- Home
- Agencies
- Department of Agriculture
- Department of Housing and Urban Development
- General Services Administration
- Department of Commerce
- Department of the Interior
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- Department of Defense
- Department of Justice
- National Science Foundation
- Department of Education
- Department of Labor
- Office of Personnel Management
- Department of Energy
- Department of State
- Small Business Administration
- Environmental Protection Agency
- Department of Transportation
- Social Security Administration
- Department of Health and Human Services
- Department of the Treasury
- U.S. Agency for International Development
- Department of Homeland Security
- Department of Veterans Affairs
- Goals
- Initiatives
- Programs
Primary tabs
Gretchen ShappertAssistant Director, Indian, Violent and Cyber Crime StaffExecutive Office for U.S. Attorneys
FY 16-17: Agency Priority Goal
Vulnerable People
Priority Goal
Goal Overview
The abuse, neglect, exploitation, and trafficking of children, and vulnerable populations, causes irrevocable harm to victims and society. Ensuring that all citizens, particularly children and other vulnerable populations, can live without being disturbed by sexual trauma, exploitation, or human trafficking are more than criminal justice issues, they are societal and moral issues. Despite efforts to date, the threat of these crimes remains very real. In the broadest terms, the goal of the Department is to prevent child exploitation, abuse, hate crimes, and human trafficking from occurring, and protect every person from the physical and mental traumas associated with these crimes.
Strategies
The Department will address these issues by leveraging law enforcement assets across the Department , including but not limited to: vigorously pursuing those who prey on children; combating human trafficking crimes; enforcing federal law concerning unregistered sex offenders; protecting and enforcing civil rights; collaborating with the American Indian/Alaska Native population to enhance tribal law enforcement practices; and working to provide comprehensive services to these particularly vulnerable victims.
The Department combats the exploitation of vulnerable populations by building partnerships, coordinating law enforcement efforts, training partners, and increasing public awareness. In the fight to prevent crimes against children, the Department will continue to use federal resources to target the most dangerous offenders. The Department will proactively identify and assist human trafficking victims; and develop victim-centered, multi-disciplinary human trafficking investigations. To safeguard civil rights, the Department will work vigorously to maintain or exceed the percentage of civil rights cases favorably resolved; spearhead community outreach efforts and provide training and assistance to those communities, most in need.
Progress Update
The abuse, neglect, exploitation, and trafficking of children, and other vulnerable populations, causes irrevocable harm to victims and society. The Department of Justice’s priority of upholding the civil and constitutional rights of all Americans, particularly the most vulnerable members of our society, remains of the highest importance.
For the FY 2016 – 2017 Vulnerable People Priority Goal, the Department continued three performance measures from the 2014-2015 goals and established three new ones, for a total of six performance measures. In addition to the six measures, the Department has established two indicators and four milestones focused on American Indian and Alaska Native populations and human trafficking.
Five of the six performance measures have quarterly targets. Of those five measures, four exceeded their FY 2016 4th quarter targets. However, all six performance measures met, or exceeded their annual targets for FY 2016.
Opened investigations concerning non-compliant sex offenders exceeded the FY 2016 Q4 target of 456 by 221, or 48.5%, and the FY 2016 annual target of 1,786 by 134 or 7.5%.
Opened investigations concerning sexual exploitation of children exceeded the FY 2016 Q4 target of 782 by 342, or 44%, and the FY 2016 annual target of 3,127 by 2,298 or 73.5%. Opened investigations concerning human trafficking exceeded the FY 2016 Q4 target of 56 by 16, or 29%, and the FY 2016 annual target of 223 by 77 or 35%.
In FY 2016 Q4, the Department missed its 85% target for favorably resolved Civil Rights [criminal] cases by 22%. However, the Department did meet the annual target of 85% for this measure. The Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division (CRT) handles criminal prosecutions of hate crimes, official misconduct and human trafficking. These cases are fact-intensive and legally complex. The career attorneys in this section investigate each alleged violation; determine whether charges are warranted; and then present evidence to a court. Although the Criminal Section only brings cases that it believes will lead to a conviction or guilty plea, it cannot control whether a judge or jury ultimately agrees that it can prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Between July and September 2016, CRT’s Criminal Section brought a number of difficult and complex cases. Although it achieved successful resolutions of most cases, it did not prevail in 41 cases.
