Audit of the Department of Justice, Office of the Federal Detention Trustee

Audit Report No. 05-04
December 2004
Office of the Inspector General

Objectives We have completed an audit of the Office of the Federal Detention Trustee. The objectives of the audit were to: 1) review the funding and the accomplishments of the OFDT since its inception in FY 2001; 2) determine how the OFDT coordinates and oversees detention activities within the Department; and 3) examine the OFDT's plans and goals for managing detention needs. Scope and Methodology We performed the audit in accordance with the Government Auditing Standards issued by the Comptroller General of the United States, and accordingly included such tests of the records and procedures that we considered necessary. The audit covered the period from the establishment of the OFDT in FY 2001 to the present. We interviewed numerous personnel regarding their role in the detention area and their working relationship with the OFDT. In addition to meeting with officials at the OFDT, we interviewed officials at: the Office of the Deputy Attorney General; the Office of the Assistant Attorney General for Administration, including the Chief Financial Officer and Deputy Chief Financial Officer; the United States Marshals Service; the Federal Bureau of Prisons; the Justice Management Division (JMD) Management and Planning Staff; the JMD Budget Staff; the Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement; and the Office of Management and Budget. We also examined budget and other planning documents, as well as reports prepared by the OFDT, correspondence, historical detention information, policies, procedures, public laws, and related legislative history.