forfeited property into
official use by Federal agencies.
Child Exploitation and Obscenity Created in 1987, the Child
Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) prosecutes those who possess,
manufacture, or distribute child pornography; those who sell, buy, or
transport women and children interstate or internationally to engage in
sexually explicit conduct; those who travel interstate or
internationally to sexually abuse children; those who abuse children on
Federal and Indian lands; those who do not pay certain court-ordered
child support payments; those who transport obscene materials in
interstate or foreign commerce; and international parental abduction.
CEOS attorneys assist the 93 U.S. attorney offices in investigations,
trials, and appeals related to these offenses.
Additionally, CEOS attorneys provide advice on child victim witness
issues and develop and refine proposals for prosecution policies,
legislation, government practices, and agency regulations in the areas
of sexual exploitation of minors, child support, and obscenity for the
Federal prosecutors and relevant Federal law enforcement personnel. CEOS
also conducts and participates in training of Federal, State, local, and
international prosecutors, investigators, and judges in the areas of
child exploitation and trafficking of women and children.
The main focus of CEOS is on waging an aggressive battle to protect
children from individuals who use computers or the United States mail to
sexually abuse and exploit them. In cooperation with
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the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), CEOS initiated a major
project to combat the use of computers in trafficking child pornography
and exploiting children on-line, and continues to be actively involved
in providing training on child pornography issues to FBI and other law
enforcement personnel.
Internationally, CEOS has become more active in its participation in
meetings on training and policy development on child exploitation issues
and trafficking of women and children for sexual purposes. Because the
distribution of child pornography on-line knows no borders and because
it is now much easier to travel among countries, it has become vitally
important for the United States to work in a concerted manner with other
countries to combat the occuranace of child exploitation and trafficking
of women and children.
CEOS works with the U.S. Customs Service and the U.S. Postal
Inspection Service on child pornography matters as well. In the area of
trafficking, CEOS participates in the Interagency Council on Women
working group and plays a leading role in the Department of Justice
working group on the issue.
Fraud The Fraud Section, the largest component of the Criminal
Division, directs and coordinates the Federal effort against fraud and
white-collar crime, focusing primarily on complex frauds that involve:
multidistrict and international activities; financial institutions;
Government programs and procurement procedures, including health care
providers, defense procurement fraud, and housing and urban development
fraud; the securities and commodities exchanges; and multidistrict
schemes that involve consumer victimization, such as telemarketing. The
Section conducts investigations and prosecutes fraud cases of national
significance or great complexity. It also assists U.S. attorneys with
cases, where requested. The Section provides staff support for the
Attorney General's White Collar Crime Council and other policy matters.
It also trains Federal agents and prosecutors through its conferences
and participation in other Federal conferences.
Computer Crime and Intellectual Property The Computer Crime and
Intellectual Property Section (CCIP) is responsible for implementing the
Department's Computer Crime Initiative, a comprehensive program designed
to address the growing global computer crime problem and ensure the
appropriate protection of intellectual property rights (copyrights,
trademarks, and trade secrets). Section attorneys are actively working
with other Government agencies, the private sector (including hardware
and software vendors and telecommunications companies), academic
institutions, and foreign officials to develop a global response to
cyber attacks and protect intellectual property. These attorneys
litigate cases, provide litigation support to other prosecutors, train
Federal law enforcement personnel, comment upon and propose legislation,
and coordinate international efforts to combat computer crime and thefts
of intellectual property. They also provide assistance in resolving the
unique issues raised by emerging computer and telecommunications
technologies.
Internal Security The Internal Security Section supervises the
investigation and prosecution of cases affecting national security,
foreign relations, and the export of military and strategic commodities
and technology. The Section has exclusive responsibility for authorizing
the prosecution of cases under criminal statutes relating to espionage,
sabotage, neutrality, and atomic energy. It provides legal advice to
U.S. attorneys' offices and investigative agencies on all matters within
its area of responsibility, which includes 88 Federal statutes affecting
national security. It also coordinates criminal cases involving the
application of the Classified Information Procedures Act. The Section
also administers and enforces the Foreign Agents Registration Act of
1938 and related disclosure statutes.
Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs The Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section
(NDDS) has supervisory jurisdiction of
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those statutes pertaining to controlled substances. Section attorneys
participate in the development and implementation of domestic and
international narcotics law enforcement programs and policies, and
provide direct litigation support to the Organized Crime Drug
Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area
(HIDTA) programs, to the Southwest Border and other multi-agency
initiatives, and to U.S. attorneys in recusal matters or in cases where
the Section's expertise is requested. NDDS attorneys represent the
Department in developing and administering other cooperative drug
enforcement strategies, initiatives, and projects conducted by the law
enforcement and intelligence communities.
The Section Chief serves as the Department's designated
representative on several senior level committees of the intelligence
and law enforcement communities that plan and coordinate joint
international counternarcotics initiatives. Additionally, the Chief acts
as the designated representative of the Federal Government in the
implementation of the joint U.S.-Colombia evidence sharing initiative,
intended to facilitate the successful investigation and prosecution of
major Colombian narcotics traffickers in Colombia.
The Section plays a central coordinating role in a number of multi-
district, multi-agency initiatives and prosecutions, including the
Southwest Border Initiative (SWBI), the Department's priority narcotics
enforcement program targeting major Mexican trafficking organizations.
The Litigation Unit provides direct trial and appellate litigation
support to U.S. attorneys nationwide, with emphasis on prosecutions that
support the OCDETF, HIDTA, and SWBI programs. These attorneys also
litigate appeals arising from cases prosecuted by NDDS attorneys and
denials or revocations of controlled substance registrations by the Drug
Enforcement Administrator.
Enforcement Operations The Office of Enforcement Operations oversees
the use of the most sophisticated investigative tools at the
Department's disposal. It reviews all Federal electronic surveillance
requests and requests to apply for court orders permitting the use of
video surveillance; provides legal advice to Federal, State, and local
law enforcement agencies on the use of Federal electronic surveillance
statutes; and assists in developing Department policy on emerging
technologies and telecommunications issues. It authorizes or denies the
entry of all applicants into the Federal Witness Security Program (WSP),
coordinates and administers matters relating to all aspects of the WSP
among all program components, and approves or denies requests by Federal
agencies to utilize Federal prisoners for investigative purposes. The
Office approves or reviews matters such as witness immunity requests,
transfer of prisoners to and from foreign countries to serve the
remainder of their prison sentences, attorney and press subpoenas,
applications for S-visa status, and disclosure of grand jury
information. It provides legal advice and assistance in a wide variety
of matters, such as crimes affecting government operations, mental
competency and insanity, interstate property crimes, and crimes in
Indian country. The Office processes all requests for Criminal Division
records made pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act and the Privacy
Act, and assists U.S. attorneys' offices in advocating the Division's
position in civil litigation filed under these statutes. It registers
entities as required by the Gambling Devices Act of 1962.
International Affairs The Office of International Affairs supports the
Department's legal divisions, the U.S. attorneys, and State and local
prosecutors regarding questions of foreign and international law,
including issues related to extradition and mutual legal assistance
treaties. The Office also coordinates all international evidence
gathering. In conjunction with the Department of State, the Office
engages in negotiating new extradition and mutual legal assistance
treaties and executive agreements throughout the world. Office attorneys
also participate on a number of committees established
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under the auspices of the United Nations and other international
organizations that are directed at resolving a variety of international
law enforcement problems, such as narcotics trafficking and money
laundering. The Office maintains permanent field offices in Rome, Paris,
Brussels, and Mexico City.
Policy and Legislation The legislative component of the Office of
Policy and Legislation (OPL) develops legislative proposals, legal
memoranda, and congressional testimony. It also prepares comments on
pending legislation affecting the Federal criminal justice system, works
closely with the U.S. Sentencing Commission on a variety of sentencing-
related issues, and provides legal support to the Advisory Committee on
Criminal Rules and Evidence of the Judicial Conference regarding the
Federal rules of criminal procedure and the Federal rules of evidence.
The policy component of OPL analyzes policy and management issues
related to criminal law enforcement and the criminal justice system. It
identifies problems and emerging trends; develops options and
recommendations; and provides research, technical, and management
support to the Assistant Attorney General and other Division and
Department policy makers. The policy staff also analyzes crime data,
Federal caseload statistics, and other criminal justice system
information for various decisionmakers within the Department.
Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance, and Training The Office
of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance, and Training (OPDAT)
assists prosecutors and judicial personnel in other countries in
developing and sustaining democratic criminal justice institutions. To
further the Department's interest in fostering the fair and efficient
administration of justice abroad, OPDAT programs promote the rule of law
and regard for human rights; assist nations, especially emerging
democracies, in building and maintaining viable criminal justice
institutions; and focus on transnational criminal matters. Currently,
OPDAT provides long-term rule-of-law assistance, using resident legal
advisors, in Rwanda, Colombia, Haiti, Romania, Latvia, Poland, Georgia,
Ukraine, and Russia. OPDAT also serves as the Department's liaison
between various private and public agencies that sponsor visits to the
United States by foreign officials and other visitors who study aspects
of the U.S. legal system. This opportunity for comparative law dialog
with foreign experts aids the Department in its efforts to promote
mutual legal assistance.
