DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FY 2005 BUDGET REQUEST

President’S Request Supports 19% Increase For Department’S Counter-Terrorism And Homeland Defense Efforts

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Attorney General John Ashcroft today announced that the President’s FY 2005 budget proposal for the Department of Justice (DOJ) is $22.1 billion. The President’s overall FY 2005 budget increases homeland security spending by nearly 10 percent to strengthen America’s ability to prevent future attacks. This represents a 19 percent increase for the Department of Justice’s top priority: preventing terrorist attacks.

Over two years have passed since the catastrophic attacks on American soil, but the danger is still clear. As President Bush reminded the nation in his State of the Union Address, “It is tempting to believe that the danger is behind us. That hope is understandable, comforting-and false.” President Bush made the decision that we would not stand by and wait for another attack. Instead, America has taken the fight to the terrorists.

“The most fundamental right of the American people is to be free and safe in their homes, their neighborhoods, and their workplaces,” said Attorney General John Ashcroft. “The President’s budget supports this critical mission by providing a 242 percent increase in counter-terrorism funding since FY 2001. Further, the President’s commitment to fighting the drug war is demonstrated in the 123 new drug agents provided for in this budget, which restores drug agent resources to pre-9/11 levels.”

“President Bush’s budget also provides the tools for the Department to continue vigorously enforcing federal laws-particularly drug, gun, and civil rights violations-and to combat corporate fraud and obscenity. The funds requested will also allow us to partner with state and local law enforcement, as well as faith-based and community groups to further reduce violent crime, already at a 30-year low,” Ashcroft said.

The President’s FY 2005 budget request includes $22.1 billion for the Department of Justice, of which $19.7 billion is for discretionary spending. This represents a 4.5 percent increase in funding for federal law enforcement programs and an 11.4 percent increase for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

The Department’s strategic plan contains four mission-focused goals that are the foundation of the President’s FY 2005 budget request:

Strategic Goal 1: Prevent Terrorism and Promote the Nation’s Security, $2.81 billion;

Strategic Goal 4: Ensure the Fair and Efficient Operation of the Federal Justice System, $6.97 billion.

PROTECTING THE AMERICAN PEOPLE BY PREVENTING TERRORIST ACTS

Protecting the American people by preventing terrorist acts continues to be the Department’s top priority. To support this goal, the FY 2005 budget request strengthens the nation’s counter-terrorism investigative capabilities to identify, track, and prevent terrorist cells from operating in the U.S. and overseas as well as enhancing its counterintelligence analysis capabilities.

·Federal Bureau of Investigation

-Office of Intelligence: $13.4 million and 151 positions (18 agents) to start-up the Office of Intelligence, responsible for coordinating the Intelligence requirements of the FBI.

-Terrorist Threat Integration Center (TTIC): $35.5 million to collocate a portion of the FBI’s Counter-terrorism Division with the Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA) Counter-terrorist Center and the TTIC.

-Terrorist Screening Center (TSC): $29.0 million to coordinate watch lists into a single, consolidated watch list to be screened against incoming inquiries.

-Counter-terrorism Headquarters (HQ) Program Support: $14.3 million and 89 positions (26 agents and 16 attorneys) to support the shift to a nationally managed and centrally driven counter-terrorism program.

-Counter-terrorism Field Investigations: $46.0 million and 259 positions (159 agents) to strengthen the FBI's capability to make predictive observations and prevent terrorist attacks.

-National Security: $63.8 million and 294 positions (129 agents) for various National Security initiatives.

-Computer Intrusion Program & Cyber Intelligence and Action Program: $24.7 million and 159 positions (61 agents) to assist the aggressive pursuit of computer intrusion crimes.

-Special Technologies and Applications Section (STAS): $30.6 million and 29 positions to originate advanced computer technical analysis and electronic data products to the entire FBI.

-Security Improvements: $46.5 million and 65 positions to continue addressing improvements recommended in the Webster Commission and Rand reports by integrating security measures into all FBI business processes to protect FBI personnel, facilities, operations, and information.

-Language Services: a $12.8 million and 86 positions to manage the Foreign Language Program, for which the workload has more than doubled in the last year, and also the National Virtual Translation Center.

-Chemical, Biological, and Radiological Forensic Analysis Counter-terrorism (CBR-FACT) Program: $9.0 million to provide forensic analysis of hazardous chemical, biological, and radiological evidence in support of counter-terrorism investigations.

