WASHINGTON – Attorney General Eric Holder announced today that the President’s FY 2010 budget proposal totals $26.7 billion for the Department of Justice (DOJ) to increase support for the Department’s traditional missions while strengthening national security efforts. The request represents a 3.8 percent increase in budget authority and an increase of 3,977 positions over the FY 2009 enacted appropriation.
“The President’s budget request demonstrates both a dedication to protecting our national security as the Department of Justice’s top priority and a renewed commitment to the Department’s traditional missions,” Attorney General Holder said. “In these tough economic times, it’s more important than ever that we remain vigilant in the fight against crime while never relaxing our guard in the battle against global terrorism.”
“We must continue to invest public dollars into strategies and programs that have proved to be effective methods to combat the myriad security threats we face today. We have an obligation to protect our communities and our country in smart, proven ways,” Holder explained.
The $26.7 billion budget request fully funds base operations and activities for all DOJ components and includes program enhancements totaling $1.94 billion. Approximately 90 percent of the total resources are dedicated to national security programs and DOJ’s traditional missions in law enforcement and litigation, while the remaining 10 percent funds state and local assistance programs. FY 2010 program increases and key priorities include:
· $721.5 million to counter the threat of terrorism and strengthen national security.
· $510.6 million to assist state and local law enforcement, including the Second Chance Act.
· $62.6 million to combat financial fraud and protect the federal fisc (treasury).
· $15.7 million for civil rights law enforcement.
· $231.6 million to safeguard our southwest border.
· $386 million for prisons and detention services.
· $14 million to improve DOJ’s financial performance and accountability.
To view the budget summary, visit: http://www.usdoj.gov/jmd/2010summary/
National Security
The Department’s top priority remains the prevention, investigation and prosecution of terrorist activities. In total, the budget requests a $721.5 million increase, including 366 agents and 324 intelligence analysts in the FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), to strengthen the Department’s counterterrorism investigative capabilities, support its efforts to identify, track and defeat terrorists operating in the United States and overseas and to fortify our nation’s intelligence analysis capabilities.
Within this enhancement are additional resources for the following Department components:
· $555.6 million, including 357 agents and 321 intelligence analysts, for the FBI;
· $64 million for General Administration;
· $27.4 million for Justice Information Sharing Technology;
· $20 million for Law Enforcement Wireless Communications;
· $25 million for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF);
· $10.5 million for the Bureau of Prisons (BOP);
· $10 million, including 9 agents and 3 intelligence analysts, for the DEA;
· $4 million for the Office of the Inspector General;
· $2.5 million for the Criminal Division;
· $2.2 million for the U.S. National Central Bureau (Interpol); and
· $250,000 for the Foreign Claims Settlement Commission.
The budget enables the FBI in coordination with the Department’s National Security Division and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country to further its development of a robust domestic intelligence capability and increase its ability to investigate and prevent cyber attacks and weapons of mass destruction incidents. The budget includes increases to build-out key FBI support functions, such as training and biometrics support for federal, state and local partners.
Finally, the budget request contains funds to process expeditiously approximately 240 individuals currently detained at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base and to implement the President’s Executive Order to close Guantanamo by January 2010.
For more information, view the National Security Budget Fact Sheet at http://www.usdoj.gov/jmd/2010factsheets/pdf/national-security.pdf
State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance, Including the Second Chance Act
The FY 2010 budget request includes an increase of $510.6 million for state and local law enforcement assistance, bringing the total to $2.6 billion for state and local programs. The Administration is committed to providing communities across the country with resources to begin hiring 50,000 police officers. The budget request includes $298 million for the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program which, combined with the $1 billion provided in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, will enable the hiring of more than 7,000 police officers nationwide by the end of 2010. The budget also provides for significant funding toward the Second Chance Act, which attempts to break the cycle of criminal recidivism by providing services to ex-offenders before and after they are released from prison and return to communities. The resources will fund prisoner reentry programs by providing an increase of $75 million in grant program and research funding, as well as an increase of $13.8 million for federal inmate skills development. Increased state and local funding will be used to provide drug treatment, mentoring and other transitional services to help ex-offenders integrate into society and lead productive lives.
For more information, view the State and Local Law Enforcement Fact Sheet at http://www.usdoj.gov/jmd/2010factsheets/pdf/state-local.pdf
Combating Financial Fraud and Protecting the Federal Fisc (Treasury)
The Department of Justice will continue to play a crucial role in the federal financial recovery effort through criminal and civil litigation. The budget includes $62.6 million for additional FBI agents, federal prosecutors, civil litigators and bankruptcy attorneys to address the problems that contributed to, and that are caused by the current financial crisis. Within this enhancement are additional resources for the following Department components:
· $25.5 million, including 50 agents for the FBI;
· $12.8 million for the U.S. Attorneys;
· $10 million for the Civil Division;
· $2.9 million for the Tax Division;
· $1.8 million for the Criminal Division;
· $4.2 million for the Environment and Natural Resources Division;
· $2.2 million for the U.S. Trustees Program;
· $1.2 million for the Antitrust Division; and
· $2 million, including four agents, for the Office of the Inspector General.
