Semiannual Report to Congress

April 1, 2007-September 30, 2007
Office of the Inspector General


Office of Justice Programs

OJP logo The Office of Justice Programs (OJP) manages the majority of the Department’s grant programs and is responsible for developing initiatives to address crime at the state and local level. OJP has approximately 600 employees and is composed of 5 bureaus – Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Institute of Justice (NIJ), Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), and Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) – as well as the Community Capacity Development Office.

Reports Issued

Audits of OJP Grants to State and Local Entities

During this reporting period, the OIG continued to conduct audits of grants awarded by OJP. Examples of findings from these audits included the following:

Investigations

The following are examples of cases involving OJP that the OIG’s Investigations Division handled during this reporting period:

Ongoing Work

Southwest Border Prosecution Initiative

Administered by OJP, the Southwest Border Prosecution Initiative (SWBPI) reimburses eligible jurisdictions in the four southwest border states for costs associated with the prosecution of criminal cases declined or referred by local USAOs. The OIG is auditing the effectiveness of OJP’s administration and oversight of SWBPI reimbursements, and whether SWBPI reimbursements are allowable and supported in accordance with applicable laws, rules, and regulations.

Management of the Grant Program for Human Trafficking Victims

OVC provides grants to support victim service programs for alien victims trafficked into or within the United States who require emergency services. The OIG is examining the extent to which the grant program has achieved its objective to provide effective assistance for victims of trafficking.

Hometown Heroes Survivors Benefits

The OIG is reviewing OJP’s implementation of the Hometown Heroes Survivors Benefits Act of 2003, which allows payment of public safety officer survivor benefits for fatal heart attacks or strokes suffered in the line of duty. The review is determining whether OJP is processing death claims for heart attacks and strokes in a timely manner and in accordance with the intent of the Act.



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