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Streamlining of Administrative Activities and Federal Financial Assistance Functions in the Office of Justice Programs and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services
Report No. 03-27
August 2003
Office of the Inspector General
BUREAUS
Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). This bureau was established by the Omnibus Crime Control & Safe Streets Act of 1968 § 401. BJA provides funding, training, and technical assistance to State and local governments to combat violent, and drug-related crime and help improve the criminal justice system. This bureau now includes the former Drug Courts Program Office and the former Corrections Program Office.
Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). This bureau was established by the Omnibus Crime Control & Safe Streets Act of 1968 § 302. BJS collects and analyzes statistical data on crime and the operations of justice systems at all levels of government. It also provides financial and technical support to State governments in developing State capabilities in criminal justice statistics, improving criminal history records, and implementing crime identification technology systems.
National Institute of Justice (NIJ). This bureau was established by the Omnibus Crime Control & Safe Streets Act of 1968 § 202. NIJ supports research and development programs, conducts demonstrations of innovative approaches to improve criminal justice, develops and tests new criminal justice technologies, evaluates the effectiveness of justice programs, and disseminates research findings to practitioners and policy makers. NIJ also provides primary support for the National Criminal Justice Reference Service, a clearinghouse of criminal justice-related publications, articles, videotapes, and online information.
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). This bureau was established through the Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 § 201. OJJDP provides award funding to improve juvenile justice systems and sponsors innovative research, demonstration, evaluation, statistics, and technical assistance and training programs to improve the nation's understanding of and response to juvenile violence and delinquency.
Office for Victims of Crime (OVC). This bureau was established through the Victims of Crime Act of 1984 § 1411. OVC provides funding to States to support programs that provide direct assistance to crime victims and compensate crime victims for medical and other unreimbursed expenses resulting from violent crimes. OVC also sponsors training for State, and local criminal justice officials and other professionals to help improve their response to crime victims and their families.
PROGRAM OFFICES
Office of the Police Corps and Law Enforcement Education (OPCLEE). This program office was also created by the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, but was established in the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS). In November 1998, OPCLEE transferred from the COPS Office to OJP. OPCLEE provides college educational assistance to students who commit to public service and to dependent children of officers killed in the line of duty.
Office on Violence Against Women (VAWO). This program office was established by the Violence Against Women Act of 1994. This office administers programs designed to detect, prevent, and stop violence against women, including domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Subsequent legislation has established new programs, such as initiatives addressing elder abuse, violence against women with disabilities, transitional housing for domestic violence victims, battered immigrants, victims of dating violence.
Office for Domestic Preparedness (ODP). This program office was administratively established by the Conference Report 105-504 for the Commerce/Justice/State Appropriations for 1998 (P.L. 105-119); the Attorney General delegated authority to OJP to establish a program to develop and administer training for safety against biological and chemical terrorism. ODP develops and implements a national program to enhance the capacity of State and local agencies to respond to incidents of domestic terrorism, particularly those involving weapons of mass destruction, through coordinated training, equipment acquisition, technical assistance, and support for Federal, State, and local exercises.
Community Capacity Development Office. This program office provides direct services to the field by working closely with local communities to empower them to solve local problems and build capacity at the local level. This office includes the Executive Office for Weed and Seed and the American Indian and Alaskan Native Desk.
Executive Office for Weed and Seed (EOWS). This program office was established by the Department and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. EOWS coordinates the Weed and Seed strategy, a community based, multi-disciplinary approach to combating crime. The office provides funding in attempts to weed out violent crime, gang activity, and drug use and trafficking in target areas, and then seed the target area by restoring the neighborhood through social and economic revitalization.
American Indian and Alaskan Native Desk. This office was established in OJP to enhance access to information by Federally recognized American Indian and Alaskan Native tribes regarding funding opportunities, training and technical assistance, and other relevant information.
SUPPORT OFFICES
Office for Civil Rights (OCR). This support office is responsible for ensuring that recipients of financial assistance from OJP, its component organizations, and the COPS Office are not engaged in prohibited discrimination. The OCR ensures that potential and existing grantees fully comply with all civil rights laws and regulations so that needed State assistance may commence or continue.
Office of General Counsel (OGC). This support office provides legal advice and guidance to OJP and its component bureaus.
Office of Communications. This support office is responsible for managing media and congressional activities to include:
This office also now includes the publishing central functions.
Chief Information Office. This support office provides automated systems development and support and network integration for OJP.
Office of Management and Administration. This support office combines the Office of Administration (except the Information Resources Management Division), Office of Budget and Management Services, Office of the Comptroller, and the Equal Employment Opportunity Office.
Office of Administration (OA). This support office serves as the principal advisor to the Assistant Attorney General for OJP on matters involving human resources recruitment and management; labor relations; contracting and procurement; property and space management; and the maintenance, safety, and security of facilities.
Office of Budget and Management Services (OBMS). This support office manages a wide variety of budget execution, formulation, and presentation activities, as well as management and planning, correspondence analysis, and coordination activities within OJP. Specifically, OBMS directs, coordinates, and prepares OJP's annual budget requests to Congress, the Office of Management and Budget, and the Department of Justice. Following annual appropriations, OBMS allocates and tracks all OJP funds, maintaining control of agency obligations, including grants, payments, agreements, and contracts. In addition, OBMS works with OJP's bureaus and offices to implement the National Performance Review, the Federal Managers' Financial Integrity Act, the Government Performance and Results Act, as well as other initiatives. Through its Executive Secretariat Staff, OBMS manages OJP's correspondence control system and provides advice and assistance to OJP components in the area of correspondence control. Finally, together with the Office of Congressional and Public Affairs, OBMS coordinates the Department's Young American Medals Program--a Presidential award program that recognizes deserving youth for acts of bravery and service.
Office of the Comptroller (OC). This support office is the principal advisor to the Assistant Attorney General for OJP on matters involving fiscal policy guidance and control, and supports accounting, financial and grants management, and claims collection services. The OC is comprised of four divisions responsible for providing support services for the offices and bureaus that comprise OJP. The four divisions are the: 1) Financial Management Division, 2) Accounting Division, 3) Monitoring Division, and 4) Training and Policy Division. The Financial Management Division is responsible for providing advice and guidance to OJP's offices and bureaus in the area of the financial management of grants and cooperative agreements, which includes ensuring the financial management and fiscal integrity of fund recipients; monitoring the internal grant process to ensure all required business management and fiscal integrity practices and actions are performed; conducting budget reviews of grant applications; developing, negotiating, and approving indirect cost allocation plans; providing technical assistance, both pre- and post-award, to grantees and program offices; and post-award administration of grants. The Accounting Division is responsible for planning, developing, implementing, maintaining and upgrading an integrated accounting system in conformance with appropriate laws, regulations, and policies, to ensure proper fund accountability, fiscal control, and availability of financial data for decision making. The Monitoring Division is responsible for providing financial monitoring of grantees and monitoring, tracking, and resolving grantee audit reports, as well as providing technical assistance to grantees and program offices. The Training and Policy Division is responsible for providing financial management training and technical assistance to grantees, OJP, and Department staff, as well as the development and implementation of internal and external financial management policy.
Equal Employment Opportunity Office (EEO). This support office is responsible for ensuring that OJP provides equal employment opportunity for all employees and applicants on the basis of merit and without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, and physical or mental disability.