Special Investiations The Office of Special Investigations investigates
individuals who took part in Nazi-sponsored acts of persecution abroad
before and during World War II, and who subsequently entered or seek to
enter the United States illegally and/or fradulently. It then takes
appropriate legal action seeking their exclusion, denaturalization, and/
or deportation.
Organized Crime and Racketeering The Organized Crime and Racketeering
Section coordinated the Department's program to combat organized crime.
The principal enforcement efforts are currently directed against
traditional groups, such as La Cosa Nostra families, and emerging groups
from Asia and Europe, such as Chinese Triads, the Sicilian Mafia, and
Russian organized crime. The Section supervises the investigation and
prosecution of these cases by Strike Force Units within U.S. attorneys'
offices in 23 Federal districts having a significant organized crime
presence. These cases involve a broad spectrum of criminal statutes,
including extortion, murder, bribery, fraud, narcotics, and labor
racketeering.
The Section is involved in setting national priorities for the
organized crime program by coordinating with investigative agencies such
as the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement
Administration, and others; and by working with the Attorney General's
Organized Crime Council, which is ultimately responsible for the Federal
Government's policy in this area.
In addition to its close supervision of all Federal organized crime
cases, the Section maintains close control over all Government uses of
the Racketeer
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Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) statute, and provides
extensive advice to prosecutors about the use of this powerful tool for
cases involving patterns of serious criminal conduct.
In a more specialized context, the Section provides support for
criminal prosecutions involving labor-management disputes, the internal
affairs of labor unions in the private sector, and the operation of
employee pension and welfare benefit plans. The Section maintains a
cadre of experienced prosecutors in its Litigation Unit who travel as
needed to prosecute or assist in the prosecution of organized crime
cases in the various U.S. attorneys' offices, particularly in multi-
defendant RICO cases, especially in the field of labor racketeering.
Public Integrity The Public Integrity Section oversees the Federal
effort to combat corruption through the prosecution of elected and
appointed public officials at all levels of Government. The Section has
exclusive jurisdiction over allegations of criminal misconduct by
Federal judges, and also monitors the investigation and prosecution of
election and conflict of interest crimes. Section attorneys prosecute
selected cases against Federal, State, and local officials, and are
available as a source of advice and expertise to other prosecutors and
to investigators. Since 1978, the Section has supervised the
administration of the Independent Counsel provisions of the Ethics in
Government Act.
Terrorism and Violent Crime The Terrorism and Violent Crime Section is
responsible for the design, implementation, and support of law
enforcement efforts, legislative initiatives, policies, and strategies
relating to international and domestic terrorism. This includes the
investigation and prosecution of acts of terrorism occurring anywhere in
the world which impact significant U.S. interests.
The Section coordinates the systematic collection and analysis of
data related to the investigation and prosecution of domestic terrorism
cases, thereby facilitating prevention of terrorist activity through
early detection; coordinates the investigation and prosecution of
support to designated terrorist organizations; oversees the prosecution
of domestic violent crime offenses for which Federal jurisdiction
exists; oversees the prosecution of firearms and explosives violations;
assists in the implementation of an initiative designed to deter
criminals from possessing firearms, by using Federal firearms laws which
generally provide longer and often mandatory sentences for gun offenses;
and administers the national antiviolent crime strategy, which focuses
particular attention on the investigation and prosecution of gang-
related crimes. Where appropriate, Section attorneys assume direct
responsibility for the prosecution of violent crime cases.
Section attorneys provide legal advice to Federal prosecutors
concerning Federal statutes relating to murder, assault, kidnapping,
threats, robbery, weapons and explosives control, malicious destruction
of property, and aircraft and sea piracy. The Section also formulates
legislative initiatives and Departmental policies relating to terrorism
and violent crime and coordinates such initiatives and strategies with
other Government agencies.
Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces The Organized Crime Drug
Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), a Federal drug laws enforcement
program, focuses attention and resources on the disruption and
dismantling of major drug trafficking and money laundering
organizations. OCDETF provides a framework for Federal, State, and local
law enforcement agencies to work together to target well-established and
complex organizations that direct, finance, or engage in illegal
narcotics trafficking and related crimes, including money laundering and
tax violations, public corruption, illegal immigration, weapons
violations, and violent crimes. Since its initiation in 1982, by
utilizing the resources and expertise of its 11 member Federal agencies,
along with support from its State and local law enforcement partners,
OCDETF has contributed to the successful prosecution and conviction of
more than 66,000 members of criminal
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organizations and resulted in the seizure of cash and property assets
totaling more than $3.3 billion.
The Executive Office for OCDETF supports the work of over 2,500
Federal agents and prosecutors and approximately 6,000 State and local
law enforcement officers who participate in OCDETF cases. The Executive
Office, in conjunction with a council of Washington agency
representatives, provides policy guidance and coordination,
administrative management and support, collection and reporting of
statistical information, and budgetary planning, coordination, and
disbursement.
International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program
Activities of the International Criminal Investigative Training
Assistance Program (ICITAP) include the development of police forces and
reform of existing police forces in the context of international
peacekeeping operations, and the enhancement of capabilities of existing
police forces in emerging democracies. Assistance is based on
internationally recognized principles of human rights, the rule of law,
and modern police practices.
ICITAP programs are instituted at the request of the National
Security Council and the Department of State in agreement with
governments requesting assistance. The goals and objectives of the
programs are determined by U.S. interests in promoting democracy and
respect for human rights. Project activities are determined by
administration priorities, an ever-changing world situation, and
budgeting limitations. ICITAP is unique among Federal law enforcement
assistance programs in that its budget is totally based on project-
specific funding provided to the Department of Justice by the Department
of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development.
ICITAP projects are conceived in a way that makes training and
institutional development activities inseparable partners in the process
of delivering foreign law enforcement assistance. Assistance programs
begin with the assignment of technical advisers whose first task is to
develop a comprehensive strategic plan for the development of the police
force, starting with drafting a mission statement, goals and objectives,
operating procedures, codes of conduct, regulations, and standards.
Emphasis is placed upon obtaining ``buy in'' from senior police
officials, the drafting of relevant procedures and guidelines, and the
decision of the police force on how the skills learned will be applied.
Training is provided on the new regulations and skills so that those
receiving the training will be able to apply it immediately in a manner
consistent with their own country's laws and regulations. Training is
often followed by monitoring by technical advisers who work with the
trainees and their supervisors to ensure the training is effectively
utilized.
For further information, contact the Office of the Assistant Attorney
General, Criminal Division, Department of Justice, Tenth Street and
Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20530. Phone, 202-514-2601.
Environment and Natural Resources Division
The Environment and Natural Resources Division, formerly known as the
Land and Natural Resources Division, is the Nation's environmental
lawyer. It is responsible for litigating cases ranging from protection
of endangered species, to global climate change, to cleaning up the
Nation's hazardous waste sites. A key Division responsibility is
enforcing civil and criminal environmental laws in order to protect its
citizens' health and environment. The Division defends environmental
challenges to Government activities and programs and ensures that
environmental laws are implemented in a fair and consistent manner
nationwide. It also represents the United States in all matters
concerning the protection, use, and development of the Nation's natural
resources and public lands, wildlife protection, Indian rights and
claims, and the acquisition of Federal property. To carry out this broad
mission, the Division is organized into nine sections described below.
Environmental Crimes The Environmental Crimes Section prosecutes
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individuals and corporate entities which have violated laws designed to
protect the environment. The Section works closely with the Federal
Bureau of Investigation and criminal investigators from the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to enforce statutes such as the
Clean Air Act, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation,
and Liability Act (Superfund), and the Resource Conservation and
Recovery Act, among others.
Environmental Enforcement The Environmental Enforcement Section is
responsible for most of the affirmative civil litigation brought on
behalf of EPA; claims for damages to our natural resources filed on
behalf of the Departments of Interior, Commerce, and Agriculture; claims
for contribution against private parties for contamination of public
land; and recoupment of money spent to clean up certain oil spills on
behalf of the United States Coast Guard. The Section supports the
regulatory programs of its client agencies through litigation to obtain
compliance with environmental statutes, establishes a credible deterrent
against violation of those laws, recoups Federal funds spent to abate
environmental contamination, and obtains funds to restore or replace
natural resources damaged through oil spills or the release of hazardous
substances into the environment. The primary statutes within the
Section's scope of responsibility are: the Comprehensive Environmental
Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (Superfund); the Clean Air
Act; the Clean Water Act; the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act;
the Safe Drinking Water Act; and the Oil Pollution Act of 1990.
Environmental Defense The Environmental Defense Section represents the
United States, principally EPA, in suits challenging the Government's
administration of Federal environmental laws. The lawsuits, which arise
in Federal district and appellate courts, include claims by industries
that regulations are too strict, claims by environmental groups that
Federal standards are too lax, and claims by States and citizens
alleging that Federal agencies are out of compliance with environmental
standards. The Section also handles both defensive and enforcement
litigation involving the wetlands program under section 404 of the Clean
Water Act. This requires persons wishing to fill or discharge waste into
wetlands to first obtain a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
If this requirement is not met, the Section files a civil action seeking
civil penalties and injunctive relief against the violator.
