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Body Armor for Law Enforcement Officers: In Brief [May 13, 2014]
"Firearms are one of the leading causes of deaths for law enforcement officers feloniously killed in the line of duty. According to data published by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), approximately 92% of the 535 non-federal law enforcement officers feloniously killed in the line of duty between 2003 and 2012 were killed by a firearm. Law enforcement officers who are shot in the torso are more likely to die as a result of their injury than if they are not wearing a vest. […] Congress is considering legislation that would reauthorize the program through FY2018. S. 933, the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Program Reauthorization Act of 2013, would, among other things, reauthorize the BPV [Bulletproof Vest Partnership Initiative] program until FY2018. The bill was introduced on May 13, 2013, and was reported by the Senate Judiciary Committee on August, 1, 2013. This report provides an overview of the BPV program. It also provides a discussion of [1] data on law enforcement agencies that require their officers to wear armor vests while on duty, [2] research on why officers may choose to wear armor vests, [3] research on the life cycle for armor vests, [4] data on the use of body armor by law enforcement officers who were killed with a firearm, and [5] research on the effectiveness of armor vests. The report concludes with a survey of congressional issues policy makers might consider when debating legislation to reauthorize the BPV program."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
James, Nathan
2014-05-13
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Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program: Fact Sheet [May 20, 2014]
"People with mental illness comprise a significant proportion of the population involved with the criminal justice system. The Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that at midyear 2005, over half of state prison and local jail inmates had a mental health problem. Mental health courts were developed to respond to the large number of people in the criminal justice systems with mental illness. The federal government provides funding to support mental health courts across the country through the Justice and Mental Health Collaboration program. The purpose of the program is to increase public safety by facilitating collaboration among the criminal justice, juvenile justice, mental health treatment, and substance abuse systems to increase access to treatment for offenders with mental illness. Authorized funding for this program is set to expire at the end of FY2014. Congress is considering legislation that would both expand the scope of the program and reauthorize appropriations through FY2019."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
James, Nathan
2014-05-20
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FY2015 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations: Fact Sheet
"The annual Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) appropriations act provides funding for agencies such as the Census Bureau; the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office; the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; the National Institute of Standards and Technology; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Prisons; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the National Aeronautics and Space Administration; and the National Science Foundation; along with funding for a variety of criminal justice assistance grant programs for state, local, and tribal governments."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
James, Nathan
2014-05-22
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Bureau of Prisons (BOP): Operations and Budget [March 4, 2014]
"The Bureau of Prisons (BOP) is the largest correctional agency in the country, in terms of the number of prisoners under its jurisdiction. The BOP must confine any offender convicted and sentenced to a term of imprisonment in a federal court. Changes in federal criminal justice policy since the early 1980s--enforcing a growing number of federal crimes, replacing indeterminate sentencing with a determinate sentencing structure through sentencing guidelines, and increasing the number of federal offenses subject to mandatory minimum sentences--have led to continued rapid growth in the federal prison population. The number of inmates under the BOP's jurisdiction has increased from approximately 24,600 inmates in FY1980 to nearly 219,300 inmates in FY2013. Since FY1980, the federal prison population has increased, on average, by approximately 5,900 inmates each year. […] This report provides an overview of how the BOP manages the growing federal prison population and examines the BOP's appropriations since FY1980."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
James, Nathan
2014-03-04
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Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies: FY2015 Appropriations [April 28, 2014]
"This report tracks and provides an overview of actions taken by the Administration and Congress to provide FY2015 appropriations for Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) accounts. It also provides an overview of enacted FY2014 appropriations for agencies and bureaus funded as a part of the annual appropriation for CJS. The amounts in this report reflect only new appropriations. Therefore, the amounts do not include any rescissions of unobligated or de-obligated balances that may be counted as offsets to newly enacted appropriations, nor do they include any scorekeeping adjustments, such as the balance on the Crime Victims Fund. The FY2014-enacted amounts were taken from the joint explanatory statement to accompany P.L. 113-76, printed in the January 15, 2014, 'Congressional Record' (pp. H507-H532). The FY2015 requested amounts were taken from the appendix to the 'Budget of the United States Government, Fiscal Year 2015;' U.S. Department of Commerce, 'Budget in Brief Fiscal Year 2015;' U.S. Department of Justice, 'Summary of Budget Authority by Appropriation;' National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 'FY2015 President's Budget Request Summary;' and National Science Foundation, 'FY2015 Budget Request to Congress.'"