In FY 2016 Q4, the Department exceeded its 85% target for favorably resolved Civil Rights [civil] cases by 15%, and exceeded its FY 2016 annual target of 85%, by 13%.
Number of human trafficking leads and complaints reviewed by the Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit (HTPU) was a new measure that did not have quarterly targets; however we tracked the progress on a quarterly basis. For Q4, 111 human trafficking leads and complaints were reviewed by Civil Rights Division’s (CRT) HTPU. By the close of FY 2016, HTPU had exceeded its annual target of 154 by 114, or 74%. CRT substantially exceeded its annual target of 154, for number of human trafficking leads and complaints reviewed by HTPU, for the following reasons. The first quarter numbers were atypically high, compared to the second and third quarters, because during Q1, CRT received a substantial backlog. Whereas in Q2 and Q3, HTPU primarily reviewed new matters, as they arose. In the fourth quarter, in addition to reviewing incoming new matters, they focused additional efforts on proactive outreach to law enforcement partners to identify additional matters for HTPU review, and on ensuring accurate entry of matters into relevant databases.
In addition to the six measures, the Department reports the progress of two indicators. The indicators, Number of missing children recovered as a result of USMS fugitive investigations and Number of trainings on human trafficking conducted; do not have annual and/or quarterly targets. For Q4, there were 26 missing children recovered as a result of fugitive investigations, and 10 human trafficking trainings were conducted for federal, state, local law enforcement, non-governmental organizations and international trafficking partners. By the close of FY 2016, USMS had recovered 101 missing children and CRT had conducted 32 trainings on human trafficking.
The Department tracks its quarterly progress toward meeting the following milestones:
Enhance tribal law enforcement practices; sustain crime prevention and intervention efforts. The Department’s Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation (CTAS) provides grant funds to enhance law enforcement practices and sustain crime prevention and intervention efforts, including justice systems planning grants that will support tribes in developing a strategic plan to address the tribe’s specific needs.
• FY 16/Q4 – Begin Phase 3 of the strategic planning process; provide technical assistance on writing a strategic plan with measurable goals and objectives. – IN PROGRESS
Three of the five FY 15 grantees are working to conduct their needs assessment in Phase 2 of the planning process. These are Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians and Absentee Shawnee. Both Little Traverse Bay and Absentee Shawnee have had staff turn-over but have since found replacements and are working well with their Mentors. Shoshone-Bannock Tribes and Fort Belknap have been delayed in beginning their project, even Phase 1, due to staff turnover. Based on staffing issues that were stated, Phase 3 of the planning has not yet occurred.
Conduct educational outreach meetings with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement on planning and conducting sex offender operations and tribal-specific compliance operations. U.S. Marshals (USMS) will execute educational outreach meetings on planning and conducting sex offender operations in tribal locations throughout the nation.
• FY 16/Q4 – Conduct the fourth outreach meeting with surrounding tribes in new location; including one educational seminar on planning and conducting sex offender operations in local tribal areas. Assist with two compliance operations in local tribal areas. – MET
The USMS conducted an outreach session in Montana with 87 participants from 36 agencies, offices and tribes; immediately followed by a sex offender registration compliance operation on the Blackfeet Reservation with the Blackfeet Law Enforcement Agency. They also developed and made available a customizable outreach package to assist USMS Sex Offender Investigative Coordinators in planning future tribal outreach initiatives.
This milestone is complete. All activities were accomplished and reported in FY 2016.
Develop training for criminal justice professionals to address public safety challenges in Indian Country. Develop, implement, and support training for federal, state, and local law enforcement, prosecutors, and other criminal justice and social service professionals to address the unique challenges to public safety in Indian Country; and to improve criminal justice services for American Indian/Alaska Native citizens.