Wildlife and Marine Resources The Wildlife and Marine Resources Section
tries both civil and criminal cases under Federal wildlife laws and
other laws protecting marine fish and mammals. Prosecutions focus on
smugglers and black-market dealers in protected wildlife. Civil
litigation, particularly under the Endangered Species Act, often sets
the needs of protected species against the economic interests of both
the Federal Government and private enterprise.
General Litigation The General Litigation Section is primarily
responsible for litigation involving the use and protection of federally
owned public lands and natural resources. Its varied docket comprises
cases arising under more than 80 different land management and natural
resource statutes including the National Environmental Policy Act, the
Federal Land Policy Management Act, and the National Historic
Preservation Act. Cases address such issues as water rights, land use
plans, timber and mineral production, landowner compensation, and trust
obligations to Indian tribes.
Indian Resources The Indian Resources Section represents the United
States in its trust capacity for Indian tribes. These suits include
establishing water rights, establishing and protecting hunting and
fishing rights, collecting damages for trespass on Indian lands, and
establishing reservation boundaries and rights to land.
Land Acquisition The Land Acquisition Section is responsible for
acquiring land, either by direct purchase or through
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condemnation proceedings, for use by the Federal Government for purposes
ranging from establishing public parks to creating missile sites. The
Section attorneys seek to implement the protection of the fifth
amendment in a way which is fair to both property owners and taxpayers.
The legal and factual issues in such cases can include the power of the
Federal Government to condemn property under specific acts of Congress;
ascertainment of the fair market value of property sought by the Federal
Government; applicability of local zoning regulations and problems
related to subdivisions; capitalization of income; and the admissibility
of evidence.
Policy, Legislation, and Special Litigation The Policy, Legislation,
and Special Litigation Section advises and assists the Assistant
Attorney General on policy issues including coordination of the
Division's international and environmental justice activities. The
Section directs the Division's legislative program, including testimony
of Division managers before congressional committees, and representation
of the Department in meetings with congressional staff and on
interagency groups that develop the administration's position on
legislation proposed or passed by Congress. The Section also litigates
amicus cases, undertakes specially assigned litigation projects at the
trial and appellate levels, serves as the Division's ethics office, and
responds to citizen requests under the Freedom of Information Act.
Appeals The Appellate Section is responsible for handling all appeals
in cases initially tried in lower courts by any of the sections within
the Division. In addition, the Section drafts the briefs for all
Division cases which reach the Supreme Court and formulates
recommendations to the Solicitor General that seek authority to appeal
unfavorable decisions.
Executive Office The Executive Office serves as administrator to the
Division, providing financial management, personnel, planning,
procurement, office automation, and automated litigation support
services.
For further information, contact the Office of the Assistant Attorney
General, Environment and Natural Resources Division, Department of
Justice, Tenth Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20530.
Phone, 202-514-2701.
Tax Division
The primary mission of the Tax Division is to enforce the Nation's tax
laws in Federal and State courts and thereby generate revenue for the
Federal Government. The Division conducts enforcement activities to
deter specific taxpayers, as well as the taxpaying public at large, from
conduct that deprives the Federal Government of its tax-related revenue.
The Tax Division was established under Executive Order 6166 of June
10, 1933, which called for the consolidated control of all tax
litigation in the Department of Justice. In November 1933, the Attorney
General issued Circular No. 2494 creating the Division and charging it
with the duty of representing the Government in internal revenue cases.
The Division represents the United States and its officers in all
civil and criminal litigation arising under the internal revenue laws,
other than proceedings in the United States Tax Court. While the
Division's primary client is the Internal Revenue Service, it also
represents Federal officials and employees in actions arising out of the
performance of their official duties, as well as representing other
Federal departments and agencies in their dealings with State and local
tax authorities. In civil tax litigation the Division's responsibility
involves cases in the United States District Courts, the United States
Court of Federal Claims, the United States Courts of Appeals, and the U.
S. Supreme Court, as well as cases in the State courts.
The Division represents the United States in many different types of
disputes, both civil and criminal, dealing with the interpretation of
Federal tax laws. For example, when the Internal Revenue Service
challenges a tax return and determines a deficiency, the
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taxpayer may pay the full amount of tax assessed and then bring a suit
against the Government for refund. The Division defends the Government
in these refund actions.
Other areas of civil litigation in which the Division is involved on
behalf of the Federal Government include:
--suits brought by individuals to foreclose mortgages or to quiet
title to property in which the United States is named as a party
defendant because of the existence of a Federal tax lien on the
property;
--suits brought by the United States to collect unpaid assessments,
to foreclose Federal tax liens or determine the priority of such liens,
to obtain judgments against delinquent taxpayers, to enforce summonses,
and to establish tax claims in bankruptcy, receivership, or probate
proceedings;
--proceedings involving mandamus, injunctions, and other specific
writs arising in connection with internal revenue matters;
--suits against Internal Revenue Service employees for damages
claimed because of alleged injuries caused in the performance of their
official duties;
--suits against the Secretary of the Treasury, the Commissioner of
Internal Revenue, or similar officials to test the validity of
regulations or rulings not in the context of a specific refund action;
--suits brought by the United States to enjoin the promotion of
abusive tax shelters and to enjoin activities relating to aiding and
abetting the understatement of tax liabilities of others;
--suits brought by taxpayers for a judicial determination of the
reasonableness of a jeopardy or termination assessment and the
appropriateness of the amount;
--proceedings brought against the Tax Division and the Internal
Revenue Service for disclosure of information under the Freedom of
Information Act; and
--intergovernmental immunity suits in which the United States
resists attempts to apply a State or local tax to some activity or
property of the United States.
The Division also collects judgments in tax cases. To this end, the
Division directs collection efforts and coordinates with, monitors the
efforts of, and provides assistance to the various United States
attorneys' offices in collecting outstanding judgments in tax cases.
With respect to criminal tax litigation, the Division prosecutes or
supervises the prosecution of all criminal offenses committed under the
internal revenue laws, including attempts to evade and defeat taxes,
willful failures to file returns and to pay taxes, filing false returns
and other deceptive documents, making false statements to revenue
officials, and other miscellaneous offenses involving internal revenue
matters. These duties include the institution of criminal proceedings
and collaboration with U.S. attorneys in the conduct of litigation in
the trial and appellate courts. Further, Division attorneys frequently
conduct grand jury investigations and actual trials of criminal tax
cases, often as a result of requests for assistance by the appropriate
U.S. attorney. In its efforts to deter willful deception through
prosecution of criminal offenders, the Division also plays a significant
role in curbing organized crime, public corruption, narcotics
trafficking, and financial institution fraud.
The primary functions of the Division are to aid the Internal
Revenue Service in collecting the Federal revenue and to establish
principles of law that will serve as guidelines to taxpayers and their
representatives, as well as to the Internal Revenue Service, in the
administration of the Internal Revenue Code. As a result, coordination
with the Internal Revenue Service's administrative policies and the
Treasury Department's legislative tax concerns in developing litigating
postures is essential.
The Division also provides input into the preparation of reports to
the Congress, the Office of Management and Budget, and the Office of
Legislative Affairs on pending or proposed legislation and monitors
congressional activities with respect to matters of interest to the
Division.
In accordance with the Attorney General's program to enhance the
litigating skills of Department attorneys, the Division conducts
training programs
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for its attorneys, with special emphasis on matters unique to tax
litigation and the development of advocacy skills.
For further information, contact the Office of the Assistant Attorney
General, Tax Division, Department of Justice, Tenth Street and
Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20530. Phone, 202-514-2901.
Internet, http://www.usdoj.gov/tax/.
Bureaus
Federal Bureau of Investigation
935 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20535. Phone, 202-324-3000.
Internet, http://www.fbi.gov/.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the principal investigative
arm of the United States Department of Justice. It is charged with
gathering and reporting facts, locating witnesses, and compiling
evidence in cases involving Federal jurisdiction.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation was established in 1908 by the
Attorney General, who directed that Department of Justice investigations
be handled by its own staff. The Bureau is charged with investigating
all violations of Federal law except those that have been assigned by
legislative enactment or otherwise to another Federal agency. Its
jurisdiction includes a wide range of responsibilities in the criminal,
civil, and security fields. Priority has been assigned to the five areas
that affect society the most: organized crime/drugs, counterterrorism,
white-collar crime, foreign counterintelligence, and violent crime.
On January 28, 1982, the Attorney General assigned concurrent
jurisdiction for the enforcement of the Controlled Substances Act (21
U.S.C. 801) to the Bureau and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
The DEA Administrator reports to the Attorney General through the FBI
Director.
The Bureau also offers cooperative services such as fingerprint
identification, laboratory examination, police training, and the
National Crime Information Center to duly authorized law enforcement
agencies.
The Bureau headquarters in Washington, DC, consists of nine separate
divisions, a Deputy Director, an Office of the General Counsel, an
Office of Public and Congressional Affairs, an Office of Equal
Employment Opportunity Affairs, an Office of Professional
Responsibility, and a Director's staff.
The Bureau's investigations are conducted through 56 field offices.
Most of its investigative personnel are trained at the FBI Academy in
Quantico, VA.