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
James, Nathan
2014-04-28
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FY2015 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations: Fact Sheet [April 28, 2014]
"The annual Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) appropriations act provides funding for agencies such as the Census Bureau; the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office; the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; the National Institute of Standards and Technology; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Prisons; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the National Aeronautics and Space Administration; and the National Science Foundation; along with funding for a variety of criminal justice assistance grant programs for state, local, and tribal governments."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
James, Nathan
2014-04-28
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Federal Prison Population Buildup: Overview, Policy Changes, Issues, and Options [April 15, 2014]
"Since the early 1980s, there has been a historically unprecedented increase in the federal prison population. Some of the growth is attributable to changes in federal criminal justice policy during the previous three decades. An issue before Congress is whether policy makers consider the rate of growth in the federal prison population sustainable, and if not, what changes could be made to federal criminal justice policy to reduce the prison population while maintaining public safety. This report explores the issues related to the growing federal prison population. The number of inmates under the Bureau of Prisons' (BOP's) jurisdiction has increased from approximately 25,000 in FY1980 to over 219,000 in FY2013. Since FY1980, the federal prison population has increased, on average, by approximately 5,900 inmates each year. Data show that a growing proportion of inmates are being incarcerated for immigration- and weapons-related offenses, but the largest portion of newly admitted inmates are being incarcerated for drug offenses. Data also show that approximately 7 in 10 inmates are sentenced for five years or less. Changes in federal sentencing and correctional policy since the early 1980s have contributed to the rapid growth in the federal prison population. These changes include increasing the number of federal offenses subject to mandatory minimum sentences; changes to the federal criminal code that have made more crimes federal offenses; and eliminating parole."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
James, Nathan
2014-04-15
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Offender Reentry: Correctional Statistics, Reintegration into the Community, and Recidivism [June 12, 2014]
"The number of people incarcerated in the United States grew steadily for nearly 30 years. That number has been slowly decreasing since 2008, but as of 2012 there were still over 2 million people incarcerated in prisons and jails across the country. The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) reports that since 1990 an average of 590,400 inmates have been released annually from state and federal prisons and almost 5 million ex-offenders are under some form of community-based supervision. Nearly all prisoners will return to their communities as some point. Offender reentry can include all the activities and programming conducted to prepare prisoners to return safely to the community and to live as law-abiding citizens. Some ex-offenders, however, eventually end up back in prison. The BJS's most recent study on recidivism showed that within five years of release nearly three-quarters of ex-offenders released in 2005 came back into contact with the criminal justice system, and more than half returned to prison after either being convicted for a new crime or for violating the conditions of their release. Compared with the average American, ex-offenders are less educated, less likely to be gainfully employed, and more likely to have a history of mental illness or substance abuse--all of which have been shown to be risk factors for recidivism."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
James, Nathan
2014-06-12
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'Militarization' of Law Enforcement and the Department of Defense's '1033 Program' [August 20, 2014]
"Recent clashes between police and protesters in Ferguson, MO, have raised questions about the 'militarization' of law enforcement. Such concerns have focused almost exclusively on the expanding role ofSpecial Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) teams. Congress has also turned its attention to the Department of Defense's (DOD) '1033 Program' and what role it might play in the militarization of law enforcement."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
James, Nathan; Else, Daniel H.
