Program Description

Program Description

Combines the duties related to the supervision and direction of the Agency. Establishes procedures so that the Agency is administered in such a way that it may reach its goals and objectives. In addition, it advises and offers support to the Department's operational programs so that they may effectively carry out their mission. The Office of the Secretary, the Offices Assitant Secretary of Human Resources, Management and Administration, as well as the Information Systems and Auditing Office are included in this program. The operational budget of the Board of Seized Property and the Legal thought Training and Development Institute is located here as well.

Objectives

• To effectively coordinate the support action and the programmatic component of the Department, thereby improving the function of the organization and the Agency's administrative services.

• To revise the Department's Organic Act in tune with the programmatic and working policies of the Government, its needs, as well as the fiscal and human resources available.

• To stimulate, through the Legal thought trainnig and Development Institute, the professional development of the prosecutors, advocates, registrars and attorneys of the Agency to raise the level of quality and to stimulate up to date knowledge in subjects related to the diverse fields of law.

• Through the Value your Life Project, establish mechanisms of interagency collaboration focused on educating the citizens on the importance of emphasizing the value of life, encouraging respect and teaching the rejection of violence.

Customers

Programs, entities and employees of the Agency and the general public

Human Resources

Authorized and Proposed Positions	2009	2010	2011	2012
Managerial,Technical, Administrative, and Office Staff	178	142	97	97
Judges, Lawyers, and Legal Staff	5	3	3	7
Other Safety and Protection Staff	0	0	0	1
Planning, Budget, Statistics, Auditing, and Finance	15	21	9	12
Maintenance and General Services Staff	35	27	18	1
Information Systems	15	16	14	3
Total, Positions	248	209	141	121

Special Investigations

Program Description

Develops specialized techniques in the field of criminal investigation. In addition, compiles and evaluates information related to state security and investigations. It fights governmental corruption, organized crime and unlawful acts in relation to public service. It offers shelter to witnesses and victims of crime.

Objectives

• Reinforce coordination with state and federal law enforcement agencies in the fight against organized crime, with an emphasis on fighting the organizations dedicated to the sale and distribution of firearms and controlled substances.

• Reinforce the criminal investigation of cases of public integrity, which also includes those cases under the jurisdiction of the Independent Special Prosecutor's Office Panel.

• Direct particular attention to cases involving the violation of civil rights by law enforcement agents.

• Maintains ties with INTERPOL and "National Center for Missing and Exploited Children".

• Strengthen the role of the Bureau of Special Investigations (NIE) in actions directed at combating administrative and governmental corruption, unlawful acts against the public service and organized crime.

• Develop new initiatives and projects directed at combating the disappearances and abuse of children.

• Maintain the Shelter for the Protection of Victims and Witnesses in safe condition.

Statistical Data	2010	2011	2012
Governmental investigations charges filed	737	512	565
Interpol messages worked	23,050	23,511	23,260
Organized crime charges filed	299	263	300
People attended at the program to protect victims and witnesses	829	840	1,251

Data obtained from the headcount report by agency. Figures for fiscal year 2011-2012 were estimated during the budget formulation process.

Customers

All Puerto Rico government agencies and the general public

Authorized and Proposed Positions	2009	2010	2011	2012
Managerial,Technical, Administrative, and Office Staff	41	41	33	21
Judges, Lawyers, and Legal Staff	1	1	1	1
Other Safety and Protection Staff	222	208	200	202
Maintenance and General Services Staff	6	6	5	4
Health Services	1	0	0	0
Total, Positions	271	256	239	228

Program Description

Implements the public policy established by Act No. 88 of July 9, 1986, as amended, known as the Puerto Rico Minors Act, which imposes the duty to investigate and process minors under the age of 18 who incur in offenses. It represents the Public Ministry in civil proceedings, such as adoptions, declarations of disability, tutorship and judicial authorizations related to the property of minors, among others.

Coordinates the Justice in the Community Program, which provides orientation to teachers, parents, students and community groups regarding the functions of the Department of Justice and the services it provides to the citizenship. In addition, the Closed Circuit Television Project offers services in cases where the Court has determined that a minor victim or witness under the age of 18, should not testify in presence the accused.

• To update the Minors Act according to the needs prevailing in society.

• To encourage specialized technical training for Advocates for Minors and Families, police officers and agents.

• To promote the rehabilitation of minors that have incurred in offenses related to the use and abuse of controlled substances, through the creation of a pilot program of juvenile drug courts.

• To make possible the rehabilitative intervention of the criminal justice system, by identifying those minors using controlled substances while enjoying the privilege of a diversion program under the supervision of the Office of Minors and Family Affairs.

• To continue the Justice in the Community Project, in order to contribute in the fight against juvenile delinquency through orientations directed at preventing abuse and neglect as well as institutional abuse and neglect.

• To contribute to the formulation of public policy for the prevention of juvenile delinquency and family matters, through participation in the working committees and councils of the different government entities and instrumentalities.