For further information, contact the Office of Public and Congressional
Affairs, Federal Bureau of Investigation, J. Edgar Hoover F.B.I.
Building, 935 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20535. Phone, 202-
324-2727.
Bureau of Prisons
320 First Street NW., Washington, DC 20534. Phone, 202-307-3198
The mission of the Bureau of Prisons is to protect society by confining
offenders in the controlled environments of prisons and community-based
facilities that are safe, humane, and appropriately secure, and which
provide work and other self-improvement opportunities to assist
offenders in becoming law-abiding citizens.
The Executive Office of the Director provides overall direction for
agency operations. In addition to typical administrative functions
performed by an agency head, the Offices of General Counsel, Program
Review, and Internal Affairs are within the Office and report to the
Director.
The Administration Division develops plans, programs, and policies
concerning the acquisition, construction, and staffing of new
facilities, as well as budget development, financial management,
procurement, and contracting.
The Community Corrections and Detention Division is responsible for
program development and contracts relating to community-based and
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detention programs, as well as privatization and citizen participation.
The Correctional Programs Division is responsible for managing the
correctional services (security) operations in Bureau institutions and
case and unit management, as well as religious and psychological
services, drug treatment programs, programs for special needs offenders,
and inmate systems.
Federal Prison Industries (trade name UNICOR) is a wholly owned
Government corporation whose mission is to provide employment and
training opportunities for inmates confined in Federal correctional
facilities. UNICOR manufactures a wide range of items--from executive
and systems furniture to electronics, textiles, and graphics/signage.
Services performed by UNICOR's inmates include data entry, printing, and
furniture refinishing. The corporation funds selected preindustrial,
vocational, and experimental training programs.
The Health Services Division has oversight responsibility for all
medical and psychiatric programs; environmental and occupational health
services; food and nutrition services; and farm operations.
The Human Resource Management Division provides personnel, training,
and labor management within the agency. Its functions also include pay
and position management and recruitment.
The Information, Policy, and Public Affairs Division encompasses the
Bureau's Information Systems; Research and Evaluation; Security
Technology; Office of Public Affairs; and Office of Policy and
Information Resource Management.
The National Institute of Corrections provides technical assistance,
information services, and training for State and local corrections
agencies throughout the country. It also provides technical assistance
for selected foreign governments. The Institute's administrative
offices, Prison Division, and Community Corrections Division are located
in Washington, DC. Its Jails Division, Training Academy, and Information
Center are located in Longmont, CO.
The Bureau is subdivided into six geographic regions, each staffed
with field-qualified personnel who are responsible for policy
development and oversight, providing operational guidance to field
locations, and providing support functions in areas such as auditing,
technical assistance, budget, and personnel. Each regional office is
headed by an experienced career Bureau manager who is a full member of
the Bureau's executive staff.
For further information, contact the Public Information Officer, Bureau
of Prisons, Department of Justice, Washington, DC 20534. Phone, 202-307-
3198.
United States Marshals Service
600 Army Navy Drive, Arlington, VA 22202-4210. Phone, 202-307-9000
The United States Marshals Service is the Nation's oldest Federal law
enforcement agency, having served as a vital link between the executive
and judicial branches of the Government since 1789. Today, the
Presidentially appointed marshals and their support staff of
approximately 4,300 deputy marshals and administrative personnel operate
from more than 400 office locations in all 94 Federal judicial districts
nationwide, from Guam to Puerto Rico, and from Alaska to Florida.
The Marshals Service performs tasks that are essential to the
operation of virtually every aspect of the Federal justice system. The
Service is responsible for:
--providing support and protection for the Federal courts, including
security for 800 judicial facilities and nearly 2,000 judges and
magistrates, as well as countless other trial participants such as
jurors and attorneys;
--apprehending the majority of all Federal fugitives;
--operating the Federal Witness Security program, ensuring the
safety of endangered government witnesses;
--maintaining custody of and transporting thousands of Federal
prisoners annually;
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--executing court orders and arrest warrants;
--managing and selling seized property forfeited to the Government
by drug traffickers and other criminals, and assisting the Justice
Department's asset forfeiture program;
--responding to emergency circumstances, including civil
disturbances, terrorist incidents, and other crisis situations, through
its Special Operations Group, and restoring order in riot and mob-
violence situations; and
--operating the U.S. Marshals Service Training Academy.
The Director of the U.S. Marshals Service, who is appointed by the
President, supervises the operations of the Service throughout the
United States and its territories, assisted by the Deputy Director, an
Associate Director, nine Assistant Directors, and a General Counsel.
For further information, contact the Office of Public Affairs, U.S.
Marshals Service, Department of Justice, 600 Army Navy Drive, Arlington,
VA 22202. Phone, 202-307-9065. Internet, http://www.usdoj.gov/marshals/.
United States National Central Bureau-International Criminal Police
Organization
Washington, DC 20530. Phone, 202-616-9000
The U.S. National Central Bureau (USNCB) represents the United States in
INTERPOL, the International Criminal Police Organization. Also known as
INTERPOL--Washington, USNCB provides an essential communications link
between the U.S. police community and their counterparts in the foreign
member countries.
INTERPOL is an association of 176 countries dedicated to promoting
mutual assistance among law enforcement authorities in the prevention
and suppression of international crime. With no police force of its own,
INTERPOL has no powers of arrest or search and seizure. Instead,
INTERPOL serves as a channel of communication among the police of the
member countries, and provides a forum for discussions, working group
meetings, and symposia to enable police to focus on specific areas of
criminal activity affecting their countries.
United States participation in INTERPOL began in 1938 by
congressional authorization, designating the Attorney General as the
official representative to the organization. INTERPOL operations were
interrupted during World War II, but resumed in 1947.
The Attorney General officially designated the Secretary of the
Treasury as the U.S. representative to INTERPOL in 1958, and the U.S.
National Central Bureau was established within the Treasury Department
in 1969. In 1977, an arrangement was effected between Justice and
Treasury officials establishing dual authority in administering USNCB.
This Memorandum of Understanding designates the Attorney General as the
permanent representative to INTERPOL and the Secretary of the Treasury
as the alternate representative.
The Bureau operates through cooperative efforts with Federal, State,
and local law enforcement agencies. Programs and initiatives, such as
the State Liaison Program, broaden the scope of U.S. investigative
resources to include the international community, thus forming an
integral part of the United States efforts to confront the problem of
international crime.
Federal and State law enforcement agencies represented at the USNCB
include the Federal Bureau of Investigation; U.S. Marshals Service; Drug
Enforcement Administration; Immigration and Naturalization Service; U.S.
Customs Service; U.S. Secret Service; Internal Revenue Service; Bureau
of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms; Department of Agriculture; U.S.
Postal Inspection Service; Bureau of Diplomatic Security, Department of
State; Financial Crimes Enforcement Network; Environmental Protection
Agency; and the Maryland State Police.
Under the State Liaison Program, States establish an office within
their own law enforcement community to serve as liaison to USNCB.
International leads developed in criminal investigations being conducted
by a
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State or local police entity can be pursued through their Liaison
Office, and criminal investigative requests from abroad are funneled
through the relevant State liaison office for action by the appropriate
State or local agency. All 50 States now participate in the liaison
program, which is currently coordinated by a representative from the
Maryland State Police.
USNCB has two sub-bureaus which serve to more effectively address
the law enforcement needs of U.S. territories. The sub-bureaus are
located in San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Pago Pago, American Samoa.
For further information, contact the U.S. National Central Bureau-
INTERPOL, Washington, DC 20530. Phone, 202-616-9000.
Immigration and Naturalization Service
425 I Street NW., Washington, DC 20536. Phone, 202-514-4316, 4330, or
4354
[For the Immigration and Naturalization Service statement of
organization, see the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 8, Aliens and
Nationality]
The Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) was created by act of
March 3, 1891 (8 U.S.C. 1551 note), and its purpose and responsibilities
were further specified by the Immigration and Nationality Act, as
amended (8 U.S.C. 1101 note), which charges the Attorney General with
the administration and enforcement of its provisions. The Attorney
General has delegated authority to the Commissioner of the Immigration
and Naturalization service to carry out these provisions of immigration
law.
Overall policy and executive direction flow from the Washington, DC,
headquarters office through 3 regional offices to 33 district offices
and 21 border patrol sectors throughout the United States. INS also
maintains three district offices in Bangkok, Thailand; Mexico City,
Mexico; and Rome, Italy.
The Service carries out its mission through operational programs in
adjudications and nationality, inspections, investigations, and
detention and deportation, as well as the U.S. Border Patrol. These
programs are divided into the following mission responsibilities:
--facilitating entry of those legally admissible as visitors or
immigrants to the United States;
--granting benefits under the Immigration and Nationality Act, as
amended, including providing assistance to those seeking asylum,
temporary or permanent resident status, or naturalization;
--preventing improper entry and the granting of benefits to those
not legally entitled to them;
--apprehending and removing those aliens who enter or remain
illegally in the United States and/or whose stay is not in the public
interest; and
--Enforcing sanctions against those who act or conspire to subvert
the requirements for selective and controlled entry, including sanctions
against employers who knowingly hire aliens not authorized to work in
the United States.