2014-08-20
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Can Body Worn Cameras Serve as a Deterrent to Police Misconduct? [August 28, 2014]
"Conflicting accounts about what transpired before Michael Brown was shot by Ferguson (MO) Police Officer Darren Wilson on August 9 have raised questions about police accountability and transparency. Requiring law enforcement officers to use body worn cameras (BWCs) has emerged as one idea to deter officer misconduct and reduce the inappropriate use of force, among other things. BWCs are mobile cameras that allow law enforcement officers to record what they see and hear. They can be attached to a helmet, a pair of glasses, or an officer's shirt or badge."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
James, Nathan
2014-08-28
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School Resource Officers: Law Enforcement Officers in Schools [February 6, 2014]
"Some policymakers have expressed renewed interest in school resource officers (SROs) as a result of the December 2012 mass shooting that occurred at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT. SROs are sworn law enforcement officers who are assigned to work in schools. For FY2014, the Administration requested $150 million in funding for a Comprehensive Schools Safety Program under the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program. Congress appropriated $75 million for a Comprehensive School Safety Initiative. Congress required the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) to collaborate with key partners from law enforcement, mental health, and education disciplines to develop and publish a comprehensive strategy and model for school safety. Within the amount provided, $50 million is for pilot programs to improve school safety consistent with the school safety model published by the NIJ. The remaining $25 million is for research and evaluation into potential root causes of school violence. […] Two federal grant programs promoted SRO programs: the COPS in Schools (CIS) program, which was funded until FY2005, and State Formula Grants under the Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities Act (SDFSCA), which was funded until FY2009. The CIS program provided grants for hiring new, additional school resource officers to conduct community policing services in and around primary and secondary schools. Local educational agencies could use funds they received under the SDFSCA State Formula Grant program for, among other things, hiring and training school security personnel."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
James, Nathan; McCallion, Gail
2014-02-06
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Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS): Background and Funding [February 6, 2014]
"Between FY1995 and FY1996, the annual appropriation for the COPS [Community Oriented Policing Services] program averaged more than $1.4 billion. The relatively high levels of funding during this time period were largely the result of Congress's and the Clinton Administration's efforts to place 100,000 new law enforcement officers on the street. Appropriations for the program started to wane in FY2002 before increasing again for the four-year period between FY2007 and FY2010. Congress started to reduce funding for the COPS program as it moved away from providing funding for hiring new law enforcement officers and changed COPS into a conduit for providing federal assistance to support local law enforcement agencies. Starting in FY1998, an increasing portion of the annual appropriation for COPS was dedicated to programs to help law enforcement agencies purchase new equipment, combat methamphetamine production, upgrade criminal records, and improve forensic sciences. Funding for the COPS program decreased in both FY2011 and FY2012, which can be attributed to reduced funding for the COPS Hiring Program, the congressional earmark ban, and Congress moving appropriations for programs that were traditionally funded under the COPS account to other accounts. Funding for the COPS program has been fairly stable (around $200 million) since FY2012 now that Congress has started to consistently fund the same programs through the COPS account. One issue Congress might consider is whether the federal government should continue to provide grants to state and local law enforcement agencies to hire additional officers at a time of historically low crime rates."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
James, Nathan
2014-02-06
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Offender Reentry: Correctional Statistics, Reintegration into the Community, and Recidivism [February 25, 2014]
"The prison population in the United States has been growing steadily for more than 30 years. The Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that since 1990 an average of 590,400 inmates have been released annually from state and federal prisons and almost 5 million ex-offenders are under some form of community-based supervision. Offender reentry can include all the activities and programming conducted to prepare ex-convicts to return safely to the community and to live as law-abiding citizens. Some ex-offenders, however, eventually end up back in prison. The most recent national-level recidivism study is 10 years old; this study showed that two-thirds of exoffenders released in 1994 came back into contact with the criminal justice system within three years of their release. Compared with the average American, ex-offenders are less educated, less likely to be gainfully employed, and more likely to have a history of mental illness or substance abuse--all of which have been shown to be risk factors for recidivism. Three phases are associated with offender reentry programs: programs that take place during incarceration, which aim to prepare offenders for their eventual release; programs that take place during offenders' release period, which seek to connect ex-offenders with the various services they may require; and long-term programs that take place as ex-offenders permanently reintegrate into their communities, which attempt to provide offenders with support and supervision. There is a wide array of offender reentry program designs, and these programs can differ significantly in range, scope, and methodology."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
