Department of Justice (DOJ) Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz announced today the release of the DOJ Office of the Inspector General’s (OIG) annual report identifying the top management and performance challenges facing the DOJ.
In this year’s report, we cover nine top challenges for the Department, two of which—Enhancing Cybersecurity and Countering Cybercrime and Enhancing the Department’s Response to the Opioid Crisis—we present in the overview section. We address the remaining seven challenges in the following sections:
- Improving Management of the Federal Prison System
- Strengthening Public Trust in the U.S. Department of Justice
- Safeguarding and Promoting National Security
- Managing the Post-Pandemic Impact on U.S. Department of Justice Operations
- Strengthening Police-Community Partnership and the Response to Violent Crime
- Effective Management of U.S. Department of Justice Contracts and Grants
- Managing Human Capital
“These are longstanding challenges and the events of the last year, such as breakdowns within the Federal Bureau of Prisons, significant cyber incidents, the rise in opioid-related deaths, and the violent attacks in Buffalo, New York; Uvalde, Texas; and Highland Park, Illinois, among others, highlight the importance of the Department’s mission and the critical need to address these difficult challenges,” said Inspector General Horowitz.
The report, which was transmitted to the DOJ in October, is required by statute to be prepared by the OIG and to be included in the DOJ’s Agency Financial Report. It is intended to help DOJ in its efforts to improve program performance and exercise careful oversight to ensure the effectiveness of its operations. The challenges are identified based on the OIG’s oversight work, research, and judgment. The OIG has prepared similar reports since 1998.