Of 1,997 Civil Rights Complaints Against Justice Dept., Only One Investigated

justice dept. logoBy Matt Castello
ticklethewire.com

WASHINGTON — A report released Tuesday showed that 1,997 civil rights complaints were filed against Justice Department employees during the first six months of 2010, but only one was investigated by the Inspector General’s Office.

The report issued by the Justice Department’s Inspector General said 1,815 of the complaints “did not fall within the OIG’s (Office of the Inspector General) jurisdiction or did not warrant further investigation.”

Of the 1,997 complaints, the Inspector General found that 182 required further review. At the same time, the Inspector General referred six of those complaints to the Federal Bureau of Prisons for further investigation.

The lone investigation that was pursued involved the alleged assault of a Muslim inmate. Abrasions were found on his head, left shoulder, knees and ankles during a medical assessment after U.S. Marshals Service turned him over to authorities.

In the two prior Inspector General reports, three investigations were initiated. All three involved the alleged mistreatment of Muslim inmates. The Inspector General deemed one as unsubstantiated.

The Department of Justice did not immediately respond to calls seeking comment.

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