James, Nathan
2014-02-25
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DNA Testing in Criminal Justice: Background, Current Law, Grants, and Issues [February 25, 2014]
"Deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA, is the fundamental building block for an individual's entire genetic makeup. DNA is a powerful tool for law enforcement investigations because each person's DNA is different from that of every other individual (except for identical twins). […] The criminal justice community began to utilize DNA analyses more often in criminal investigations and trials, and in 1994 Congress enacted legislation to authorize the creation of a national DNA database. State laws dictate which convicted offenders, and sometimes people arrested for crimes, will have profiles entered into state DNA databases, while federal law dictates the scope of the national database. Increasing awareness of the power of DNA to solve crimes has resulted in increased demand for DNA analysis, which has resulted in a backlog of casework. Some jurisdictions have started to use their DNA databases for familial searching, which involves using offender profiles to identify relatives who might be perpetrators of crimes. In addition to solving crimes, DNA analysis can help exonerate people incarcerated for crimes they did not commit. Congress has authorized several grant programs to provide assistance to state and local governments for forensic sciences. Many of the programs focus on providing state and local governments with funding to reduce the backlog of forensic and convicted offender DNA samples waiting to be processed and entered into the national database. However, other grant programs provide funding for related purposes, such as offsetting the cost of providing post-conviction DNA testing."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
James, Nathan
2014-02-25
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Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies: FY2014 Appropriations [November 4, 2013]
"On March 26, 2013, President Obama signed into law the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013 (P.L. 113-6). The act provides a total of $60.638 billion for Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS). This amount includes $7.726 billion for the Department of Commerce, $27.305 billion for the Department of Justice, $24.737 billion for the science agencies, and $870.1 million for the related agencies. […] This report will track and describe actions taken by the Administration and Congress to provide FY2014 appropriations for CJS accounts. It also provides an overview of FY2013 appropriations for agencies and bureaus funded as a part of the annual appropriation for CJS. The FY2013-enacted and the FY2014-requested appropriations were taken from S.Rept. 113-78. The amounts recommended by the House Committee on Appropriations were taken from H.Rept. 113-171 and the amounts recommended by the Senate Committee on Appropriations were taken from S.Rept. 113-78."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
James, Nathan; Williams, Jennifer Dingledine, 1945-; Sargent, John F.
2013-11-04
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Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS): Current Legislative Issues [January 13, 2014]
"The Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program was created by Title I of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (P.L. 103-322). The mission of the COPS program is to advance community policing in all jurisdictions across the United States. The Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act of 2005 (P.L. 109-162) reauthorized the COPS program through FY2009 and changed the COPS program from a multigrant program to a single-grant program. The COPS program awards grants to state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies throughout the United States so they can hire and train law enforcement officers to participate in community policing, purchase and deploy new crime-fighting technologies, and develop and test new and innovative policing strategies. Authorized appropriations for the COPS program expired in FY2009. As such, Congress could consider legislation to reauthorize the COPS program. Debate about reauthorization of the program could be contentious because the COPS program is one of the primary means for providing federal assistance to state and local law enforcement, but at the same time, Congress is considering ways to reduce discretionary spending in order to shrink the federal budget deficit. This report provides an overview of issues Congress may consider if it chooses to take up legislation to reauthorize the COPS program."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
James, Nathan
2014-01-13
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Early Release for Federal Inmates: Fact Sheet [February 3, 2014]
"Congress has shown interest in ways to reduce the size of the federal prison population by reducing the amount of time inmates serve in prison though such measures as allowing inmates to earn credit toward their sentences for participating in rehabilitative programs. In considering whether or how to modify existing federal sentencing policy, some policymakers might be interested in examining existing means to reduce a federal inmate's sentence. This fact sheet highlights current authorities available to provide for the early release of federal inmates."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
James, Nathan
2014-02-03
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Risk and Needs Assessment in the Criminal Justice System [June 22, 2015]
