Friday, August 13, 2010
Nearly 2,000 civil rights complaints were filed against employees of the Department of Justice in the first half of 2010, but the agency’s inspector general only bothered to investigate one of the cases. The IG reported that almost all of the 1,997 complaints—1,815 to be precise—did not fall within the office’s jurisdiction or did not warrant further investigation.
One hundred and eighty-two cases did receive some review by the IG office, and six were turned over to the Federal Bureau of Prisons for investigation. The one complaint taken on by the IG involved the alleged assault of a Muslim inmate who was turned over to authorities by U.S. Marshals.
Attacks on Muslim inmates seem to be one area the IG takes special interest in. All six of the cases referred to the Bureau of Prisons also dealt with complaints by Muslim prisoners. The two prior reports documented only three investigations out of all complaints filed, and all three involved the alleged mistreatment of prisoners belonging to the Islamic faith.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
Of 1,997 Civil Rights Complaints Against Justice Dept., Only One Investigated (by Matt Castello, TickleTheWire.com)
Report to Congress on Implementation of Section 1001 of the USA PATRIOT Act (U.S. Department of Justice, Inspector General) (pdf)
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