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Strategic Objective

Promote and protect American civil rights

Strategic Objective

Promote and protect American civil rights by preventing and prosecuting discriminatory practices

Lead Office: Civil Rights Division

Themes:

Administration of Justice

DOJ.gov

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Overview
Progress Update

Overview

Progress Update

Strategic Objective Review Summary of Findings: The Department of Justice, in consultation with the Office of Management and Budget, has determined that performance toward this objective is making Noteworthy Progress

In FY 2015, the Department continued its commitment to upholding the civil and constitutional rights of all Americans. The Department successfully sought a 33-count indictment against Dylann Storm Roof, charging him with federal hate crimes under the Shepard-Byrd Act, as well as firearms charges, for killing and attempting to kill African-American parishioners at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina. Also in FY 2015, DOJ issued a report on its investigation of the fatal shooting of Michael Brown by Officer Darren Wilson of the Ferguson, Missouri Police Department, finding that the evidence did not support federal civil rights charges against Officer Wilson. DOJ issued a report on its pattern and practice investigation of the Ferguson Police Department and determined that the Ferguson Police Department engages in a pattern or practice of conduct that violates the United States Constitution and federal law. DOJ found that this unconstitutional conduct stems from the interaction of two dynamics: Ferguson’s undue focus on revenue generation through policing and pervasive racial bias in the police department and court system.

The Department also reached an agreement with Leflore County, Mississippi, to improve security and facility conditions at the Leflore County Juvenile Detention Center. In the agreement, Leflore County committed to numerous reforms to protect children in its care from abuse and self-harm.

In July 2015, the Department went to trial in a lawsuit against the State of North Carolina over voting rules signed into law in August 2013. The North Carolina law includes troubling new voting restrictions, such as provisions that will significantly reduce early voting days; eliminate same-day registration during early voting; and prohibit the counting of otherwise legitimate provisional ballots that are mistakenly cast in the right county but in the wrong precinct.

The Department also sued three separate owners or servicers of private and federally guaranteed student loans (collectively, “Sallie Mae”) alleging that they violated the rights of service members eligible for benefits and protections under the Service Members Civil Relief Act. In May 2015, the Department announced that Sallie Mae was distributing $60 million in compensation to over 70,000 service members for the alleged violations and $55,000 to the United States as a civil penalty.

The Department will continue to devote substantial resources to address unconstitutional policing practices throughout the country; seek additional opportunities to educate workers and employers about the anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act; protect students from sexual harassment through compliance reviews, outreach, technical assistance, and litigation; expand the Department’s already successful human trafficking program; and continue to analyze successful outcomes from past cases to develop best practices for encouraging effective and accountable policing.

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Strategic Goals

Strategic Goal:

Prevent Crime, Protect the Rights of the American People, and Enforce Federal Law

Statement:

Prevent Crime, Protect the Rights of the American People, and Enforce Federal Law

Strategic Objectives

Combat the threat, incidence, and prevalence of violent crime

Statement:

Combat the threat, incidence, and prevalence of violent crime by leveraging strategic partnerships to investigate, arrest, and prosecute violent offenders and illegal firearms traffickers

Description:

Violent crime remains a serious problem in many rural and urban areas and throughout much of Indian Country. It continues to inflict a heavy toll on communities across America, limiting the quality of life for U.S. citizens, paralyzing neighborhoods, and stretching state and local law enforcement resources to their limits.

The vast majority of violent crime in this country falls within the jurisdiction of state and local agencies, and the vast majority of resources to combat it are provided by state and local governments. While some cities are well-equipped to handle issues involving violent gangs, many smaller cities and towns are easily overwhelmed by the violence and criminal activity that gangs bring to their communities. Each community faces different challenges that will require different solutions.

The Department will combat violent crime through vigorous investigation and prosecution of those who engage in violent criminal acts. It will work with its law enforcement partners at the federal, state, local, tribal, and international level to combat all types of violence, from the neighborhood-based street gangs, to increasingly brutal and prevalent violence along the Southwest Border, to the transnational gangs operating throughout the United States and abroad, to violent criminals seeking haven in the United States. It will also employ a comprehensive strategy that focuses on investigation, prosecution, and prevention efforts to address violence in America.

