The Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) announced today the release of the OIG’s annual report identifying the top management and performance challenges facing the DOJ. This year’s report identifies eight areas that the OIG believes represent the most pressing concerns for the DOJ:
- Achieving Balance and Containing Costs in a Significantly Overcrowded Federal Prison System
- Enhancing Cybersecurity in an Era of Increasing Threats
- Building Trust and Improving Police-Community Relationships
- Safeguarding National Security Consistent with Civil Rights and Liberties
- Ensuring Effective Oversight of Law Enforcement Programs
- Promoting Public Confidence by Ensuring Ethical Conduct Throughout the Department
- Effectively Implementing Performance-Based Management
- Protecting Taxpayer Funds from Mismanagement and Misuse
In the cover memorandum to the report, Inspector General Horowitz called the overcrowded federal prison system and cybersecurity threats “particular challenges that will continue to occupy much of the Justice Department’s attention and require vigilance in the foreseeable future.”
This year the OIG also identified a new challenge -- Building Trust and Improving Police Community Relationships -- as an emerging issue where the Inspector General said he thinks the DOJ can make a difference.
“We believe that by providing the appropriate leadership, resources, training, and oversight, the Justice Department can help rebuild trust between some of the nation’s communities and their police departments, particularly in cities where these relationships have been tested over the past year,” Horowitz said.
The report released today, which was transmitted to the DOJ last month and released pursuant to statute as part of the DOJ’s Agency Financial Report, is intended to help the DOJ develop innovative solutions and exercise careful oversight to ensure the effectiveness of its operations.
“As the Justice Department’s independent watchdog, we will continue to conduct audits, investigations and reviews throughout the coming year to help the Department meet these challenges,” Horowitz said.
The challenges are identified based on the OIG’s oversight work, research, and judgment. The OIG has prepared similar reports since 1998.
Report: The report released today can be found at the following link: https://oig.justice.gov/challenges/2015.pdf.
Multimedia: The OIG has released both a video and a podcast to accompany the report. The 2minute video features the Inspector General summarizing the report’s findings, and the two part podcast features the Inspector General discussing the report in more detail. Both the video and podcast, along with transcripts, can be accessed at the following link: https://oig.justice.gov/multimedia/.