• FY 16/Q4 – Complete training modules; update the DOJ Accomplishments in Indian Country, to reflect training success. – MET
For Q4 of FY 2016, the National Indian Country Training Coordinator (NICTI) developed and delivered the following training and or lectures to meet the fourth quarter objective for the Vulnerable People Priority Goal: RESIDENTIAL TRAINING: Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners' Expert Witness Training, July 12-14, 2016: 35 students trained. Cultural Property Law: Criminal and Civil Enforcement Seminar, September 19-22, 2016: 28 students trained. NON-RESIDENTIAL TRAINING: In addition to residential training at the National Advocacy Center, the coordinator for DOJ’s National Indian Country Training Initiative. Leslie A. Hagen, does a significant amount of training in the field for U.S. Attorney Offices (USAOs), federal agencies, tribal technical assistance providers and tribal governments. Below is a list of trainings and presentation titles for the fourth quarter of FY 2016. Total attendance records are provided; however, the NICTI is unable to provide attendee breakdowns by tribe or profession because the NICTI did not control registration for these trainings.
o July 26-27, 2016 – 2016 National Symposium on Sex Offender Management and Accountability sponsored by the Department’s Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking (SMART) Office. (125 attendees)
o August 10-12, 2016 – 2016 Great Lakes Native American Conference sponsored by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan, Wisconsin, and the District of Minnesota. (approx.. 35 attendees per session)
o August 16-17, 2016 – 2016 Indian Conference: Crimes Against Children sponsored by the Nebraska, Kansas, and Northern District of Iowa U.S. Attorneys’ Offices. (88 registered attendees)
o August 24-26, 2016 – Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Tribal Trial Advocacy Training sponsored by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. (33 registered attendees; approx. 25 walk-ins)
o August 29-31, 2016 – 20th State-wide Native American Conference sponsored by the Nevada U.S. Attorney’s Office. (122 registered attendees)
o September 8, 2016 – 24th Annual Four Corners Indian Country Conference sponsored by the New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and Colorado U.S. Attorney’s Offices. (338 registered attendees)
o September 29, 2016 – 2016 International Conference on Forensic Nursing Science and Practice sponsored by the International Association of Forensic Nurses. (180 registered students/full capacity)
This milestone is complete. All activities were accomplished and reported in FY 2016.
The Department of Justice is committed to preventing human trafficking, bringing traffickers to justice and assisting victims of trafficking. As part of a nationwide strategy to prevent human trafficking and assist victims of trafficking, the Department will develop a human trafficking toolkit; initiate Phase II of the Anti-Trafficking Coordination Team Initiative (ACTeam); and provide training and technical assistance to law enforcement agents, human trafficking task force members, and social service providers.
• FY 16/Q4 – OVC will conduct regional human trafficking trainings to address emerging and current issues pertaining to human trafficking in that area of the country. – MET
OVC conducted 17 trainings for 2,048 individuals:
o 797 attended six Customized Training and Technical Assistance trainings
o 150 attended one Regional Training Forum
o 1,079 attended nine webinars
o 40 attended one other training type
• FY 16/Q4 – OJJDP’s AMBER Alert TTA provider will conduct child sex trafficking (CST) trainings to provide law enforcement investigators, human trafficking task force members and social service providers with the information necessary to properly understand, recognize, and investigate cases involving CST and exploitation. – MET
OJJDP conducted six child sex trafficking trainings:
o July 19-20, 2016 – Child Sex Trafficking Round Table
o July 19-21, 2016 – Tribal Symposium
o July 26, 2016 – AMBER In Indian Country TA – Child Sex Trafficking – Tribal Casinos
o August 22-24, 2016 – Child Sex Trafficking: Law Enforcement Response
o September 9-10, 2016 – Family Roundtable
o September 12-15, 2016 – Investigative Strategies for Child Abduction Cases
o September 19, 2016 – AMBER In Indian Country TA – Child Sex Trafficking & Internet Crimes Against Children – Indian Country
o September 20-22, 2016 – Interview & Interrogation in Child Exploitation Cases
o September 21, 2016 – AMBER In Indian Country TA – Child Fatality Investigation in Indian Country
o September 27, 2016 – Build a Course
o July 1, 2016 – September 30, 2016 – Child Sex Trafficking Introductory
• FY 16/Q4 – Continue to update the human trafficking toolkit, as appropriate. – ON GOING
The Department’s Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys (EOUSA) has completed the human trafficking toolkit and will continue to update the supplemental material, as appropriate.