"The number of people incarcerated in the United States has increased significantly over the past three decades from approximately 419,000 inmates in 1983 to approximately 1.5 million inmates in 2013. Concerns about both the economic and social consequences of the country's growing reliance on incarceration have led to calls for reforms to the nation's criminal justice system. There have been legislative proposals to implement a risk and needs assessment system in federal prisons. The system would be used to place inmates in rehabilitative programs. Under the proposed system some inmates would be eligible to earn additional time credits for participating in rehabilitative programs that reduce their risk of recidivism. Such credits would allow inmates to be placed on prerelease custody earlier. The proposed system would exclude inmates convicted of certain offenses from being eligible to earn additional time credits. Risk and needs assessment instruments typically consist of a series of items used to collect data on behaviors and attitudes that research indicates are related to the risk of recidivism. Generally, inmates are classified as being high, moderate, or low risk. Assessment instruments are comprised of static and dynamic risk factors. Static risk factors do not change, while dynamic risk factors can either change on their own or be changed through an intervention. In general, research suggests that the most commonly used assessment instruments can, with a moderate level of accuracy, predict who is at risk for violent recidivism. It also suggests that no single instrument is superior to any other when it comes to predictive validity."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
James, Nathan
2015-06-22
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Risk and Needs Assessment in the Criminal Justice System [October 13, 2015]
"The number of people incarcerated in the United States has increased significantly over the past three decades from approximately 419,000 inmates in 1983 to approximately 1.5 million inmates in 2013. Concerns about both the economic and social consequences of the country's growing reliance on incarceration have led to calls for reforms to the nation's criminal justice system. There have been legislative proposals to implement a risk and needs assessment system in federal prisons. The system would be used to place inmates in rehabilitative programs. Under the proposed system some inmates would be eligible to earn additional time credits for participating in rehabilitative programs that reduce their risk of recidivism. Such credits would allow inmates to be placed on pre-release custody earlier. The proposed system would exclude inmates convicted of certain offenses from being eligible to earn additional time credits. […] However, the wide-scale adoption of risk and needs assessment in the criminal justice system is not without controversy. Several critiques have been raised against the use of risk and needs assessment, including that it could have discriminatory effects because some risk factors are correlated with race; that it uses group base rates for recidivism to make determinations about an individual's propensity for re-offending; and that risk and needs assessment are two distinct procedures and should be conducted separately."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
James, Nathan
2015-10-13
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Is This the First Step in Undoing Mass Incarceration? 6,000 Federal Drug Offenders Set to be Released [October 22, 2015]
"In early November, the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) is scheduled to release approximately 6,000 federal inmates convicted of drug trafficking offenses. While some have cheered the releases as a sign of efforts to 'right size' drug sentences or reduce mass incarceration, others are concerned about what effect it might have on public safety. […] In April 2014, the U.S. Sentencing Commission (Commission) submitted to Congress proposed amendments to the Federal Sentencing Guidelines (Guidelines) that would reduce by two levels the base offense levels assigned to drug offenses, thereby lowering the Guideline ranges for most federal drug trafficking offenses. In July 2014, the Commission voted to apply the amendment retroactively (with the condition that no prisoners who receive reduced drug sentences may be released before November 1, 2015). The amendment went into effect on November 1, 2014, in the absence of disapproval by an act of Congress."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
James, Nathan; Yeh, Brian T.
2015-10-22
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Is Violent Crime in the United States Increasing? [October 29, 2015]
"On August 31, 2015, the New York Times ran an article with the headline 'Murder Rates Rising Sharply in Many U.S. Cities.' The story highlighted double-digit percentage increases in homicide rates in several cities, and came on the heels of reports from other media outlets of recent spikes in violent crime in cities across the country. Accounts of rising violent crime rates in some cities have generated speculation about whether the United States is in the midst of a new crime wave. Overall, homicide and violent crime rates have been trending downward for more than two decades, and both rates are at historic lows. An analysis comparing 2014 and 2015 homicide data from the nation's 60 most populous cities suggests that violent crime is not increasing. Overall, reported homicides were up 16% in 2015, but a majority of cities (44 of 60) have not seen a statistically significant increase in homicides. The general consensus is that it is too early to draw any conclusions about the reversal of long-term trends. Also, even if homicide and violent crime rates do increase this year, it may not portend a break in the long-term trend. Even though both rates have been on a downward trend since 1990, there were years where either the homicide rate or violent crime rate increased. […] The recent discussion about the increases in violent crime in some cities might raise the question of whether there is a need for more 'real time' nationwide crime statistics. More frequent and consistent crime data might be able to provide greater insight into crime trends. However, there are logistical issues involved with collecting and reporting timely and accurate crime statistics from the nation's approximately 18,000 law enforcement agencies."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
James, Nathan
2015-10-29
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Risk and Needs Assessment in the Criminal Justice System [July 24, 2015]