The FY 2010 budget provides for 50 additional FBI agents to combat financial fraud . It also provides for 165 attorneys in Washington and in U.S. Attorney Offices throughout the United States to aggressively pursue cases in the civil and criminal court systems, defend the United States in high-profile, high stakes Indian Tribal Trust litigation and support programs that have high rates of return, such as debt collection, tax law enforcement and fraud enforcement.
For more information, view the Combating Financial Fraud and Protecting the Federal Fisc Fact Sheet at http://www.usdoj.gov/jmd/2010factsheets/pdf/cff-fisc.pdf
Civil Rights Law Enforcement
Consistent with the President’s commitment to defend the laws of the United States and protect civil rights, the budget requests $15.7 million, and 102 additional positions including 60 attorneys, to expand existing initiatives and reinvigorate traditional civil rights enforcement. Additional staff allow for more vigorous pursuit of hate crimes and discrimination, human trafficking crimes and unsolved civil rights era crimes. The budget provides for increased enforcement of fair housing and fair lending laws, disability laws and laws protecting institutionalized persons from unconstitutional treatment. In total, the FY 2010 budget requests an 18 percent increase in funding for the Civil Rights Division over FY 2009.
For more information, view the Civil Rights Law Enforcement Fact Sheet at http://www.usdoj.gov/jmd/2010factsheets/pdf/civil-rights.pdf
Safeguarding our Southwest Border
Illegal immigration and border security are paramount concerns for the United States, particularly along the Southwest Border. The FY 2010 budget addresses the threats and challenges posed by the Southwest Border to the entire criminal justice system. In recent years, budget increases have been focused on the front end of the pipeline without proportionately increasing the back end of the system, which includes many DOJ responsibilities. To address this imbalance, the Department proposes an increase of $231.6 million, 632 agents and 110 attorneys for a Southwest Border Enforcement Initiative.
The Department’s initiative focuses on combating violence, stopping the flow of illegal weapons and drug trafficking, bringing criminals to justice and sharing critical information, technical assistance and training with our law enforcement partners on both sides of the border. The initiative brings together the law enforcement and prosecutorial components of the Department, including DEA, ATF, the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force program, the U.S. Attorneys, the Criminal and Civil Divisions and the Executive Office for Immigration Review, to help secure the border and restore the rule of law to the region. The budget also includes significant resources for the U.S. Marshals Service to protect and secure federal detainees before, during and after judicial proceedings.
Within this enhancement are additional resources for the following Department components:
· $18 million, including 34 agents for ATF;
· $24.1 million, including 70 agents for DEA;
· $8.1 million for the U.S. Attorneys;
· $26.3 million for the Executive Office for Immigration Review;
· $8.9 million for the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force program;
· $144.3 million, including 528 agents for the U.S. Marshals Service;
· $1.8 million for the Civil Division; and
· $122,000 for the Criminal Division.
For more information, view the Safeguarding our Southwest Border Fact Sheet at http://www.usdoj.gov/jmd/2010factsheets/pdf/safeguarding-our-swb.pdf
Prisons and Detention
The number of individuals appearing in federal court has grown at a rapid pace, as has the number of individuals detained and incarcerated. This has created substantial costs for the BOP and Office of the Federal Detention Trustee (OFDT). The FY 2010 budget includes $386 million in enhancements to expand prison and detention capacity, fund vacant staff positions and fund programs designed to help inmates successfully reintegrate into their communities. The budget expands federal prison capacity by funding the build-out and activation of two new medium security prisons and provides for medical care increases, drug treatment and life skills programs and additional correctional workers.
For more information, view the Prisons and Detention Budget Fact Sheet at http://www.usdoj.gov/jmd/2010factsheets/pdf/prisons-detention.pdf
Performance and Accountability
The Department of Justice continues to seek ways to improve performance and accountability. The budget request includes a program increase of $14.0 million to continue implementation of the critical Unified Financial Management System, a major initiative that greatly improves the efficiency and integrity of the Department’s financial and performance management and accounting functions.
For more information, view the Performance and Accountability Budget Fact Sheet at http://www.usdoj.gov/jmd/2010factsheets/pdf/performance-accountability.pdf
###
09-451