• FY 16/Q4 – Formulate and review district-specific strategic enforcement priorities for each ACTeam. – IN PROGRESS
During Q4 of FY 2016, the Department’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit (HTPU) and its interagency ACTeam partners delivered two rounds of the Phase II ACTeam Advanced Human Trafficking Training Program (AHTTP), covering four of the six Phase II ACTeams. The final round of the course is slated to be delivered to the other two Phase II ACTeams in Q1 of FY 2017. This intensive, interactive advanced course was developed and delivered collaboratively by national anti-trafficking subject matter experts from DOJ’s HTPU, FBI’s Civil Rights Unit, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)/Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the U.S. Department of Labor, and focuses on developing District-specific interagency strategic enforcement plans to advance high-impact human trafficking investigations and prosecutions and enhance survivor-centered, trauma-informed victim stabilization efforts.
Next Steps
Next Steps
Milestone 1: Enhance Tribal Law Enforcement Practices
FY16/Q1 – Selectee for new FY 15 CTAS cooperative agreement initiates training and technical assistance (TTA) for the FY 15 justice systems planning grantees.
FY16/Q2 – OJP, Community Oriented Policing Program (COPS), Office on Violence against Women (OVW), and the TTA provider delivers new grantee orientation; grantees begin phase one of the strategic planning process; review the planning process and develop a timeline for completing the project.
FY16/Q3 – Begin phase two of the strategic planning process; conduct focus groups, stakeholder interviews, and assessments of the state of the justice system in the community.
FY16/Q4 – Begin phase three of the strategic planning process; provide technical assistance on writing a strategic plan with measurable goals and objectives.
FY17/Q1 – Selectee for new FY 16 CTAS cooperative agreement initiates TTA for FY 16 justice systems planning grantees. FY 15 grantees begin drafting strategic plans.
FY17/Q2 – OJP and the TTA provider delivers orientation for new FY 16 grantees. Grantees begin phase one of the strategic planning process; review the planning process and developing a timeline for completing the project. FY 15 grantees submit final strategic plans to DOJ, for approval.
FY 17/Q3 – Begin phase two of the strategic planning process for FY 16 grantees; conduct focus groups, stakeholder interviews, and assessments of the state of the justice system in the community.
FY 17/Q4 – Begin phase three of the strategic planning process; provide technical assistance on writing a strategic plan with measurable goals and objectives.
Milestone #2: Conduct Educational Outreach with Government and Tribal Law Enforcement on Sex Offender Operations
FY16/Q1 – Conduct the first outreach meeting with surrounding tribes in Bismarck, North Dakota; including an educational seminar on planning and conducting sex offender operations. Assist with two compliance operations in the same local tribal areas.
FY16/Q2 – Conduct the second outreach meeting with surrounding tribes in Northern New York; including one educational seminar on planning and conducting sex offender operations. Assist with two compliance operations in the same local tribal areas.
FY16/Q3 – Conduct the third outreach meeting with surrounding tribes in new location; including one educational seminar on planning and conducting sex offender operations. Assist with two compliance operations in local tribal areas.
FY 16/Q4 – Conduct the fourth outreach meeting with surrounding tribes in new location; including one educational seminar on planning and conducting sex offender operations in local tribal areas. Assist with two compliance operations in local tribal areas.
Milestone #3: Develop Training for Criminal Justice Professionals to Address Challenges in Indian Country
FY16/Q1 – Finalize the Indian Country-specific training strategy for fiscal years 2016 and 2017. This effort will be led by DOJ leadership offices and will include contributions from components with significant activity in Indian Country. The strategy will identify general topic areas for FY 16 and FY 17, and will also identify participating agencies and target audiences.
FY16/Q1 – Provide residential training at the National Advocacy Center and distance education, via online training and written products for federal, state, and tribal criminal justice and social service professionals.
FY16/Q2 – Introduce specific training for “Phase I” adopters in the Tribal Access Program for National Crime Information (TAP). This will include developing a strategy to encourage broad participation in TAP.
FY16/Q3 – Develop a list of core competencies and a strategic plan for delivering training to Assistant U.S. Attorneys (AUSAs), Federal Agents, and Victim-Witness personnel assigned to Indian Country. This effort will be led by the Department’s National Indian Country Training Initiative, and will also seek to expand DOJ training opportunities to include enhanced collaboration with tribal governments and other federal agencies, such as the Department of Interior and the Department of Health and Human Services.
FY 16/Q4 – Complete training modules; update the DOJ Accomplishments in Indian Country, to reflect training success.
Milestone #4: Preventing Human Trafficking and Assisting Victims of Human Trafficking
FY 16/Q1 – An Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention’s (OJJDP) training and technical assistance (TTA) provider will conduct multi-disciplinary trainings for human trafficking teams around the country.