The Service also has a firm commitment to strengthen criminal
investigations and seek the most effective deterrents to illegal
immigration.
For further information, contact the Office of Information, Immigration
and Naturalization Service, Department of Justice, 425 I Street NW.,
Washington, DC 20536. Phone, 202-514-4316, 4330, or 4354.
Drug Enforcement Administration
600-700 Army Navy Drive, Arlington, VA 22202. Phone, 202-307-1000. FTS,
367-1000
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is the lead Federal agency in
enforcing narcotics and controlled substances laws and regulations. It
was created in July 1973, by Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 1973 (5 U.S.C.
app.), which merged four separate drug law enforcement agencies.
The Administration enforces the provisions of the controlled
substances and chemical diversion and trafficking laws and regulations
of the United States, and operates on a worldwide basis. It presents
cases to the criminal and civil justice systems of the United States--or
any other competent
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jurisdiction--on those significant organizations and their members
involved in cultivation, production, smuggling, distribution, or
diversion of controlled substances appearing in or destined for illegal
traffic in the United States. DEA immobilizes these organizations by
arresting their members, confiscating their drugs, and seizing their
assets; and creates, manages, and supports enforcement-related
programs--domestically and internationally--aimed at reducing the
availability of and demand for controlled substances.
The Administration's responsibilities include:
--investigation of major narcotic violators who operate at
interstate and international levels;
--seizure and forfeiture of assets derived from, traceable to, or
intended to be used for illicit drug trafficking;
--enforcement of regulations governing the legal manufacture,
distribution, and dispensing of controlled substances;
--management of a national narcotics intelligence system;
--coordination with Federal, State, and local law enforcement
authorities and cooperation with counterpart agencies abroad; and
--training, scientific research, and information exchange in support
of drug traffic prevention and control.
The Administration manages the El Paso Intelligence Center (EPIC), a
24-hour tactical drug intelligence center, which utilizes DEA and
Federal personnel from 13 other agencies.
The Administration concentrates its efforts on high-level narcotics
smuggling and distribution organizations in the United States and
abroad, working closely with such agencies as the Customs Service, the
Internal Revenue Service, and the Coast Guard. It also chairs the 11-
agency National Narcotics Intelligence Consumers Committee, which
develops an annual report on drug production, trafficking, and abuse
trends.
Approximately 400 Administration compliance investigators enforce
regulation of the legal manufacture and distribution of prescription
drugs. The agency also maintains an active training program for
narcotics officers in other Federal, State, and local agencies--as well
as foreign police.
The Administration maintains liaison with the United Nations,
INTERPOL, and other organizations on matters relating to international
narcotics control programs. It has offices throughout the United States
and in 50 foreign countries.
For further information, contact the Public Affairs Section, Drug
Enforcement Administration, Department of Justice, Washington, DC 20537.
Phone, 202-307-7977.
Office of Justice Programs
633 Indiana Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20531. Phone, 202-307-0781
The Office of Justice Programs (OJP) was established by the Justice
Assistance Act of 1984 and reauthorized in 1994 to provide Federal
leadership, coordination, and assistance needed to make the Nation's
justice system more efficient and effective in preventing and
controlling crime. OJP and its five program bureaus, the Bureau of
Justice Assistance, Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Institute of
Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, and
Office for Victims of Crime, are responsible for collecting statistical
data and conducting analyses; identifying emerging criminal justice
issues; developing and testing promising approaches to address these
issues; evaluating program results, and disseminating these findings and
other information to State and local governments.
The Office is headed by an Assistant Attorney General who, by
statute and delegation of authority from the Attorney General,
establishes, guides, promotes, and coordinates policy; focuses efforts
on the priorities established by the President and the Attorney General;
and promotes coordination among the bureaus and offices within OJP.
Through the programs developed and financed by its bureaus and
offices, OJP works to form partnerships among Federal, State, and local
government officials to control drug abuse and trafficking, rehabilitate
crime-ridden
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neighborhoods, improve the administration of justice in America, meet
the needs of crime victims, and find innovative ways to address problems
such as gang violence, prison crowding, juvenile crime, and white-collar
crime. The functions of each bureau or office are interrelated. For
example, the statistics generated by the Bureau of Justice Statistics
may drive the research that is conducted through the National Institute
of Justice and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention. Research results may generate new programs that receive
support from the Bureau of Justice Assistance and the Office of Juvenile
Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
Although some research and technical assistance is provided directly
by OJP's bureaus and offices, most of the work is accomplished through
Federal financial assistance to scholars, practitioners, and State and
local governments.
Program bureaus and offices award formula grants to State agencies,
which, in turn, subgrant funds to units of State and local government.
Formula grant programs--drug control and system improvement, juvenile
justice, victims compensation, and victims assistance--are administered
by State agencies designated by each State's Governor. Discretionary
grant programs usually are announced in the Federal Register, and
applications are made directly to the sponsoring Office of Justice
Programs bureau or office.
Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) The Bureau is the primary funding
source for grants to State and local law enforcement agencies. In
addition to funding crime prevention and control projects, BJA provides
training, technical assistance, evaluation, and comprehensive strategic
planning to criminal justice practitioners. The Bureau's mission is to
provide leadership and assistance in support of local criminal justice
strategies to achieve safe communities. Its goals are to promote
effective, innovative crime control and prevention strategies; to
demonstrate and promote replication of effective crime control programs
which support public/private partnerships, planning, and criminal
justice system improvement; and to leverage and efficiently administer
available resources.
The Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988 (42 U.S.C. 3750) established the
Edward Byrne Memorial State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance
Program. Under this authorization, Congress appropriates funds to BJA
for awards to the States to implement violent crime control and illegal
drug reduction strategies. Other BJA discretionary awards are made for
innovative programs such as Tribal Strategies Against Violence, Firearms
Trafficking, and a Comprehensive Homicide Initiative. Earmarked funds
are used for special programs such as National Crime Prevention Council
Campaigns (McGruff, The Crime Dog) and Drug Abuse Resistance Education.
The Bureau also administers line-item appropriations for national
programs such as the Regional Information Sharing System Program and the
Public Safety Officers' Benefits Program.
The Bureau expects, measures, and reports results in the following
broad areas of award investment: comprehensive programs, crime
prevention, law enforcement, adjudication, corrections/options,
evaluation, systems improvement, and information dissemination.
Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) The Bureau is responsible for
collecting, analyzing, publishing, and disseminating statistical
information on crime, criminal offenders, victims of crime, and the
operation of justice systems at all levels of government and
internationally. The Bureau provides data which is critical to Federal,
State, and local policymakers in combating crime and ensuring that
justice is both efficient and evenhanded. The Bureau also assists State
governments in developing capabilities in criminal justice statistics
and improving the quality of criminal justice records and information
systems.
The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) is the second largest
ongoing household survey undertaken by the Federal Government, and is
the only national forum for victims to systematically describe how crime
affects
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them and the characteristics of those who committed the crime against
them. During a collection year, a nationally representative sample of
more than 100,000 persons residing in about 49,000 households is
interviewed by representatives of the Bureau of the Census in order to
obtain data on the impact, frequency, and consequences of criminal
victimization in the United States.
Other statistical series cover populations under correctional
supervision, Federal criminal offenders and case processing, criminal
justice expenditures and employment, felony convictions, pretrial
release practices, characteristics of correctional populations,
prosecutorial practices and policies, profile of civil cases, and the
administration of law enforcement agencies and correctional facilities.
The Bureau maintains more than two dozen major data collection
series and publishes a wide variety of reports annually which receive
nationwide distribution.
The Bureau supports a statistical component in the National Criminal
Justice Reference Service. The Bureau of Justice Statistics
Clearinghouse provides reference services for people requesting
information, maintains a mailing list, and distributes Bureau
publications.
The Bureau also manages the Drugs and Crime Clearinghouse, funded by
the Office of National Drug Control Policy, which disseminates BJA,
ONDCP, and other drug-related crime documents; serves as the sole
repository with public access for the BJA State Drug Control Strategies
and the individual U.S. attorneys' reports; produces national
directories of State and local drug-related agencies, topical fact
sheets, bibliographies, and other special reports; maintains a library
and database; and responds to telephone, mail, and electronic requests
for information.
For further information, contact the Bureau of Justice Statistics.
Phone, 800-732-3277 (toll-free). Internet, http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/
bjs/.
National Institute of Justice (NIJ) The Institute sponsors research and
development programs designed to improve and strengthen the criminal
justice system and reduce or prevent crime. It also conducts national
demonstration projects that employ innovative or promising approaches
for improving criminal justice, and develops new technologies to fight
crime and improve criminal justice.
The Institute conducts evaluations to determine the effectiveness of
criminal justice programs, particularly programs funded by the Bureau of
Justice Assistance and Crime Act Program offices within the Office of
Justice Programs and the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS)
Office, and identifies programs that promise to be successful if
continued or replicated in other jurisdictions. For example, it has
evaluated the effectiveness of innovative drug control programs,
including community-oriented policing, community antidrug initiatives,
Weed and Seed, multijurisdictional task forces, and drug testing
programs.