Additionally, nearly $7 million is provided in new resources for sensitive counter-terrorism litigation and criminal prosecutions.

Enforcing Federal Laws and Representing the Rights and Interests of the American People

DRUG ENFORCEMENT: The DOJ FY 2005 President’s Budget provides increases of $74 million, of which $25.1 million is for the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, the cornerstone of the President’s drug enforcement strategy and $48.9 million for the Drug Enforcement Administration, the nation’s sole law enforcement entity dedicated to drug law enforcement.

·Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF)

-OCDETF Fugitive Apprehension: $4,320,000 and 28 positions (26 agents) to increase the capacity of U.S. Marshals to identify and apprehend OCDETF fugitives by establishing dedicated fugitive apprehension units within each of the 9 OCDETF regions.

-Fusion Center Operational Support: $6,344,000 and 16 positions to support and expand the capacity of the Fusion Center by adding agents and analysts from DEA, FBI, and the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

-Increase IRS Participation in OCDETF: $4,473,000 and 28 positions (24 agents).

·Drug Enforcement Administration

-Priority Targeting Initiative: $34,661,000 and 256 positions (100 agents) to strengthen DEA’s efforts towards disrupting or dismantling Priority Targets, including those linked to the Attorney General’s Consolidated Priority Organization Target (CPOT) list, which represents the “Most Wanted” drug supply and money laundering organizations believed to be primarily responsible for the Nation’s illicit drug supply.

-Concorde: $8,530,000 and 10 positions to provide initial support for Concorde Project’s development cycle as well as upgrade the web infrastructure.

-El Paso Intelligence Center (EPIC): $4,837,000 and 4 positions to standardize and upgrade the technology infrastructure of the EPIC Information System.

-International Training: $876,000 and 6 positions (5 agents) to add one mobile training team for the International training Program to address a backlog in requests for international training.

·Drug Enforcement Administration - Diversion Control Fee Account

-Customer Service and E-Commerce: $11,711,000 and 24 positions.

-Diversion Control Enforcement: $3,482,000 and 1 position.

-Diversion Control Program Management Administrative Support: $659,000 and 14 positions to strengthen the diversion Control Program’s regulatory, liaison, policy, and administrative functions.

GUN CRIMES ENFORCEMENT: President Bush made a commitment to reduce gun crime by getting gun criminals off the streets through the Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN) initiative. PSN, announced by the President and the Attorney General in 2001, is a comprehensive strategy that brings together federal, state, and local agencies to reduce violent crime in our communities. Working with DOJ, each community tailors the program to target local gun violence problems. The FY 2005 President’s Budget includes increases of $95.7 million for the Presidential initiative, Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN), of which $3 million is for the United States Attorneys, $16.2 million is for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and $76.5 million is for the Office of Justice Programs.

Under the President’s Project Safe Neighborhoods program, federal gun crime prosecutions have increased by 68 percent over the last three years. Last year, the Department set a new record of charging 23 percent more individuals for violating federal firearms laws. Criminals who abuse guns are being prosecuted and are being sentenced to serious jail time.

·Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

-Project Safe Neighborhoods/Youth Crime Gun Interdiction Initiative: $16,182,000 million and 130 positions (34 agents) to expand this federal, state and local partnership program to 20 additional cities.

·United States Attorneys

-Project Safe Neighborhoods: $3,019,000 and 32 positions (25 attorneys) to enhance efforts through district-specific initiatives aimed at reducing violent gun crime across the nation.

·Office of Justice Programs

-State and Local Gun Violence Program: $15,751,000 for this program, which is part of the larger PSN initiative, that utilizes a comprehensive approach to combat gun violence by linking together local, state, and federal law enforcement officials, prosecutors, and community leaders to implement a multi-faceted strategy to deter and punish gun violators from all sides.

-Project Sentry: $4,962,000 to enhance efforts to reduce juvenile gun violence.

-Project Child Safe: $28,939,000 to continue this initiative in 2005 and support the goal of distributing 65,000,000 voluntary gun locks throughout the nation.

-National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP): $26,863,000 to provide grants to states to improve their criminal history and related records so that they are complete and accurate and available for use by federal, state, and local law enforcement.

