Eleanor Finch
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) is a federal agency that enforces federal laws, seeks just punishment for the guilty, and ensures the fair and impartial administration of justice. The DOJ was established by the U.S. Congress in 1870 during the presidency of Ulysses S. Grant, with the Attorney General as its head. The department is composed of more than 40 separate component organizations and over 115,000 employees, including thousands of lawyers, investigators, and agents. The DOJ's mission is to uphold the rule of law, protect civil rights, and keep the country safe from threats, both foreign and domestic. It works to earn the public's trust by following the facts and the law without prejudice or improper influence and by adhering to the highest standards of ethical behaviour.
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
The Attorney General
Some notable Attorney Generals include Pamela Bondi, who served as Attorney General of Florida and worked on President Trump's legal team during his impeachment proceedings, and Janet Reno, who was appointed by President Clinton and served from 1993 to 2001.
The Cabinet's Role: Executive Branch Explained
You may want to see also
Federal Bureau of Prisons
The Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP or BOP) is a federal law enforcement agency of the United States Department of Justice. It was established within the Department of Justice on May 14, 1930, by the United States Congress. The FBOP is responsible for all federal prisons in the country and provides for the care, custody, and control of federal prisoners.
The federal prison system had existed for more than 30 years before the BOP was established. The wardens functioned almost autonomously, but the Superintendent of Prisons, a Department of Justice official in Washington, was nominally in charge of federal prisons. The "Three Prisons Act" in 1891 authorized the first three federal penitentiaries: USP Leavenworth, USP Atlanta, and USP McNeil Island, with limited supervision by the Department of Justice.
In 1907, the General Agent was abolished, and its functions were distributed between three new offices: the Division of Accounts, the Office of the Chief Examiner, and the Office of the Superintendent of Prisons and Prisoners, later called the Superintendent of Prisons. The latter evolved in 1930 into the Bureau of Prisons. By the end of 1930, the system had expanded to 14 institutions with 13,000 inmates, and a decade later, in 1940, the system had 24 institutions with 24,360 incarcerated.
As of December 2024, the Bureau was responsible for approximately 157,504 inmates in 122 facilities. 56.7% of inmates were white, 38.9% were black, 2.9% Native American, and 1.5% Asian; 93.5% were male and 6.5% were female. 29.2% were of Hispanic ethnicity, which may be any of the four races. 74.5% of inmates were between the ages of 26 and 50. Twenty-eight institutions hold female inmates, and as of 2010, about 15% of Bureau inmates are in facilities operated by third parties, mostly private companies, while others are in local and state facilities.
The National Institute of Corrections (NIC), founded in 1974, is organized under the Federal Bureau of Prisons. It has a legislatively mandated mission to assist state and local correctional institutions and to manage the American Federal Prison System by keeping records of inmates.
The DOJ's Place in the Executive Branch
You may want to see also
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is a law enforcement agency within the US Department of Justice. The ATF enforces federal criminal laws regulating the firearms and explosives industries.
The ATF was established as an independent bureau within the Treasury Department on 1 July 1972, by Department of Treasury Order No. 221. This order transferred the functions, powers, and duties relating to alcohol, tobacco, firearms, and explosives from the Internal Revenue Service to the ATF. The ATF was originally an acronym for the Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms Division of the IRS, which was first used following the passage of the Gun Control Act in 1968.
In 2001, following the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, President George W. Bush signed the Homeland Security Act into law, creating the Department of Homeland Security. This law also shifted the ATF from the Department of the Treasury to the Department of Justice, where it remains today.
The ATF has faced criticism for its handling of information and security of firearms, including the mishandling of thousands of confiscated firearms by ATF personnel. Despite this, the ATF has played a significant role in prosecuting cases involving terrorism and violent crime, with a primary mission of enforcing federal firearms and explosives laws.
The Declaration's Preamble: A Founding Statement's Introduction
You may want to see also
Explore related products
United States Attorneys
U.S. Attorneys are appointed by the President of the United States for a term of four years, with appointments requiring confirmation by the Senate. They can be removed by the President, and since 1986, the Attorney General has had the authority to appoint interim U.S. Attorneys to fill vacancies.
U.S. Attorneys receive oversight, supervision, and administrative support from the Justice Department's Executive Office for United States Attorneys. Certain U.S. Attorneys are selected to participate in the Attorney General's Advisory Committee of United States Attorneys.
It is important to note that prior to the establishment of the Department of Justice in 1870, U.S. Attorneys operated independently of the Attorney General. Now, they fall under the authority and supervision of the Attorney General.
Bureaucracy and the Executive Branch: Who's in Control?
You may want to see also
FBI
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is a national security and law enforcement agency that operates under the US Department of Justice. It is the principal investigative arm of the Department of Justice and a full member of the US Intelligence Community.
The FBI was created in 1908 by Attorney General Charles Joseph Bonaparte, who issued an order to establish an investigative agency within the Department of Justice. This order was confirmed in 1909 by Attorney General George W. Wickersham, who ordered the establishment of the Bureau of Investigation. The agency's current name was designated by Congress in 1935.
The FBI has the authority and responsibility to investigate specific crimes assigned to it and to provide other law enforcement agencies with cooperative services, such as fingerprint identification, laboratory examinations, and training. The FBI also gathers, shares, and analyzes intelligence, both to support its own investigations and those of its partners, and to better understand and combat the security threats facing the United States.
The FBI is headed by a Director who is appointed by the US President and confirmed by the Senate. The Director serves for a 10-year term and leads the FBI's over 37,100 employees, including approximately 13,700 special agents and 20,100 professionals in various fields. These employees are stationed in 55 field offices and 351 satellite offices throughout the US, as well as at FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C.
The FBI's mission is to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution. To achieve this, the FBI designs and implements counterterrorism initiatives, conducts and coordinates counterintelligence activities, and identifies and investigates criminal and terrorist group intrusions through physical and cyber-attacks. The FBI also operates the FBI Laboratory, which provides technical and scientific assistance to law enforcement agencies and other federal agencies, and offers identification assistance in mass disasters and for other humanitarian purposes.
Executive Branch: Understanding Its Major Components
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
The Attorney General is the head of the Department of Justice.
The Department of Justice is composed of more than 40 separate component organisations and more than 115,000 employees, including thousands of lawyers, investigators, and agents.
Some of the component organisations within the Department of Justice include the Civil Division, the Criminal Division, the Antitrust Division, the Civil Rights Division, the Tax Division, and the Environment & Natural Resources Division.
The mission of the Department of Justice is to enforce the law, uphold the rule of law, keep the country safe, protect civil rights, and ensure the fair and impartial administration of justice.
