Department of Justice
About the Department of Justice
The Department of Justice is a very large agency with many branches. Fortunately, it has a pretty good Web site that is a big help in navigating this many-pronged agency. It is usually the first place I turn if I'm dealing with a new part of the agency and don't have numbers for it.
Another good resource, because this is a law enforcement agency that doesn't provide much information about itself, is CQ's Federal Staff Directory, which provides direct numbers. This includes the press shop and some of the interesting areas of DOJ, but there are far too many to list and many I have not yet explored.
DOJ branches
These are just a few. Many have regional offices that might be more helpful and that you should track down. Several have pretty good web sites and their addresses are provided below.
Bureau of Prisons
Public Information Office
202-514-6551
Traci Billingsley, chief public information officer
tbillingsley@bop.gov
Drug Enforcement Administration
Office of Public Affairs
202-307-7977, can also call this number after hours
Office of Inspector General
202-514-3435
You can find a lot of good reports about the agency and about local grant programs such as COPS here.
Cynthia Schnedar, acting inspector general
cynthia.schnedar@usdoj.gov
Bureau of Justice Statistics
This of course is great for getting crime statistics for your area and they like their information to be covered.
Kara McCarthy, public affairs specialist
202-307-1241 (w)
781-308-3696 (cell)
kara.mccarthy@usdoj.gov
Does this agency's information need updating? programs@nationalpress.org
Contact Information
- 202-616-2777
Contacts and Resources
202-616-2777 or 202-514-2007
Command Center
202-514-5000
Justice daily puts out an e-mail that it calls a press guidance telling reporters any events involving the attorney general or other high-level members of the department, upcoming press releases, testimony and who is on night duty. The releases are marginally helpful because they come out the day of. But it's worth subscribing to make sure you haven't missed anything. Call the press office to be added to the list. Also you'll get e-mails when DOJ holds a quickly-planned news conference, which it often does.
Office of Public Affairs
202-514-2007
DOJ credentials
You must be credentialed to enter the headquarters. To do that, contact Elizabeth Newman at 202-514-2007.