COMBATING CORPORATE FRAUD: The FY 2005 budget requests $1.45 million in additional resources to combat corporate fraud. The recent spate of major corporate fraud had a devastating effect on the integrity of our markets and the strength of our economy. To restore integrity in the marketplace, the President established a multi-agency Corporate Fraud Task Force, chaired by the Deputy Attorney General, to bring the maximum combined force of the Federal Government to investigate and prosecute corporate fraud. The Task Force has been sending the President’s message to every dishonest corporate leader: “You will be exposed, and you will be punished.” By deploying and utilizing the resources provided by Congress, the Task Force is demonstrating that “no board room in America is above or beyond the law.” Ensuring that the information relied upon by our country’s financial markets is open and accurate moves this nation one step closer to protecting the jobs and savings of hard-working Americans.

Under the leadership of the Corporate Fraud Task Force, the Department has filed 267 corporate fraud cases in which 613 defendants have been charged with some sort of corporate fraud crime. Over 250 such defendants have either been convicted or pled guilty.

CRIMES AGAINST CHILDREN AND OBSCENITY: The Administration has led efforts to help state and local law enforcement protect our communities from crime, pornography, and obscenity with several key initiatives to:

·Protect our children from pornography and exploitation;

·Stop Internet crime against children;

·Prosecute adult obscenity offenses; and

·Create a nationwide AMBER Alert network to help find missing children.

The President’s FY 2005 budget provides increases of $13.8 million in new and directed initiatives.

The Department is committed to fighting child pornography and obscenity, and to protecting children from trafficking and other forms of exploitation. For example, during the last year, the Department worked with other law enforcement agencies to target, dismantle, and prosecute an international ring of organized and predatory child molesters. More than 100 child victims were rescued. Thirteen of the 20 identified molesters were American. All have been indicted (except one who committed suicide), and six have already been convicted.

·Criminal Division

-Child Exploitation and Obscenity: 25 positions (17 attorneys), 13 workyears, and $2,605,000 to prosecute and investigate adult obscenity and child exploitation crimes.

·Federal Bureau of Investigation

-Child Prostitution Investigations: 16 positions (10 agents), 8 workyears, and $1,831,000 to increase investigations concerning acts of child prostitution.

-Child Exploitation and Obscenity: 10 positions (10 agents), 5 workyears, and $1,785,000 for FBI support to the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section.

-Innocent Images National Initiative (INII): $3,000,000 in non-personnel funding to support existing Innocent Images undercover operations and investigations.

·Office of Justice Programs (OJP)

-Child Prostitution: $1,600,000 is set-aside from base funding from the Juvenile Justice discretionary fund to expand on existing efforts to identify innovative approaches that can be used to combat child prostitution.

-Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC): $2,000,000 increase is requested for a total of $14,500,000 for the ICAC Program, that helps state and local law enforcement agencies develop an effective response to cyber enticement and child pornography cases.

-AMBER Alert: $1,000,000 increase is requested for a total of $5,000,000 for the AMBER Alert Program, which is a voluntary partnership between law enforcement agencies and broadcasters to activate an urgent bulletin in the most serious child abduction cases.

Assisting State, Local, and Tribal Efforts to Prevent or Reduce Crime and Violence

The President’s budget provides for $2.06 billion in new and directed funding to state, local, and tribal governments, strengthening their criminal and juvenile justice capabilities by providing grant monies, training, technical assistance, and other services. These programs, which will improve nation’s capacity to prevent and control crime, administer justice, and assist crime victims include:

·State and Local Anti-Terrorism Training Program: The 2005 budget proposes a total of $11,000,000 for this initiative, which was not funded in the FY 2004 appropriation.

·Offender Re-entry: $10,052,000 increase for a total of $15,000,000 for Justice’s share of the Administration’s offender re-entry initiative that will also involve the Departments of Labor and Housing and Urban Development.

·Regional Information Sharing System (RISS): $14,476,000 increase for a total of $45,000,000 for RISS.

Ensuring the Fair and Efficient Operation of the Federal Justice System

The Department is responsible for ensuring that the federal justice system operates in an effective, efficient and secure manner by protecting judicial proceedings, ensuring the safe and secure environment of federal courts, and apprehending fugitives from justice.

During 2003, the nation’s federal prison population rose 5.6 percent, by 9,063 inmates. During FY 2003, detention population in state and local facilities rose 14.5 percent, an increase in daily detainee population of approximately 4,000. The request provides additional resources for the Bureau of Prisons and Office of the Detention Trustee to manage this growth.

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