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FY 14-15 Priority Goal: Violent Crime

Statement:

Violent Crime: Protect our Communities by Reducing Gun Violence by using smart prevention and investigative strategies in order to prevent violent acts from occurring.

By September, 30, 2015, the Department of Justice will:

Increase the number of records submitted to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) Index by states and federal agencies by 10%;
Increase the number of records entered into the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) by 3%; and
Increase the number of NIBIN “hits”, that is, the linkage of two or more separate crime scene investigations, based upon comparisons of the markings made on fired ammunition recovered from crime scenes by 3%.

Description:

The Violent Crime Priority Goal supports the Administration’s plan to protect our communities by reducing gun violence with smart prevention and investigative strategies in order to prevent violent acts from occurring. Gun-related violence continues to constitute a serious threat to public safety throughout the United States. While data shows that overall violent crime in the United States has decreased in the past thirty years, many communities continue to experience high levels of gun violence. The Department recognizes that the challenges confronting each community are different and require solutions tailored to each community’s needs. The Department will focus its actions and resources on 1) gun-violence prevention, by effecting an increase in the number of records submitted to NICS Index, which in turn supports the Department’s efforts to accurately and expeditiously identify persons who are legally prohibited from possessing firearms and (2) enhanced and more effective investigation by substantially increasing the number of records entered into NIBIN that contribute to investigative leads. Collectively, accomplishment of these goals will demonstrate and facilitate our progress in preventing and investigating gun-related violent crime.

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Prevent and intervene in crimes against vulnerable populations

Statement:

Prevent and intervene in crimes against vulnerable populations and uphold the rights of, and improve services to, America’s crime victims

Description:

The Department must continue to be vigilant in supporting and protecting the most vulnerable segments of our population that may fall victim to crime. Children are the most vulnerable and most exploited members of our society. The criminal victimization of children impacts not only the children, but also their families, community, and society at large.

Unfortunately, children are but one segment of society that is at risk. In the United States and across the globe, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, and stalking occur in all ages, races, socioeconomic classes, genders, and sexual orientations. Research shows that these crimes are overwhelmingly committed against women. In addition, elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation is an area that has been overlooked but research suggests it is an ongoing problem in the United States. Further, victims of crime committed on tribal lands is also an area that has been overlooked for far too long as research suggests violent crime rates may be two, four, and in some cases, 10 times the national average.

The Department continues to stress efforts to reduce and respond to violence against vulnerable populations. In April of 2013, the Department issued a revised Sexual Assault Forensic Examination Protocol to standardize up-to-date approaches to victim-centered forensic medical examinations. DOJ will also work with the FBI to support states’ implementation of the revised Uniform Crime Report definition of “rape.” As part of the Attorney General’s Defending Childhood Initiative, the Department will: launch a public awareness and community action campaign to stem youth violence; establish a Task Force on American Indian/Alaska Native Children Exposed to Violence; and partner with select states to form “State Commissions” that will implement model public policy initiatives at the state and local level to reduce the impact of children’s exposure to violence.

All victims deserve to be treated with respect and support. The Department will address the needs of victims by investigating and prosecuting matters impacting vulnerable groups while leading the way in providing innovative training, resources, and support to victims of crime.

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FY 14-15 Priority Goal: Vulnerable People

Statement:

Vulnerable People: Protect vulnerable populations by increasing the number of investigations and litigation matters concerning child exploitation, human trafficking, and non-compliant sex offenders; and by improving programs to prevent victimization, identify victims, and provide services.

By September 30, 2015, working with federal, state, local, and tribal partners, protect potential victims from abuse and exploitation through three sets of key indicators:

Open investigations concerning non-compliant sex offenders (4% over average of FYs 2012, 2013), sexual exploitation of children (3% over average of FYs 2011, 2012, 2013), and human trafficking (2% over FY 2013).
Open litigation matters concerning sexual exploitation of children and human trafficking (5% increase over baseline (TBD))
Percent of children recovered within 72 hours of issuance of an AMBER alert (90%)

Description:

The abuse, neglect, exploitation, and trafficking of children, the elderly, and other vulnerable populations, causes irrevocable harm to victims and society. Ensuring that our children, seniors, and all citizens can live without being disturbed by sexual trauma, physical abuse, or financial exploitation is more than a criminal justice issue; it is a societal and moral imperative. Despite efforts to date, the threat of these crimes remains very real. In the broadest terms, the goal of the Department of Justice (the Department or DOJ) is to prevent child sexual exploitation, elder abuse, and human trafficking from occurring in the first place, in order to protect every person from the physical and mental traumas associated with these crimes.