The Institute's evaluations of new approaches for holding offenders
accountable for their crimes has provided invaluable information
regarding such programs as drug courts, bootcamps, youth challenge
camps, intensive community supervision, specialized probation, and
prison work-release programs.
In addition, NIJ works to fulfill the information needs of the
criminal justice system by publishing and disseminating reports and
other materials from its research, demonstration, evaluation, and other
programs; provides training and technical assistance to justice
officials on innovations developed through its programs; and serves as
the national and international clearinghouse of justice information for
Federal, State, and local governments.
For further information, contact the National Criminal Justice Reference
Service. Phone, 1-800-851-3420.
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention The Office was
created by the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974
(42 U.S.C. 5601) in response to national concern about juvenile crime.
It is the
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primary Federal agency for addressing juvenile crime and delinquency and
the problem of missing and exploited children. The Office is comprised
of five divisions.
The State Relations and Assistance Division oversees the Formula
Grants Program. States can receive formula grants and technical
assistance to help implement delinquency prevention, control, and system
improvement programs, including the core requirements of the Juvenile
Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act. The Division also administers
the Title V Prevention Incentive Grants Program and the State Challenge
Grants Program. Beginning in 1998, the division will also administer the
Juvenile Accountability Incentive Block Grant Program and the formula
grant component of the Combating Underage Drinking Program.
The Special Emphasis Division provides funds directly to public and
private nonprofit agencies and individuals to foster new approaches to
delinquency prevention and control and the improvement of the juvenile
justice system. The Division focuses on such areas as serious, violent,
and chronic juvenile offenders; gangs; at-risk female juvenile
offenders; and school dropouts.
The Research and Program Development Division sponsors research and
studies about national trends in juvenile delinquency and drug use,
serious juvenile crime, the causes of delinquency, prevention
strategies, program evaluation, and improvement of the juvenile justice
system. It is also responsible for program evaluation, statistics, and
demonstration programs.
The Training and Technical Assistance Division funds training for
juvenile justice practitioners, policymakers, and organizations and
provides technical assistance in planning, funding, establishing,
operating, and evaluating juvenile delinquency programs. In addition,
the Division administers juvenile court and prosecutor training, court-
appointed special advocates, and children's advocacy center programs
under the Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 13001).
The Information Dissemination Unit conducts a wide variety of
information dissemination activities for the Office in support of its
statutory mandate to serve as a clearinghouse and information center for
the preparation, publication, and dissemination of information on
juvenile delinquency and missing children. The Unit also monitors the
operations of the Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse, which collects,
stores, and disseminates the Office's and other juvenile justice-related
publications. The toll-free telephone number is 1-800-638-8736.
Programs The Concentration of Federal Efforts Program and the Missing
Children's Program are also under the Office's direction. The
Concentration of Federal Efforts Program coordinates Federal programs
dealing with juvenile delinquency and assists Federal agencies that have
responsibility for delinquency prevention and treatment. It also
promotes interagency cooperation in eliminating duplicate efforts and
provides direction for the use of Federal resources in facilitating a
comprehensive, unified Federal juvenile justice policy.
The Missing Children's Program was created in 1984 by the Missing
Children's Assistance Act to provide Federal leadership in ensuring that
every practical step is taken in recovering missing children, reuniting
them with their families, and prosecuting abductors. The Program serves
as a central focus for research, data collection, policy development,
training professionals in the field, and providing information about
missing and exploited children. It also funds the National Center for
Missing and Exploited Children, which operates a national toll-free
telephone line and serves as a national information clearinghouse.
Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) The Office serves as the Justice
Department's chief advocate for crime victims and their families. This
includes carrying out the activities mandated by the Victims of Crime
Act of 1984 (VOCA), as amended (42 U.S.C. 10601 note); monitoring
compliance with the provisions regarding assistance for Federal crime
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victims of the Victim and Witness Protection Act of 1982; and
implementing the recommendations of the President's Task Force on
Victims of Crime, and the Attorney General's Task Force on Family
Violence.
A Crime Victims Fund was created by VOCA in the U.S. Treasury to
provide Federal financial assistance to State governments to compensate
and assist victims of crime. Monies in the fund come from fines and
penalties assessed on convicted Federal defendants. The Office awards
grants to States to compensate crime victims for expenses, such as
medical costs, resulting from their victimization. Grants also are
awarded to State governments to support State and local programs that
provide direct assistance to crime victims and their families. Priority
for victim assistance funds is given to programs providing direct
services to victims of sexual assault, spouse abuse, and child abuse.
States also must use grant funds to assist previously underserved victim
populations, such as victims of drunk drivers or the families of
homicide victims.
A small portion of the Crime Victims Fund is available to support
services for victims of Federal crimes. Programs under this initiative
have focused on developing victim assistance services for Federal crime
victims in Indian country, creating a Federal crime victim assistance
fund for use by U.S. attorneys offices to pay for emergency services for
Federal crime victims, and assisting Native American child abuse
victims.
In addition, each year OVC sponsors National Crime Victims' Rights
Week to increase public awareness of crime victims' special needs and to
honor those who work on behalf of victims. The OVC Resource Center,
which provides information concerning victims issues to victims
advocates, criminal justice practitioners, and the public, is funded by
OVC. The Center may be reached toll-free on 1-800-627-6872.
Violence Against Women Grants Office The Violence Against Women Grants
Office administers the Department's formula and discretionary grant
programs authorized by the Violence Against Women Act of 1994.
These programs assist the Nation's criminal justice system to
respond to the needs and concerns of women who have been, or potentially
could be, victimized by violence. The programs emphasize enhanced
delivery of services to women victimized by violence, and work to
strengthen outreach efforts to minorities and disabled women. The Office
provides technical assistance to State and tribal government officials
in planning innovative and effective criminal justice responses to
violent crimes committed against women. The Office provides Indian
tribal governments with funds to develop and strengthen the tribal
justice system's response to violent crimes committed against Native
American women through a discretionary grant program.
Drug Court Program Office The Drug Court Program Office was established
to support the development and implementation of effective Drug Court
programming at the State, local, and tribal level. The Office
administers the Drug Court Grant Program as authorized by Title V of the
Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994.
This discretionary grant program assists local units of government
in the planning, implementation, and improvement of Drug Courts which
target non-violent, drug-involved offenders. The Office strives to
strengthen existing Drug Courts and develop new Drug Courts, encouraging
them to provide continuing judicial supervision, mandatory periodic
testing for substance abuse among clients, substance abuse treatment,
offender supervision, management and aftercare, combined with
appropriate sanctions for failure to comply with program requirements.
The Office works closely with agencies and organizations involved in the
areas of justice and recovery. The Office also develops and delivers
appropriate technical assistance and training to enhance the
effectiveness and operation of both existing and new Drug Courts.
Corrections Program Office The Corrections Program Office provides
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leadership and assistance to State and local governments related to
correctional policy and programs designed to reduce crime, increase
public safety, and restore integrity to sentencing practices for violent
offenders. The Office administers correctional programs authorized by
the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, as amended,
including the Violent Offender Incarceration/Truth in Sentencing and
Residential Substance Abuse Treatment for State Prisoners Programs.
The Violent Offender Incarceration/Truth in Sentencing Program
provides formula grant funds to the States to build and expand
correctional facilities to increase secure space for the confinement of
violent offenders and the implementation of truth in sentencing laws.
The Residential Substance Abuse Treatment Program is designed to reduce
drug and criminal activity among offenders released back into the
community by producing formula grant funds to develop and expand
substance abuse treatment programs for offenders while incarcerated in
State and local correctional facilities.
The Corrections Program Office also provides technical assistance
and training to State and local correctional policymakers and
practitioners to encourage the adoption of sound correctional policies
and ``best practices.''
Executive Office for Weed and Seed The Executive Office for Weed and
Seed administers the Department's premier community-based public safety
program. Operation Weed and Seed is a comprehensive, community-based
strategy to ``weed out'' violent crime, gang activity, drug trafficking,
and drug use, and ``seed in'' neighborhood revitalization. Programs are
implemented through the leadership of U.S. attorneys working closely
with community officials and residents. By bringing together law
enforcement, businesses, schools, and community residents, Weed and Seed
neighborhoods have succeeded in achieving long-term, positive change.
The Executive Office for Weed and Seed works closely with OJP's other
bureaus and offices, which fund model programs in Weed and Seed sites
from which other communities can learn promising approaches to solving
problems affecting residents and their neighborhoods. The Weed and Seed
Program is funded through a congressional earmark from Byrne
Discretionary Grant Program.
For further information, contact the Office of Congressional and Public
Affairs, Office of Justice Programs, Department of Justice, 810 Seventh
Street NW., Washington, DC 20531. Phone, 202-307-0781.
Boards
Executive Office for Immigration Review
Falls Church, VA 22041. Phone, 703-305-0289. Internet, http://
www.usdoj.gov/eoir/.
The Attorney General has delegated certain powers and authorities for
the administration and interpretation of the Immigration and Nationality
Act of 1952 (8 U.S.C. 1101) and other Federal immigration laws to the
Executive Office for Immigration Review, which is completely independent
of and separate from both the Immigration and Naturalization Service,
the agency charged with the enforcement of the immigration laws, and the
Office of Special Counsel for Immigration Related Unfair Employment
Practices, the agency charged with the enforcement of the anti-
discrimination provisions of the Immigration Reform and Control Act. The
Executive Office for Immigration Review includes the Board of
Immigration Appeals, the Office of the Chief Immigration Judge, and the
Office of the Chief Administrative Hearing Officer. It is headed by a
Director, who is responsible for the immediate supervision of these
components and who reports to the Deputy Attorney General.
