Ongoing Work

The OIG is conducting an audit of the Tax Division’s expert witness services contracts. The preliminary objectives are to: (1) determine whether the Tax Division adhered to federal regulations during the contract award and administration processes, (2) assess the adequacy of the Tax Division’s contract oversight, and (3) determine if the contractors properly invoiced the government and complied with the terms and conditions of the contract award.

The OIG is conducting an audit of on selected aspects of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) administration of the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). Our preliminary objectives are to: (1) determine if the FBI appropriately evaluates Point of Contact state compliance with firearms background checks, and (2) ensures that the NICS appeals process complies with the Brady Act.

The OIG is conducting an audit of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ oversight of three-dimensional (3-D) firearm printing technology.  The preliminary objective is to evaluate the effectiveness of ATF policies and procedures regarding the regulation and oversight of 3-D firearms technology and trafficking.

The OIG is conducting an audit of the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Program (COSSAP).  The preliminary objectives are to determine whether BJA: (1) implemented adequate oversight and management of COSSAP, (2) effectively coordinated and collaborated with COSSAP partners and stakeholders, and (3) accomplished COSSAP objectives and deliverables.

The Office of the Inspector General is initiating an audit of the Office of Justice Programs’ Bureau of Justice Assistance’s (BJA) administration of the National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) Program.  Our preliminary objectives are to: (1) assess the adequacy of BJA’s management and oversight of its SAKI Program, (2) review BJA’s methodology in awarding SAKI funds, and (3) evaluate BJA’s approach to and progress in accomplishing BJA’s goals for the SAKI program.  

The OIG is conducting an audit of the Criminal Division’s Mutual Legal Assistance process, specifically the process for incoming evidence requests, including its response time to incoming requests, caseload management, reform of the Mutual Legal Assistance process, and coordination with DOJ and other entities.  Our preliminary objective is to assess the Criminal Division’s process for incoming Mutual Legal Assistance requests.

The OIG is initiating an audit of the Department of Justice (Department) Policy on Body Worn Cameras. Our preliminary objectives are to: (1) review and assess the Department’s current body worn camera policy for federal law enforcement officers, (2) evaluate the extent to which body worn cameras were utilized during the Department’s task force pilot program, and (3) assess any plans to expand the use of body worn cameras among federal law enforcement officers and federally deputized task force participants.

The Office of the Inspector General is initiating an audit of two DOJ contracts awarded by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to Adaptive Digital Systems, Inc., including contract number DJF-15-1200-V-0007461 and DJD-15-K-0023, respectively. The preliminary objectives of the audit are to assess: (1) component and contractor compliance with contract terms and conditions in the areas of acquisition planning and procurement; contract administration, oversight, and monitoring; billing and payments; and contractor performance; (2) component internal controls related to physical security of covert video and audio equipment and data; and (3) future plans for the acquisition of covert video and audio equipment.

The OIG is conducting an audit of the Executive Office for United States Attorneys’ (EOUSA) two contracts  awarded to the Cherokee Nation 3S, LLC (Cherokee Nation 3S) for legal and other support services. The preliminary objective of the audit is to assess the EOUSA’s administration of the contracts, and Cherokee Nation 3S’s performance and compliance with the terms, conditions, laws, and regulations applicable to these contracts in the areas of: (1) contractor performance; (2) billings and payments; and (3) contract management, oversight, and monitoring.

The OIG is conducting an audit of the FBI Office of General Counsel's (OGC) roles and responsibilities.  The preliminary objective is to review the roles and responsibilities of the FBI OGC in overseeing compliance with applicable laws, policies and procedures relating to the FBI’s national security activities.  This audit was requested by the Attorney General and as stated in his August 31, 2020 memorandum “Augmenting the Internal Compliance Functions of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.”

The OIG is conducting an audit of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) purchase orders awarded to Idemia National Security Solutions, LLC (Idemia) in June 2018.  The preliminary objectives of the audit are to assess the FBI’s: (1) acquisition planning and selection of Idemia for the purchase orders awarded; (2) administration and oversight of the purchase orders awarded; and (3) Idemia’s performance on the purchase orders awarded, including financial management, monitoring, reporting, and progress toward meeting purchase order goals and objectives.

