April 1, 2002–September 30, 2002
Office of the Inspector General

MESSAGE FROM THE INSPECTOR GENERAL

This semiannual report summarizes the work of the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) from April 1, 2002, through September 30, 2002. During this period, the OIG has conducted important reviews and issued reports related to critical Department of Justice (Department) priorities and programs. For example, the OIG examined the Immigration and Naturalization Service’s (INS) contacts with two September 11 terrorists and assessed its old and new systems for tracking foreign students studying in the United States. We completed an audit of aspects of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) counterterrorism program, including its progress toward developing a comprehensive written assessment of the potential terrorist threat to U.S. interests. We reported on problems in the INS’s Institutional Removal Program, which seeks to identify and deport criminal aliens who are serving sentences in federal, state, or local correctional facilities.

We conducted reviews assessing other Department activities, including separate audit reports examining four components’ accountability for weapons and laptop computers. We also issued a “capping report” that consolidated findings from these four audits and a previous review of the INS’s property management practices. This capping report offered 13 recommendations to improve management of sensitive property throughout the Department.

In the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks, we are continuing work on several important projects, including reviews of the treatment of aliens detained in two facilities – the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, and the Passaic County Jail in Paterson, New Jersey – the FBI’s handling of certain intelligence information relating to the September 11 attacks, and the FBI’s acquisition and management of information technology systems.

While we continue to investigate a variety of allegations of criminal and administrative misconduct against Department employees, we also seek to enhance integrity in other ways. For example, the OIG provides Integrity Awareness Briefings to hundreds of Department employees each year and develops procedural reform recommendations to help prevent misconduct before it occurs.

Congress recently passed the Department of Justice Reauthorization Act, which codified the OIG’s authority to investigate misconduct throughout the Department, including in the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). We believe this is an important step to help ensure that the OIG maintains independent oversight throughout the Department.

We appreciate the Attorney General’s and Congress’s continued support of the work of the OIG and our mission to promote integrity and efficiency in the Department.

Glenn A. Fine Inspector General October 31, 2002