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Board of Immigration Appeals The Board of Immigration Appeals is a
quasi-judicial body composed of 18 members including the Chair and Vice
Chair, and a Chief Attorney-Examiner who is also an alternate Board
Member.
The Board hears oral arguments at its Falls Church, VA, location. A
staff of attorney advisors assists the Board in the preparation of
decisions.
The Board has been given nationwide jurisdiction to hear appeals of
decisions made by immigration judges and by district and center
directors of the Immigration and Naturalization Service. In addition,
the Board is responsible for hearing appeals involving disciplinary
actions against attorneys and representatives before the Service and the
Board.
Decisions of the Board are binding on all Service officers and
immigration judges unless modified or overruled by judicial review in
the Federal courts. The majority of appeals reaching the Board involve
orders of removal and application for relief from removal. Other cases
before the Board include the removal of aliens applying for admission to
the United States, petitions to classify the status of alien relatives
for the issuance of preference immigrant visas, fines imposed upon
carriers for the violation of the immigration laws, and motions for
reopening and reconsideration of decisions previously rendered.
Following a review of the record and research into questions of law
raised by the parties, an attorney-adviser drafts a proposed order for
consideration of the Board members, frequently conferring with
individual Board members concerning the proposed order. Attorney-
advisers also assist in various administrative and support functions. In
addition to developing expertise in the field of immigration law, they
are often called upon to analyze questions of constitutional law, State,
Federal, and foreign civil and criminal law.
Office of the Chief Immigration Judge The Office of the Chief
Immigration Judge provides overall direction for the 209 immigration
judges located in approximately 52 immigration courts throughout the
Nation. Immigration judges are responsible for conducting formal
administrative proceedings and act independently in their decisionmaking
capacity. Their decisions are administratively final, unless appealed or
certified to the Board. Through its Criminal Alien Institutional Hearing
Program, the Office currently has programs in all 50 States, Puerto
Rico, the District of Columbia, and selected municipalities and Bureau
of Prison facilities to adjudicate the immigration status of alien
inmates incarcerated by Federal, State, and municipal correction
authorities as a result of convictions for criminal offense.
In removal proceedings, an immigration judge determines whether an
individual from a foreign country should be admitted or allowed to stay
in the United States or be removed. Judges are located throughout the
United States, and each judge has jurisdiction to consider various forms
of relief available under the law, including applications for asylum.
Office of the Chief Administrative Hearing Officer The Office is
responsible for the general supervision of administrative law judges in
the performance of their duties under 8 U.S.C. 1324a-1324c.
Administrative law judge proceedings are mandated by the Immigration and
Nationality Act and concern allegations of unlawful employment of
aliens, unfair immigration-related employment practices, and immigration
document fraud.
For further information, contact the Office of Public Affairs, Executive
Office for Immigration Review, Department of Justice, Falls Church, VA
22041. Phone, 703-305-0289. Internet, http://www.usdoj.gov/eoir/.
United States Parole Commission
5550 Friendship Boulevard, Chevy Chase, MD 20815. Phone, 301-492-5990
The Parole Commission presently consists of three members, appointed by
the President with the advice and consent of the Senate. It has sole
authority to grant, modify, or revoke paroles of eligible U.S. prisoners
serving
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sentences of more than one year, including military prisoners and D.C.
Code prisoners housed in Federal institutions. It is responsible for the
supervision of parolees and prisoners released upon the expiration of
their sentences with allowances for statutory good time, and the
determination of supervisory conditions and terms. Probation officers
supervise parolees and mandatory releases under the direction of the
Commission.
Under the Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959 (29
U.S.C. 401), the Commission determines whether or not persons convicted
of certain crimes may serve as officials in the field of organized labor
or in labor-oriented management positions; likewise, under the
Employment Retirement Income and Security Act of 1974 (29 U.S.C. 1111),
the Commission determines whether or not such persons may provide
services to or be employed by employment benefit plans. The Commission
has also had jurisdiction since 1977 to set release dates for U.S.
citizens who are returned to the United States, pursuant to treaty, to
serve foreign criminal sentences. For offenders who committed their
crimes after November 1, 1987, the Commission applies the guidelines of
the U.S. Sentencing Commission.
The Sentencing Reform Act of 1984 (98 Stat. 2032) abolished parole
eligibility for Federal offenders who commit offenses on or after
November 1, 1987. It also provided for the abolition of the Commission
on November 1, 1992. However, the Judicial Improvements Act of 1990 (104
Stat. 5089) and the Parole Commission Phaseout Act of 1996 (18 U.S.C.
4201 note) extended the Commission in 5-year increments, through
November 1, 2002. In the National Capital Revitalization and Self-
Government Improvement Act of 1997 (111 Stat. 712), Congress transferred
the function of granting or denying parole for all District of Columbia
Code offenders, wherever imprisoned, to the Parole Commission from the
District of Columbia Board of Parole, effective August 5, 1998. This act
also authorized the Commission to expand to five members. In subsequent
years, pursuant to this same legislation, the Parole Commission will
assume from the D.C. Board the functions of supervising and revoking the
paroles granted to D.C. offenders. The Commission will also supervise
D.C. Code offenders placed on supervised release and revoke supervised
release terms for violation.
For further information, contact the Office of the Chairman, United
States Parole Commission, Department of Justice, 5550 Friendship
Boulevard, Chevy Chase, MD 20815. Phone, 301-492-5990. Internet, http://
www.usdoj.gov/uspc/parole.htm.
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services
The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) was created
with the passage of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of
1994 to achieve several goals: to advance the philosophy of community
policing as a national law enforcement strategy; to deploy 100,000 new
police officers in community policing roles; to reinforce partnerships
that will sustain community policing; and to evaluate and demonstrate
the effectiveness of community policing to improve the quality of life
by reducing the levels of disorder, violence, and crime in our
communities.
The primary activity of the COPS Office is the awarding of
competitive, discretionary grants directly to law enforcement agencies
across the United States and its territories. Over the life of the COPS
Office, approximately $8 billion in grant funding will be made available
to achieve these goals.
The COPS Office is headed by a Director, appointed by the Attorney
General, and is organized into several divisions. The Grants
Administration Division is responsible for developing and designing new
programs to provide resources for the hiring of new officers and to
further the adoption and implementation of community policing, reviewing
grant applications, maintaining liaison with the Office of Justice
Programs for financial review of applications, monitoring grant awards,
developing and maintaining databases to
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support policymaking, participating in the evaluation of the grant
programs, and coordination of the Office's research agenda. Within the
Grants Administration Division are the Police Hiring section and the
Program Planning, Research and Evaluation section.
The Training and Technical Assistance Division is responsible for
coordinating the provision of training and technical assistance to
advance the adoption, implementation and sustaining of community
policing in the thousands of communities served by the COPS Office.
The Legal Division is responsible for providing legal advice to the
Director and other functional areas of the COPS Office, and for ensuring
compliance with the legal requirements applicable to the activities of
the COPS Office.
The Congressional Relations Division assists Members of Congress in
serving their constituents, thereby facilitating greater dissemination
of information about COPS programs and activities, and provides input in
program design and development and policy formulation so that programs
and policies reflect legislative intent and address congressional needs.
The Communications Division provides ongoing information about
community policing and COPS programs through every available channel of
communication, including timely and accurate responses to media
inquiries, interviews, public events, publications and related materials
produced by and for any telecommunication format.
The Intergovernmental and Public Liaison Division maintains channels
for communication and feedback regarding COPS programs with
representatives of interested local, State, and national organizations
and with local elected officials.
Finally, the Administrative Division provides support services to
the COPS Office, including resource management to recruit, train, and
maintain a professional workforce; fiscal resource management to perform
the accounting and budget formulation and execution functions necessary
to administer the COPS appropriation; facilities management to acquire
and maintain space, provide security, and procure supplies, equipment,
telephones, and other services; and information resource management.
Office of Intergovernmental Affairs
The Office of Intergovernmental Affairs is responsible for advising the
Attorney General and other leadership and senior Department officials on
matters affecting the Department of Justice's relationship with State
and local government and the advocacy groups which represent these
entities. The Office consists of a Director, principal Deputy Director,
three Deputy Directors, and two support staff. All professional staff
are attorneys.
For further information, contact the Office of Intergovernmental
Affairs, Department of Justice, Room 1521 Main, 950 Pennsylvania Avenue,
Washington, DC 20530. Phone, 202-514-3465.
Foreign Claims Settlement Commission of the United States
The Foreign Claims Settlement Commission of the United States is a
quasi-judicial, independent agency within the Department of Justice
which adjudicates claims of U.S. nationals against foreign governments,
either under specific jurisdiction conferred by Congress or pursuant to
international claims settlement agreements. The decisions of the
Commission are final and are not reviewable under any standard by any
court or other authority. Funds for payment of the Commission's awards
are derived from congressional appropriations, international claims
settlements, or the liquidation of foreign assets in the United States
by the Departments of Justice and the Treasury.