OJJDP’s AMBER Alert TTA provider will conduct child sex trafficking (CST) trainings to provide law enforcement investigators, human trafficking task force members and social service providers with the information necessary to properly understand, recognize, and investigate cases involving CST and exploitation.
The Executive Office of the U.S. Attorneys (EOUSA) will finalize a template for the human trafficking online toolkit for U.S. Attorneys and other human trafficking personnel (including materials for labor and sex trafficking). Obtain input from the U.S. Attorney’s Offices (USAO) personnel.
Conclude the selection process for the ACTeam districts; announcements will be made on the districts selected to participate.
FY 16/Q2 – Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) will engage the services of a law enforcement human trafficking subject matter expert to serve as a ‘Visiting Fellow’ at BJA.
Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) will conduct a forum with survivors of human trafficking, to learn how the federal government can better serve victims by including their voices in policy and program development.
OJJDP’s AMBER Alert TTA provider will conduct child sex trafficking (CST) trainings to provide law enforcement investigators, human trafficking task force members and social service providers with the information necessary to properly understand, recognize, and investigate cases involving CST and exploitation.
Roll out toolkit to USAOs through human trafficking points of contact and victim-witness personnel.
Begin advanced human trafficking training for ACTeam districts.
FY 16/Q3 – OVC will conduct multi-disciplinary trainings for human trafficking task forces around the country.
OJJDP’s AMBER Alert TTA provider will conduct child sex trafficking (CST) trainings to provide law enforcement investigators, human trafficking task force members and social service providers with the information necessary to properly understand, recognize, and investigate cases involving CST and exploitation.
Update and supplement materials in toolkit, as appropriate.
Provide threat assessment, targeting, and advanced human trafficking resources to all ACTeam districts.
FY 16/Q4 – OVC will conduct regional human trafficking trainings to address emerging and current issues pertaining to human trafficking in that area of the country.
OJJDP’s AMBER Alert TTA provider will conduct child sex trafficking (CST) trainings to provide law enforcement investigators, human trafficking task force members and social service providers with the information necessary to properly understand, recognize, and investigate cases involving CST and exploitation.
Continue to update toolkit, as appropriate.
Formulate and review District-specific strategic enforcement priorities for each ACTeam.
FY 17/Q4 – BJA’s Human Trafficking Training and Technical Assistance (TTA) provider will deliver an individualized TTA plan to each of the BJA-funded task forces (approximately 17 task forces).
Expand All
Performance Indicators
Open investigations concerning sexual exploitation
Open investigations concerning human trafficking
Number of open investigations concerning non-compliant sex offenders
Civil rights cases (criminal) favorably resolved
Number of human trafficking leads and complaints reviewed
Civil rights (civil) cases favorably resolved
Other Indicators
Number of missing children recovered as a result of USMS fugitive investigations
Number of trainings on human trafficking conducted by Civil Rights Division
Contributing Programs & Other Factors
Contributing programs within the Department of Justice
• Executive Office for the U.S. Attorneys (EOUSA)
• Civil Rights Division (CRT)
• CRT/Human Trafficking Prosecutions Unit
• Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
• U.S. Marshals Service (USMS)
• Office of Justice Programs (OJP)
• OJP/Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)
• OJP/Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA)
• Office of Tribal Justice (OTJ)
• Community Relations Service (CRS)
• OJP/Office for Victims of Crime (OVC)
• U.S. Marshals Service (USMS)
Contributing programs or partners outside Department of Justice
• Department of Homeland Security, through Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Secret Service, conducts joint investigations with the Department in the child exploitation area and refers cases to DOJ for prosecution in the child exploitations and human trafficking areas. DHS is also working with DOJ on the ACTeams Initiative.
• Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) and the Office of the Inspector General actively work alongside law enforcement partners in the ACTeams located throughout the country. WHD also participates with DOJ, on other anti-trafficking task forces throughout the country.
• U.S. Postal Inspection Service conducts joint investigations with the Department in the child exploitation area and refers cases in this area to the Department for prosecution.
• State, local, and tribal law enforcement groups, such as DOJ-funded Internet Crimes against Children Task Forces, Project Safe Childhood, Innocence Lost Task Force and other tasks forces/working groups focused on human trafficking.
No Data Available