"The number of people incarcerated in the United States has increased significantly over the past three decades from approximately 419,000 inmates in 1983 to approximately 1.5 million inmates in 2013. Concerns about both the economic and social consequences of the country's growing reliance on incarceration have led to calls for reforms to the nation's criminal justice system. […] Risk and needs assessment instruments typically consist of a series of items used to collect data on behaviors and attitudes that research indicates are related to the risk of recidivism. Generally, inmates are classified as being high, moderate, or low risk. Assessment instruments are comprised of static and dynamic risk factors. Static risk factors do not change, while dynamic risk factors can either change on their own or be changed through an intervention. In general, research suggests that the most commonly used assessment instruments can, with a moderate level of accuracy, predict who is at risk for violent recidivism. It also suggests that no single instrument is superior to any other when it comes to predictive validity. The Risk-Needs-Responsivity (RNR) model has become the dominant paradigm in risk and needs assessment. The risk principle states that high-risk offenders need to be placed in programs that provide more intensive treatment and services while low-risk offenders should receive minimal or even no intervention. The need principle states that effective treatment should focus on addressing needs that contribute to criminal behavior. The responsivity principle states that rehabilitative programming should be delivered in a style and mode that is consistent with the ability and learning style of the offender."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
James, Nathan
2015-07-24
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Federal Tactical Teams [September 3, 2015]
From the Summary: "In 2014 and 2015, reports of Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) teams used by law enforcement agencies in allegedly questionable raids or in what appeared to be aggressive responses to public disturbances generated interest among policymakers in federal tactical teams. There is no single source for data on federal tactical teams. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) surveyed federal agencies with law enforcement personnel to collect basic information on any tactical teams they maintain. The number of tactical teams has proliferated among American law enforcement since the first SWAT team was formed by the Los Angeles Police Department in the 1960s. Research has shown that most law enforcement agencies now have a tactical team. Data also show that these teams are being deployed more frequently. As the acronym SWAT implies, such teams are deployed against particularly dangerous criminals and in challenging situations. This report provides baseline data on federal tactical teams."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
James, Nathan
2015-09-03
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Body Armor for Law Enforcement Officers: In Brief [January 13, 2015]
"Firearms are one of the leading causes of deaths for law enforcement officers feloniously killed in the line of duty. Since FY1999, Congress has provided funding to state and local law enforcement agencies to help them purchase armor vests for their officers. The Matching Grant Program for Law Enforcement Armor Vests (hereinafter, 'BPV program') provides grants to state, local, and tribal governments to purchase armor vests for use by law enforcement officers and court officers. The BPV program was first authorized by the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Act of 1998 (P.L. 105-181). It has been subsequently reauthorized four times. The most recent reauthorization expired in FY2012. Since FY1999, appropriations for the program have generally been between $25 million and $30 million. However, over the past three fiscal years appropriations for the program were less than $23 million. Armor vests can only save lives when they are actually worn. Data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics indicate that an increasing percentage of police departments and sheriffs' offices have instituted 'mandatory wear' policies. […] Should Congress consider legislation to reauthorize the BPV program, policy makers may consider several issues, including (1) what role the federal government should play, if any, in providing armor vests for state and local law enforcement, (2) whether Congress should rescind deobligated balances from the BPV program, (3) whether Congress should invest in developing new technology for armor vests, and (4) whether Congress should require law enforcement agencies to provide training on the care and maintenance of body armor as a condition of receiving funding under the BPV program."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
James, Nathan
2015-01-13
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Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program: Fact Sheet [January 7, 2015]
"People with mental illness comprise a significant proportion of the population involved with the criminal justice system. The Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that at midyear 2005, over half of state prison and local jail inmates had a mental health problem. Mental health courts were developed to respond to the large number of people in the criminal justice systems with mental illness. The federal government provides funding to support mental health courts across the country through the Justice and Mental Health Collaboration program. The purpose of the program is to increase public safety by facilitating collaboration among the criminal justice, juvenile justice, mental health treatment, and substance abuse systems to increase access to treatment for offenders with mental illness. Authorized funding for this program expired at the end of FY2014. Even though authorized appropriations expired at the end of FY2014, Congress appropriated funding for the program for FY2015."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
James, Nathan
2015-01-07
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Backlog of Sexual Assault Evidence: In Brief [October 19, 2015]