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Combat the threat, trafficking, and use of illegal drugs and the diversion of licit drugs

Statement:

Disrupt and dismantle major drug trafficking organizations to combat the threat, trafficking, and use of illegal drugs and the diversion of licit drugs

Description:

The Department’s drug strategy will leverage the collective talent and expertise of several federal law enforcement agencies to identify and target drug supply organizations nationwide, to attack their financial infrastructure, and to disrupt and ultimately dismantle them. Through the formation of prosecutor-led, multi-agency task forces that conduct intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdiction investigations, the Department will continue to mount a comprehensive, multilevel, organizational attack on the drug trafficking and money laundering organizations that pose the greatest threat to the Nation. The Department will disrupt and dismantle major drug trafficking organizations responsible for the supply of illegal or diverted drugs in the United States. Additionally, it will use the skills of prosecutors and agents from federal, state, local, and tribal agencies to combat the most prolific drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. Partnerships with state, local, and tribal governments, along with grants and technical assistance will help reduce the use of illegal drugs and the violence associated with that use.

The Southwest Border region is a particularly vulnerable area and has increasingly become a focal point in the national security strategy due to the considerable cross-border law enforcement challenges in the region. The flow of narcotics north into the United States, along with the smuggling of criminal monetary proceeds and the illegal trafficking of firearms south out of the United States has had a devastating effect on the United States and Mexico, particularly along the Southwest Border. Much of the violence along the Southwest Border region and in Mexico is perpetuated by drug trafficking organizations vying for control of trafficking routes to the United States and engaging in turf battles for disputed distribution territories.

The vast 5,225-mile border between the United States and Canada, and the evolving drug trafficking trends on both sides of that border, provide numerous challenges for law enforcement and intelligence entities operating along the Northern border under differing authorities, protocols, and expertise. Marijuana and Ecstasy remain the most significant Northern border drug threats to the United States, while the United States remains the primary transit country for cocaine into Canada from South America.

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Investigate and prosecute corruption, economic crimes, and transnational organized crime

Statement:

Investigate and prosecute corruption, economic crimes, and transnational organized crime

Description:

The Nation’s recent economic crisis has had significant and devastating effects on mortgage markets, credit markets, and the banking system. The Department will protect Americans from the financial fraud and corruption that devastates consumers, siphons taxpayer dollars, weakens our markets, and impedes our ongoing economic recovery. The impact of financial crime is not confined to Wall Street – and many times the victims of fraud have worked hard and played by established investment rules, only to see their retirement and life savings vanish at the hands of white-collar criminals. Additionally, the rapid expansion of Internet use throughout the Nation, including business and government, creates a continually growing risk of unlawful acts. The Department will focus its white collar enforcement resources on these areas of potential fraud and associated corruption.

These offenses represent separate and very severe threats to the United States’ economy. The corruption of federal, state, and locally elected, appointed, or contracted officials, whether foreign or domestic, undermines democratic institutions and may threaten the condition of the economy, public safety, and national security, while wasting many taxpayer dollars. As businesses, governments, educational institutions, and individual citizens continue to integrate the Internet and other global network computer systems, extortionists, hostile insiders, identity thieves, and other criminals have new opportunities and new venues to commit unlawful acts. The increased presence of fraud such as corporate fraud, securities fraud, healthcare fraud, and mortgage fraud have escalated and will continue to hamper economic recovery and persist long after any recovery occurs. IP crime poses a grave threat to the country’s economic well-being, as well as the health and safety of U.S. citizens. Finally, transnational crime has expanded dramatically in size, scope, and influence, and transnational criminal networks pose a significant threat to national and international security. In response, the Department will implement actions to support the Administration’s Strategy to Combat Transnational Organized Crime, which seeks to build, balance, and integrate the tools of American power to combat transnational organized crime and related threats to national security and urge America’s foreign partners to do the same.

