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 PolicyPolicy
IV. Agency Budget Summaries

THE FEDERAL JUDICIARY


  1. RESOURCE SUMMARY

  2. METHODOLOGY

    • The drug portion of the Judiciary's budget is estimated by applying the percentage of drug related activity experienced in each appropriation to the current appropriation or requested funding. The percentages are developed by analyzing the workload of each component of the Judiciary, and then rounded to the nearest five percent before application. The percentages are updated each year in September to reflect the most recent drug workload information available.

  3. PROGRAM SUMMARY

    • The federal Judiciary is organized geographically into 12 Judicial Circuits and 94 Districts, each with supporting offices, such as the Office of the Clerk of the Court, Central Legal Staff, Probation and Pretrial Services Offices, and Bankruptcy Courts. The courts receive administrative support from the Administrative Office of the U. S. Courts and research and training services from the Federal Judicial Center. In addition to personnel and court operating expenses, Judiciary costs include payments to jurors, payments to defense attorneys for indigent defendants, court reporting and interpreting, and court facility security.

    • The Judiciary's drug resources support Goals 2 and 3 of the National Drug Control Strategy as described below:

    • The Judiciary supports Goal 2 by playing a unique role in the criminal justice continuum. The resources identified with this goal represent an estimate of the Judiciary's resources associated with drug cases, trials, defendants, and associated costs. These costs relate to the ONDCP's Prosecution, Corrections, and Research and Development functions.

    • The Judiciary supports Goal 3 through its federal probation and pretrial services drug testing and treatment programs. These resources support court ordered drug testing, drug treatment, and supervision of federal defendants, probationers, parolees, and supervised releasees.

  4. BUDGET SUMMARY

    1998 Program

    • The total 1998 enacted level includes $633.3 million and 5,922 FTEs. This provides $558.6 million for prosecution, corrections, and research and development in support of Goal 2 activities and $74.7 million for drug treatment activities under Goal 3.

    Goal 2: Increase the safety of America's citizens by substantially reducing drug-related crime and violence.

    • The 1998 level of $558.6 million supports Goal 2 by providing adjudication of federal drug laws, representation for indigent individuals accused under these laws, and the supervision of offenders and defendants. Drug-related workload is identified by the types of cases being heard as well as the offenses of the individuals needing counsel or under supervision.

    • These resources will be used to support the following drug control activities:

      • Salaries and Expenses -- provides salaries, benefits, and other operating expenses of judges and support personnel for the United States courts of appeals, district courts, and bankruptcy courts in support of probation and pretrial services staff to supervise federal defendants and those under post-conviction release.

      • Defender Services -- provides effective representation for any person financially unable to obtain adequate representation in federal criminal and certain related proceedings.

      • Fees of Jurors and Commissioners -- provides funding for jurors involved in drug cases.

      • Court Security -- covers U.S. Marshals Service costs to provide security for judicial areas at courthouses and in federal facilities housing court operations.

      • Administrative Office of the United States Courts -- provides professional support, analysis, program management, and oversight for the federal judiciary.

      • Federal Judicial Center -- provides education and training for judges, probation and pretrial services officers, and other federal court personnel.

      • United States Sentencing Commission -- covers costs related to the establishment, review, and revision of sentencing guidelines, policies, and practices of drug cases.

      • Violent Crime Reduction Trust Fund -- provides resources to implement the provisions of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 and the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996.

    Goal 3: Reduce health and social costs to the public of illegal drug use.

    • The 1998 level of $74.7 million is related primarily to the testing and treatment of federal defendants and offenders by the probation and pretrial services offices. Probation and pretrial services officers have primary responsibility for enforcing conditions of release imposed by the courts and for monitoring the behavior of persons placed under their supervision. With the oversight of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts, officers administer a program of substance abuse testing and treatment for persons on pretrial release, probation, supervised release, and parole. The goal is to eliminate substance abuse by persons under supervision and to remove violators from the community before relapse leads to recidivism.

    1999 Request

    • The total FY 1999 drug control budget request is $698.4 million, an increase of $65.1 million over the FY 1998 enacted level.

    Goal 2: Increase the safety of America's citizens by substantially reducing drug-related crime and violence.

    • The total drug control request for Goal 2 activities for FY 1999, including increases for inflation, pay increases, additional representations, and the increased costs of ongoing activities, is $614.6 million, a net increase of $56 million over the enacted FY 1998 level. The request does not include any specific drug program enhancements. Rather, the request reflects increases to maintain current services with increasing drug-related workload.

    Goal 3: Reduce health and social costs to the public of illegal drug use.

    • The total drug control request for Goal 3 activities for FY 1999, including increases for inflation, pay increases, additional representations, and the increased costs of ongoing activities, is $83.8 million, a net increase of $9.1 million over the enacted FY 1998 level. The request does not include any specific drug program enhancements. Rather, the request reflects increases to maintain current services with increasing drug-related workload. Also, Judiciary will receive $4.7 million from the Department of Justice to continue the President's drug testing initiative for federal defendants.

  5. PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS

    • During FY 1997, the Judiciary achieved a number of significant accomplishments in their drug control program. These include:

      • The development and implementation of the Simplified Procurement Procedures for drug and mental health treatment services, training 160 field personnel on the new procedures.

      • The final phase of the Sweat Patch Pilot program was completed in 40 districts in FY 1997. The sweat patch is a new drug testing device which detects illicit drugs through perspiration rather than urine. This reduces the offender's window of opportunity to use illicit drugs by providing detection over an extended period of time.

      • The Judiciary completed, and distributed to the field, an evaluation of non-instrumented drug testing devices (hand-held kits). The report identified the best devices for use as screening tests and provided the average cost for purchasing the devices. It is estimated the report will save the Judiciary significant funds in procuring the devices since officers will no longer depend on the manufacturer for guidance. The report was reviewed by forensic scientists at the Department of Health and Human Services, and they have accepted it as a comprehensive, valid, and important study for publishing in the field of drug testing.

      • Expanded the use of the Substance Abuse Treatment Module to track expenditures for treatment and urine testing.

      • Reviewed several drug assessment instruments with a view toward standardizing the intake process for matching offenders with appropriate services.

      • Solicited for a national urine testing contract for probation and pretrial services offices. Review and evaluation of offers has been completed; award is pending.