Justice, Department of

Established in June 1870, a cabinet-level department with the attorney general as its head. The mission of the U.S. Department of Justice is to enforce the law and defend the interests of the United States; to provide federal leadership in preventing and controlling crime; to seek just punishment for those guilty of unlawful behavior; and to ensure fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans. Headquartered in Washington, DC, the Justice Department conducts much of its work in offices located throughout the country and overseas.

The Department of Justice comprises 40 separate components and its field structure. One of these components includes the U.S. attorneys, who prosecute individuals charged with federal offenses and represent the U.S. government in court. The department also oversees the major federal investigative agencies—the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF)—which prevent and deter crime and arrest criminal suspects. The U.S. Marshals Service, another branch of the Justice Department, protects the federal judiciary, apprehends fugitives, and detains persons in federal custody.

The Bureau of Prisons is the branch of the Justice Department that confines convicted offenders. The litigating divisions enforce federal criminal and civil laws, including civil rights, tax, antitrust, environmental, and civil justice statutes. The Office of Justice Programs and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services provide leadership and assistance to state, tribal, and local governments. Other major components of the Justice Department include the National Drug Intelligence Center, the United States Trustees, the Justice Management Division, the Executive Office for Immigration Review, the Community Relations Service, and the Office of the Inspector General.

Following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, reorganization efforts within the federal government have led to the transfer of much of the Immigration and Naturalization Service from the Department of Justice to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The Department of Justice has also found itself at the center of much controversy as a result of federal legislation, namely, the USA PATRIOT Act, passed after September 11.

The controversy has to do with changes in many rules on civil liberties to facilitate responses and reactions to terrorism. For example, the act provides for suspension of habeas corpus in most courts (but not federal courts), changes the rules to allow for more liberal electronic surveillance by the FBI, and institutes more federal crimes on money laundering and funding for terrorist organizations.

Many legal challenges to some of these changes have been put forth in the court system, and decisions have been somewhat mixed. Some courts have upheld parts of the law and others, including the U.S. Supreme Court, have ruled against it. Most of the provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act are to expire in 2005, but the administration of President George W. Bush has supported extending the act's provisions beyond that date.

The Department of Justice is often in the news as a result of actions by its components or subordinate organizations, including the FBI, the DEA, and ATF. This is not surprising because these agencies are responsible for criminal investigation and prosecution. Controversies such as the sieges and shootouts at Waco and Ruby Ridge are representative of the debate surrounding the department's actions.

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