The OIG is auditing the BOP's religious services program.  The preliminary objective of the audit is to assess BOP’s management and oversight of its religious services program to support  faith-based activities and its effectiveness in preventing  security risks and the misuse of program resources.  This audit follows the OIG's recent audit of the BOP's Monitoring of Inmate Communications to Prevent Radicalization. 

The Office of the Inspector General is initiating an audit of the U.S. Department of Justice’s compliance with transparency reporting requirements, as set forth in the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act of 2014. Our preliminary objectives are to: (1) review a statistically valid sampling of the fiscal year 2021 spending data submitted, and (2) submit to Congress and make publicly available a report assessing the completeness, timeliness, quality, and accuracy of the data sampled and the implementation and use of data standards.

The Office of the Inspector General is initiating an audit of the United States Marshals Service’s (USMS)judicial security activities. Our preliminary objectives are to assess the USMS’s: (1) judicial security intelligence gathering and threat assessment capabilities, (2) judicial security resources and staffing,(3) Home Intrusion Detection System program, and (4) personal security training provided to judicial officials.

The OIG is auditing DOJ and select components Annual Financial Statements for fiscal year 2020. Pursuant to Section 304(a) of the Chief Financial Officers Act of 1990, as expanded by Section 405(b) of the Government Management Reform Act of 1994, the OIG is required to perform an audit of the Department’s annual financial statements. Additionally, the Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act of 2000 requires an audit of the Assets Forfeiture Fund/Seized Asset Deposit Fund annual financial statements, and the Government Corporation Control Act of 1945, as amended, requires an audit of the Federal Prison Industries, Inc. annual financial statements.  The OIG has contracted with the independent public accounting firm, KPMG LLP, to perform the audits.

The OIG is participating in a cross-agency oversight initiative involving coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) testing data from federal programs, including the BOP.  The OIG is conducting this effort through its membership in the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) .  The PRAC was created by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act and aims to promote transparency, support coordinated oversight of the federal government's coronavirus response, and mitigate major risks that cross program and agency boundaries.  OIG members of the PRAC with involvement in healthcare programming will be working to produce a data brief describing COVID-19 testing in federal health-related programs.  The DOJ OIG portion of this project is focused on testing of federal inmates in the custody of the BOP.

The Office of the Inspector General is initiating an examination of the U.S. Department of Justice’s (Department) fiscal year 2020 compliance with the Payment Integrity Information Act of 2019 (PIIA). Our preliminary objectives are to: (1) review the payment integrity section of the fiscal year 2020 Agency Financial Report to determine whether the Department is in compliance with the PIIA, and (2) evaluate the Department’s (a) risk assessment methodology, (b) improper payment rate estimates (if required), (c) sampling and estimation plan, (if required), (d) corrective action plans (if required), and (e) efforts to prevent and reduce improper payments.

The OIG is conducting its annual Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA) evaluation for fiscal year (FY) 2020. FISMA requires that the OIG, or independent evaluators selected by the OIG, perform an annual independent evaluation of the Department of Justice’s (Department) information security programs and practices.  The OIG has selected the following Department components for review: the Justice Management Division; Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Civil Rights Division; National Security Division; and United States Marshals Service.  The OIG will also review select systems from each component to assess the effectiveness of the Department’s information security programs and practices.

The OIG is conducting an inspection and review of Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) immigration hearings, including immigration hearings conducted via video teleconference (VTC) at U.S. Department of Homeland Security tent facilities.  This review will assess policies and procedures pertaining to the use of VTCs, the quality of the VTC broadcasts, and the potential effects of the use of VTCs on immigration hearings.  The OIG may consider including other issues that may arise during the course of our inspection and review.

The OIG is conducting a series of remote inspections of facilities housing BOP inmates during the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic. These inspections will assess whether BOP-managed institutions, contract institutions, and contract Residential Reentry Centers are complying with available guidance and best practices regarding preventing, managing, and containing potential COVID-19 outbreaks in correctional and residential reentry settings. The OIG’s objectives include providing information gathered during these inspections to assist BOP in mitigating the health risks arising from the pandemic.  As part of this work, the OIG is examining the Department’s and the BOP’s use of home confinement and other early release authorities provided under the CARES Act to manage the spread of COVID-19 within BOP facilities.  
 
