Department of Justice

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is responsible for enforcing the law and defending the interests of the United States; ensuring public safety against foreign and domestic threats; providing Federal leadership in preventing and controlling crime; punishing those guilty of unlawful behavior; and ensuring fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans. To this end, the President's 2012 DOJ Budget provides $28.2 billion, a 2 percent increase above 2010. The Budget prioritizes key areas of Federal law enforcement including FBI operations, corrections officers, and prosecution.  In order to eliminate redundancies and target resources, the Administration streamlines a number of law enforcement programs. Sentencing reforms are made to help stabilize the growth of the prison population and address associated long-term costs while protecting public safety. Due to fiscal constraints, important trade-offs were necessary in local and state grants, which are reduced by $588 million from the 2010 enacted level, including $196 million from the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program.  Savings of $49 million is generated by delaying upgrades and reducing spending on technology projects.  Finally, the Budget proposes to save an additional $107 million by streamlining operations and consolidating duplicative programs.

Protects the Nation

• Provides $3.4 billion for the Department's litigation efforts to protect civil rights, consumers, intellectual property, and the environment. Notably, this supports the continued robust efforts to crack down on financial fraud and maintains litigation efforts and ongoing investigations regarding the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
• Increases funding for the Department’s national security programs, which are critical for countering the threat of terrorism.

Improves the Way Federal Dollars are Spent

• Provides $2 million to analyze data on the impacts of different crime reduction programs to identify and assess cost-effective crime reduction strategies.
• Reduces duplication and realigns investigative resources to improve the capabilities of Department of Justice law enforcement agents.
• Advances reform and fiscally-sound alternatives to incarceration, proposing $8.4 billion for the operations of the Office of the Federal Detention Trustee and the Bureau of Prisons, and will help stabilize the prison population by advancing evidence-based sentencing reform legislation.

Makes Targeted Investments and Tough Choices for State and Local Assistance Initiatives

• Supports State and local criminal justice programs with almost $3 billion in discretionary assistance for police hiring, general purpose criminal justice assistance, violence against women programs, and other initiatives.
• Delivers on its core mission to protect the Country by providing $12.5 billion for the Department’s law enforcement components – the FBI, DEA, ATF, and U.S. Marshals.
• Ends funding for grant earmarks, including 1,312 earmarks totaling more than $470 million enacted in 2010 for DOJ’s grant components. The President has announced his intent to veto any appropriation containing earmarks.