"Sexual assault kits (SAKs, also referred to as 'rape kits') are used by medical professionals to collect evidence during a forensic medical exam of a sexual assault victim in order to establish elements of a crime. Generally, upon completion of the medical exam the kit is transferred to an authorized law enforcement agency that logs the kit into evidence. Procedure and protocol regarding when and where kits are sent, however, vary across jurisdictions. Some law enforcement agencies automatically send the kits to forensic laboratories for testing while others wait for varying amounts of time; in some cases depending on when/if a police officer or prosecutor requests forensic analysis of the kits. Evidence from these kits may help identify, convict, or exonerate an offender. Evidence may also be stored in DNA [deoxi-ribose nucleic acid] databases for use in other cases. […] The backlog of SAKs has raised concerns over justice for assault victims and that evidence in untested kits could be used to prevent suspects from victimizing others. SAKs may remain untested for reasons such as limited resources of laboratories and law enforcement and police discretion. Police may opt not to pursue a forensic investigation for a variety of reasons including perception of victim cooperation or a decision that the results of the kit would not be pertinent to the overall investigation."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Sacco, Lisa N.; James, Nathan
2015-10-19
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Body Armor for Law Enforcement Officers: In Brief [January 28, 2016]
From the Summary: "Firearms are one of the leading causes of deaths for law enforcement officers feloniously killed in the line of duty. Since FY1999, Congress has provided funding to state and local law enforcement agencies to help them purchase armor vests for their officers. The Matching Grant Program for Law Enforcement Armor Vests (hereinafter, 'BPV program') provides grants to state, local, and tribal governments to purchase armor vests for use by law enforcement officers and court officers. The BPV program was first authorized by the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Act of 1998 (P.L. 105-181). It has been subsequently reauthorized four times. The most recent reauthorization expired in FY2012. Between FY1999 and FY2012, annual appropriations for the program generally ranged been between $25 million and $30 million. However, over the past four fiscal years, annual appropriations for the program were less than $23 million."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
James, Nathan
2016-01-28
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Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program: Fact Sheet [February 2, 2016]
"People with mental illness comprise a significant proportion of the population involved with the criminal justice system. The Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that at midyear 2005, over half of state prison and local jail inmates had a mental health problem. Mental health courts were developed to respond to the large number of people in the criminal justice systems with mental illness. The federal government provides funding to support mental health courts across the country through the Justice and Mental Health Collaboration program. The purpose of the program is to increase public safety by facilitating collaboration among the criminal justice, juvenile justice, mental health treatment, and substance abuse systems to increase access to treatment for offenders with mental illness. Authorized funding for this program expired at the end of FY2014, although, Congress has continued to appropriate funding for the program."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
James, Nathan
2016-02-02
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Public Trust and Law Enforcement - A Brief Discussion for Policymakers [March 22, 2016]
"Events over the past several years involving conflict between the police and citizens have generated interest in what role Congress could play in facilitating efforts to build trust between law enforcement and the people they serve while promoting effective crime reduction. This report provides a brief overview of police-community relations and how the federal government might be able to promote more accountability and better relationships between citizens and law enforcement. Gallup poll data show that, overall, Americans are confident in the police; but, confidence in the police varies according to race, place of residence, and other factors. In 2014, less than 50% of Americans favorably rated the honesty and ethics of police, the lowest percentage since 1998. If they conclude that low public ratings of the police are at least partially attributable to police policies, Congress may decide to address state and local law enforcement policies and practices they believe erode public trust in law enforcement. Federalism limits the amount of influence Congress can have over state and local law enforcement policy. Regardless, the federal government might choose to promote better law enforcement-community relations and accountability through (1) federal efforts to collect and disseminate data on the use of force by law enforcement, (2) statutes that allow the federal government to investigate instances of alleged police misconduct, and (3) the influence the Department of Justice (DOJ) has on state and local policing through its role as an enforcer, policy leader, convener, and funder of law enforcement."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
James, Nathan; Bjelopera, Jerome P.; Finklea, Kristin M. . . .
2016-03-22
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Police Shootings and Federal Support for Law Enforcement Safety [July 19, 2016]
"The recent shooting deaths of police officers in Dallas, TX, and Baton Rouge, LA, have served as a reminder of the danger law enforcement officers can face while serving the public. While these attacks have heightened attention on deaths suffered by police officers in the line of duty, data indicate that the number of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty has generally decreased over the past three decades. However, the number of officers killed in ambush situations has remained fairly steady. Annually, on average, nine law enforcement officers have died in ambush situations between 1979 and 2014."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
James, Nathan
2016-07-19