The Department will pursue fraud and corruption committed against the Federal Government and state and local governments and their programs and will protect consumers through vigorous investigations and civil and criminal enforcement of federal laws. These efforts will return significant amounts to the Treasury, Medicare, and other entitlement programs every year and provide deterrence to those contemplating defrauding federal programs, businesses, and individual citizens.

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FY 14-15 Priority Goal: Financial and Healthcare Fraud

Statement:

Financial-Healthcare Fraud: Reduce financial and healthcare fraud. By September 30, 2015, the Department of Justice will: reduce by 3 percent the number of financial and healthcare fraud investigations pending longer than 2 years to efficiently and effectively drive those investigations to resolution.

Description:

The recent financial crisis, which has impacted every American, has resulted in fraud and deception in the finance and housing markets as well as fraudulent schemes that misuse the public’s unprecedented investment in economic recovery. Criminals who commit mortgage fraud, securities and commodities fraud, and other types of fraud relating to the response to the economic crisis, victimize the American public as a whole. Similarly, those who defraud Medicare, Medicaid, and other government health care programs defraud every American. In particular, health care fraudsters take critical resources out of our health care system—thus contributing to the rising cost of health care for all Americans and endangering the short-term and long-term solvency of these essential health care programs. The Department will continue to address these critical problems by vigorously investigating and prosecuting both health care fraud and financial fraud, in order to protect American businesses, consumers, and taxpayers.

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Promote and protect American civil rights

Statement:

Promote and protect American civil rights by preventing and prosecuting discriminatory practices

Description:

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Protect the federal fisc and defend the interests of the United States

Statement:

Protect the federal fisc and defend the interests of the United States

Description:

The Department of Justice is the Nation’s largest law office and chief litigator. The Department is involved in both defending and representing hundreds of United States’ agencies, offices, and employees; in defending against myriad challenges to federal laws, programs, and policies; and in protecting the integrity of the Nation’s antitrust laws and bankruptcy system. This work is critical to protecting the federal fisc against unwarranted monetary claims and to ensuring the United States can continue to protect the Nation’s security, maintain civil law and order, and ensure public safety. Accordingly, the Department will continue to fulfill these responsibilities by defending the Federal Government against monetary claims and challenges to its jurisdiction and authority, including the constitutionality of statutes passed by Congress.

Defensive litigation impacts virtually every aspect of the Federal Government’s operations. The Department represents over 200 federal agencies, the U.S. Congress, and the federal treasury in litigation arising from a broad range of monetary claims against the government, including legal action related to domestic and foreign operations, American Indian litigation, commercial activities, entitlement programs, internal revenue activities, and environmental and conservation laws. The potential cost to the government and federal tax payers from these matters could be substantial, but through rigorous and fair representation, DOJ will continue to mitigate any potential losses and protect federal monies.

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Agency Priority Goals

FY 14-15: Violent Crime

Statement:

Violent Crime: Protect our Communities by Reducing Gun Violence by using smart prevention and investigative strategies in order to prevent violent acts from occurring.

By September, 30, 2015, the Department of Justice will:

Increase the number of records submitted to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) Index by states and federal agencies by 10%;
Increase the number of records entered into the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) by 3%; and
Increase the number of NIBIN “hits”, that is, the linkage of two or more separate crime scene investigations, based upon comparisons of the markings made on fired ammunition recovered from crime scenes by 3%.

Description:

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FY 14-15: Financial and Healthcare Fraud

Statement:

Description:

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FY 14-15: Vulnerable People

Statement:

By September 30, 2015, working with federal, state, local, and tribal partners, protect potential victims from abuse and exploitation through three sets of key indicators:

Open investigations concerning non-compliant sex offenders (4% over average of FYs 2012, 2013), sexual exploitation of children (3% over average of FYs 2011, 2012, 2013), and human trafficking (2% over FY 2013).
Open litigation matters concerning sexual exploitation of children and human trafficking (5% increase over baseline (TBD))
Percent of children recovered within 72 hours of issuance of an AMBER alert (90%)

Description:

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