The Commission also has authority under the War Claims Act of 1948,
as amended, to receive, determine the validity and amount, and provide
for the payment of claims by members of the U.S. armed services and
civilians held as prisoners of war or interned by a hostile force in
Southeast Asia during the Vietnam conflict, or by the survivors of such
service members and civilians.
Finally, the Commission is responsible for maintaining records and
responding
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to inquiries related to the various claims programs it has conducted
against the Governments of Yugoslavia, Panama, Poland, Bulgaria,
Hungary, Romania, Italy, the Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia, Cuba, the
German Democratic Republic, the People's Republic of China, Vietnam,
Ethiopia, Egypt, Iran, and Albania, as well as those authorized under
the War Claims Act of 1948, and other statutes.
The Commission's organization and functions are defined in the
International Claims Settlement Act of 1949, as amended (22 U.S.C. 1621
et seq.), and the War Claims Act of 1948, as amended (50 U.S.C. app.
2001 et seq.).
For further information, contact the Office of the Chair, Foreign Claims
Settlement Commission of the United States, Department of Justice, Suite
6002, 600 E Street NW., Washington, DC 20579. Phone, 202-616-6975. Fax,
202-616-6993.
Sources of
Information
Controlled Substances Act Registration Information about registration
under the Controlled Substances Act may be obtained from the
Registration Section of the Drug Enforcement Administration, P.O. Box
28083, Central Station, Washington, DC 20038. Phone, 202-307-7255.
Disability-Related Matters Contact the Civil Rights Division's ADA
Hotline. Phone, 800-514-0301. TDD, 800-514-0383. Internet, http://
www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/adahom1.htm.
Drugs and Crime Clearinghouse Phone, 800-666-3332 (toll-free).
Electronic Access Information concerning Department of Justice programs
and activities is available electronically through the Internet, at
http://www.usdoj.gov/.
Employment The Department maintains an agencywide job line. Phone, 202-
514-3397.
Attorneys' applications: Director, Office of Attorney Personnel
Management, Department of Justice, Room 6150, Tenth Street and
Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20530. Phone, 202-514-1432.
Assistant U.S. attorney applicants should apply to individual U.S.
attorneys.
United States Marshals Service: Field Staffing Branch, United States
Marshals Service, Department of Justice, 600 Army Navy Drive, Arlington,
VA 22202-4210.
Federal Bureau of Investigation: Director, Washington, DC 20535, or
any of the field offices or resident agencies whose addresses are listed
in the front of most local telephone directories.
Immigration and Naturalization Service: Central Office, 425 I Street
NW., Washington, DC 20536 (phone, 202-514-2530); or any regional or
district office.
Drug Enforcement Administration: regional offices, laboratories, or
Washington Headquarters Office of Personnel.
Bureau of Prisons: Central Office, 320 First Street NW., Washington,
DC 20534 (phone, 202-307-3082); or any regional or field office.
Office of Justice Programs, 633 Indiana Avenue NW., Washington, DC
20531. Phone, 202-307-0730.
United States Trustee Program, Room 770, 901 E Street NW.,
Washington, DC 20530. Phone, 202-616-1000.
Foreign Claims Settlement Commission: Attorneys: Office of the Chief
Counsel, Suite 6002, 600 E Street NW., Washington, DC 20579 (phone, 202-
616-6975); Other: Administrative Officer, same address and phone.
Housing Discrimination Matters Contact the Civil Rights Division's
Housing and Civil Enforcement Section. Phone, 800-896-7743.
Immigration-Related Employment Matters The Civil Rights Division
maintains a Worker Hotline. Phone, 800-255-7688. TDD, 800-237-2515. It
also offers information for employers. Phone, 800-255-8155. TDD, 800-
362-2735.
Publications and Films The FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin and Uniform
Crime
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Reports--Crime in the United States are available from the
Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, DC
20402.
The Annual Report of the Attorney General of the United States is
published each year by the Department of Justice, Washington, DC 20530.
Approximately nine textbooks on citizenship, consisting of teachers
manuals and student textbooks at various reading levels, are distributed
free to public schools for applicants for citizenship and are on sale to
all others from the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing
Office, Washington, DC 20402. Public schools or organizations under the
supervision of public schools which are entitled to free textbooks
should make their requests to the appropriate Immigration and
Naturalization Service Regional Office (See appropriate section of this
manual for mailing addresses.). For general information, call 202-514-
3946.
The Freedom of Information Act Guide and Privacy Act Overview and
the Freedom of Information Case List, both published annually, are
available from the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing
Office, Washington, DC 20530; and in electronic format through INTERNET-
Library of Congress. ISBN 0-16-042921-8.
FOIA Update (Stock No. 727-002-00000-6), published quarterly, is
available free of charge to FOIA offices and other interested offices
Governmentwide. This publication is also available from the
Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, DC
20402; and in electronic format through INTERNET-Library of Congress.
Guidelines for Effective Human Relations Commissions, Annual Report
of the Community Relations Service, Community Relations Service
Brochure, CRS Hotline Brochure, Police Use of Deadly Force: A
Conciliation Handbook for Citizens and Police, Principles of Good
Policing: Avoiding Violence Between Police and Citizens, Resolving
Racial Conflict: A Guide for Municipalities, and Viewpoints and
Guidelines on Court-Appointed Citizens Monitoring Commissions in School
Desegregation are available upon request from the Public Information
Office, Community Relations Service, Department of Justice, Washington,
DC 20530.
A limited number of drug educational films are available, free of
charge, to civic, educational, private, and religious groups.
A limited selection of pamphlets and brochures is available. The
most widely requested publication is Drugs of Abuse, an identification
manual intended for professional use. Single copies are free.
Copies of the Foreign Claims Settlement Commission's semiannual
(through December 1966) and annual (from January 1967) reports to the
Congress concerning its activities are available at the Commission in
limited quantities.
Reading Rooms Located in Washington, DC, at: U.S. Department of
Justice, Room 6505, Tenth Street and Constitution Avenue NW.,
Washington, DC 20530 (phone, 202-514-3775). Bureau of Prisons, 320 First
Street NW., 20534 (phone, 202-307-3029); Immigration and Naturalization
Service, 425 I Street NW., 20536 (phone, 202-514-2837); Foreign Claims
Settlement Commission, 600 E Street NW., 20579 (phone, 202-616-6975).
Also at the U.S. Parole Commission, 5550 Friendship Boulevard, Chevy
Chase, MD 20815 (phone, 301-492-5959); Board of Immigration Appeals,
Suite 2400, 5107 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041 (phone, 703-305-
0168); some of the Immigration and Naturalization Service district
offices; and the National Institute of Justice, 9th Floor, 633 Indiana
Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20531 (phone, 202-307-5883).
Redress for Wartime Relocation/Internment Contact the Civil Rights
Division's Office of Redress Administration. Helpline phone, 202-219-
6900. TDD, 202-219-4710. Internet, http://www.usdoj.gov/.
Reference Service In 1972, the National Institute of Justice
established the National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS). All
five OJP bureaus
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now support NCJRS, a clearinghouse of information and publications
concerning OJP programs and other information of interest to the
criminal justice community. The Office's National Institute of Justice,
which has supported the clearinghouse for almost 20 years, provides most
of the funding for the National Criminal Justice Reference Service.
Police, corrections agencies, courts, criminal justice planners,
juvenile justice practitioners, community crime prevention groups, and
others needing information for planning and problem solving in criminal
justice can refer to this international information service specially
designed to assist the justice community.
The National Criminal Justice Reference Service provides information
from its computerized data base system free or at a minimal cost to
users through a variety of products and services including the bimonthly
NIJ Catalog, which contains abstracts of significant additions to the
data base and pertinent information and a Calendar of Events announcing
upcoming training courses and conferences; selected hardcopy documents
upon request; three types of data base search packages; various
microfiche products; and referrals to other information sources. Under
contracts with OJP bureaus, the National Criminal Justice Reference
Service also operates the Drugs and Crime Data Center and Clearinghouse,
the Bureau of Justice Assistance Clearinghouse, the Justice Statistics
Clearinghouse, the Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse, the National Victims
Resource Center, and the Construction Information Exchange. All the
Service's clearinghouses may be contacted on 800-851-3420 (toll-free);
or in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area on 301-251-5500.
The NCJRS Electronic Bulletin Board, with 3,000 registered users,
makes NCJRS' services available online. The Bulletin Board may be
accessed by modem on 301-738-8895.
Organizations and individuals may register to receive information
from the National Criminal Justice Reference Service by writing NCJRS,
Box 6000, 1600 Research Boulevard, Rockville, MD 20850.
Small Business Activities Contract information for small businesses can
be obtained from the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business
Utilization, Department of Justice, Tenth Street and Pennsylvania Avenue
NW., Washington, DC 20530. Phone, 202-616-0521.
For further information concerning the Department of Justice, contact
the Office of Public Affairs, Department of Justice, Tenth Street and
Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20530. Phone, 202-514-2007. TDD,
202-786-5731. Internet, http://www.usdoj.gov/.