The Justice Department is emphasizing funding for technology improvements, its general administration and witnesses, says an analysis by MainJustice.com of the department's fiscal 2011 budget request to Congress. In percentage terms, the biggest requested increase is for the Justice Information Sharing Technology account. The department is looking to more than double its funding for the account, which funds systems that electronically store and transmit data. The general administration request of $233.3 million would be used to bolster efforts to fight terrorism, Indian country crime,and an influx of Office of Professional Responsibility probes opened at the request of Congress.
The key accounts that would be cut include the Office of Justice Programs and Community Oriented Policing Services, which handle justice and law enforcement grants for state, local and tribal agencies. The budget request for OJP and COPS was reduced by about $160 million because they were “heavily earmarked,” said the department’s budget and performance summary. Members of Congress regularly request millions of dollars for justice and law enforcement programs in their districts.