 

The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has initiated a review of the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ (BOP) use of home confinement as a tool to mitigate the effect of the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic on the federal prison population.  The review will assess the BOP’s process for implementing the use of home confinement as authorized under the CARES Act, the process for its consideration of the eligibility criteria outlined in the Attorney General’s March 26 and April 3, 2020 memoranda, and the process by which BOP headquarters evaluated wardens’ recommendations that inmates who did not meet the Attorney General’s criteria be placed in home confinement.  The review will also select particular cases for examination to determine whether there were irregularities in the BOP’s processes.  If circumstances warrant, the OIG will consider including other issues that may arise during the course of the review.  The OIG is undertaking this review in response to requests from Members of Congress, and issues the OIG identified during the series of remote inspections it has conducted regarding the BOP’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In response to requests from Members of Congress and members of the public, the DOJ OIG is initiating a review to examine the DOJ’s and its law enforcement components’ roles and responsibilities in responding to protest activity and civil unrest in Washington, DC, and in Portland, Oregon in June and July 2020. The review will include examining the training and instruction that was provided to the DOJ law enforcement personnel; compliance with applicable identification requirements, rules of engagement, and legal authorities; and adherence to DOJ policies regarding the use of less-lethal munitions, chemical agents, and other uses of force. With regard to events in Lafayette Square on June 1, 2020, the DOJ OIG will coordinate our review with the Department of Interior OIG. If circumstances warrant, the OIG will consider including other issues that may arise during the course of the review.

The OIG is conducting a limited scope review of the Executive Office for Immigration Review’s handling of certain challenges presented in conducting operations during the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID 19) pandemic. The OIG will assess EOIR’s communication to staff, parties to proceedings, and the public about immigration court operations; its use of personal protective equipment; its use of worksite flexibilities; and its ability to mitigate health risks while maintaining operations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The OIG is conducting a review of non-natural inmate deaths at Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) institutions, Residential Reentry Centers, and contract facilities from fiscal years 2014 through 2019. This review will assess the circumstances surrounding inmate deaths and evaluate how the BOP seeks to prevent future inmate deaths.

The OIG is conducting a review to assess gender equity in the training and selection process for new Special Agents and Intelligence Analysts.  The review will examine policies and practices, trends and patterns for male and female trainees, and perceptions of gender equity at the FBI Academy.  It will also assess processes designed to ensure gender equity and prevent gender discrimination for trainees, including the FBI’s internal Equal Employment Opportunity process.

The OIG initiated a review of Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act funding provided through the fiscal year 2020 Office of Justice Programs' (OJP) Bureau of Justice Assistance Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding Program Solicitation.  The preliminary objectives are to assess OJP's efforts to:  (1) distribute Coronavirus award funding in a timely and efficient manner, and (2) review pre-award activities to determine if Coronavirus awards were made in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, and other guidelines. 

The OIG initiated a review of the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) response to the COVID-19 pandemic.  The review will assess whether the USMS is complying with available guidance and best practices regarding preventing, managing, and containing potential COVID-19 outbreaks in its detention settings.  The preliminary objective is to provide information gathered during this review to assist the USMS in mitigating the health risks arising from the pandemic. 

The OIG is conducting attestation reviews of the Fiscal Year 2020 Annual Accounting of Drug Control Funds and Related Performance of the Department’s Assets Forfeiture Fund, Criminal Division, Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Prisons, Office of Justice Programs, Offices of the United States Attorneys, Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, and United States Marshals Service. 

The Office of the Inspector General is initiating a survey to the ATF, DEA, FBI, USAOs, and USMS to better understand the effects of COVID-19 on investigative operations. 

Headquarters officials for travel between their residences and work locations.  Such use of GOVs is governed by the ATF’s Home-to-Work Plan, which is authorized by the Attorney General pursuant to 31 U.S.C § 1344.  The review will assess whether oversight and management of GOV use by ATF Headquarters officials has been consistent with the Home-to-Work Plan.