The Federal Department of Violent Crime?
Newly-appointed Attorney General Pam Bondi says the "core function" of the Department of Justice is "fighting violent crime". That's wrong, and would be a bad idea in any case. The Department is in need of major reform, so let's start with understanding its true function: protecting Americans.
What did Bondi say?
In an interview on Fox News on February 21, AG Bondi repeatedly made the claim:
Fox [1:40]: If I may just ask you, what have you been able to see since you've taken the reins there that has perhaps altered or prioritized some of your initial goals out of the gate here?
Bondi: Well you know what really altered, of course we want to take it back to its prime major function the Department of Justice, fighting violent crime.
...
Bondi [5:00]: It's almost comical, Sandra, that people think this is partisan. We're taking the Department of Justice back to its core function, fighting violent crimes and saving childrens' lives.
Does the Department of Justice fight violent crime?
While there are a few federal laws prohibiting violent crime against federal agents, most laws against violent crimes are state laws. The vast majority of laws enforced by the Department of Justice are unrelated to violent crime. The data confirms the Department of Justice has little to do with prosecuting violent crime.
According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, only 3.4% of federal prison inmates are there for "Homicide, Aggravated Assault, and Kidnapping Offenses". There are more inmates committed for "Extortion, Fraud, Bribery" (3.9%), "Immigration" (4.6%), and "Burglary, Larceny, Property Offenses" (5.0%). But there's one category that dwarfs the rest.
A staggering 43.8% of federal prison inmates are imprisoned for "Drug Offenses". So at least in recent decades, it seems the "core function" of the Department of Justice has been fighting the drug war against American citizens. This is the big opportunity for reform.
How should the Department of Justice be reformed?
The core function of the Department of Justice should not be prosecuting non-violent, victimless drug crime. That's especially true when the Department of Justice bullies defendants into taking plea deals for 98% of cases. Too many Americans are in prison for a drug prohibition that is no longer favored and was never a good idea.
Yet the core function of the Department of Justice has never been prosecuting violent crime, and shouldn't be – we should leave that to the states, otherwise we are violating the basic premise of federalism.
The core function of the Department of Justice is to protect Americans. Bondi should be re-centering the Department of Justice around that mission, by enforcing desirable, well-framed laws fairly and consistently. That means it should be going after people who defraud the federal government, steal federal government property, breach the country's borders, print counterfeit money, etc. That means it should not be going after drug crime like it does now, or violent crime like Bondi is proposing.
Either the Department of Justice should do its job of protecting Americans in compliance with our federalist framework, or it should be dismantled.