Statistical Data	2010	2011	2012
Family relations cases attended	14,921	15,566	19,077
Guidance provided	70	72	60
Juvenile cases incurring in offenses	4,307	5,145	4,907
Juvenile cases resolved	5,264	6,281	5,958
Juveniles in Deviation Program	430	508	471
Occupancy percent	82	82	82

The statistical data was provided by the Agency during the Fiscal Year 2011-2012 budget formulation process.

Customers

Minors and disabled persons who need legal representation in civil matters, where they have been affected or where their rights may be affected, as well as law enforcement agents that file complaints regarding the commission of crimes or offenses for their eventual investigation and processing, Puerto Rico government agencies and the general public.

Human Resources

Authorized and Proposed Positions	2009	2010	2011	2012
Managerial,Technical, Administrative, and Office Staff	45	44	28	28
Judges, Lawyers, and Legal Staff	118	124	118	124
Other Safety and Protection Staff	21	21	21	20
Planning, Budget, Statistics, Auditing, and Finance	1	0	0	0
Maintenance and General Services Staff	7	7	4	3
Families and Community Services Staff	14	15	18	15
Total, Positions	206	211	189	190

Program Description

Investigates and processes the unlawful acts which constitute a crime. Represents the People of Puerto Rico before the Courts in processes of a criminal nature. It also provides protection and other services to victims and witnesses of crime and extradites fugitives. Develops and participates in projects directed at preventing unlawful acts such as: Drug Courts and other prevention projects in the area of violence against women.

Objectives

• Create specialized units in order to promote the quick and effective investigation for the processing of drug and murder cases.

• To restructure the Office of the Puerto Rico Attorney General in order to facilitate the processing of criminal cases.

• Revise the Civil Code of 2004 to ensure its consistency with the public policy of the state and the protection of the civil rights of crime victims.

• Expand the Drug Courts Program to the 13 judicial regions and to the juvenile criminal court system.

• Seek the collaboration of all state and federal government agencies to attack head on organized crime and the large scale trafficking of illegal drugs and weapons.

• Provide assistance and necessary services in order to accelerate the recuperation of victims from any adverse effects produced by a criminal act.

Statistical Data	2010	2011	2012
Convictions	17,169	16,679	15,807
Occupancy percent	89	82	88
Resolved charges	21,293	20,461	17,965

The statistical data was provided by the Agency during the Fiscal Year 2011-2012 budget formulation process.

Citizens and law enforcement agents that present complaints of unlawful acts or crimes for eventual investigation and processing. In addition, victims and witnesses that require orientation and assistance in order to appear at trial.

Human Resources

Authorized and Proposed Positions	2009	2010	2011	2012
Managerial,Technical, Administrative, and Office Staff	157	156	84	84
Judges, Lawyers, and Legal Staff	446	436	434	434
Other Safety and Protection Staff	62	63	78	78
Maintenance and General Services Staff	9	8	3	3
Families and Community Services Staff	55	52	51	51
Total, Positions	729	715	650	650

Program Description

Authorizes and grants compensation to victims of crime who, as a direct result of the crimes stipulated in the enabling Law, are affected or suffer bodily injury, illness or death. Likewise, benefits are also granted to those persons who suffer injury or die as a result of an attack while stopping the commission of a crime, while capturing or trying to capture a suspect of a crime or while assisting a law enforcement officer performing an arrest. The crimes, or attempted crimes for which compensation is offered are the following: murder, involuntary homicide, gross negligence, rape, incest, kidnapping, mutilation, sodomy with minors, lascivious and lewd acts, domestic violence and child abuse. The Law provides for benefits such as funeral services expenses, medical treatment, psychological or psychiatric treatment as well as costs for legal services.

Objectives

• To encourage measures directed at improving the rights and benefits to victims of crime, by proposing legislation that permits greater compensation.

• To have the victims of crime processed by the Office and the Shelter for the Protection of Victims and Witnesses of the Bureau of Special Investigation, receive psycho-educational assistance as part of the process to restore their lives after a criminal event.

• Maximize the contact the Office has with the victims of crime by placing technicians from the Crime Victims Compensation Office in the District Attorney's office so victims may have access to the services in a prompt and effective manner.

Statistical Data	2010	2011	2012
Compensated victims	2,041	1,901	1,760
Compensation amount (in thousands)	771,668	823,629	867,347
Personal and telephonic conferences and lectures	1,085	1,140	49

The statistical data was provided by the Agency during the Fiscal Year 2011-2012 budget formulation process.

Customers

Anyone in Puerto Rico who has been a victim of a crime as defined by Law.

Human Resources

Authorized and Proposed Positions	2009	2010	2011	2012
Managerial,Technical, Administrative, and Office Staff	10	10	8	6
Planning, Budget, Statistics, Auditing, and Finance	1	1	0	0
Total, Positions	11	11	8	6

Program Description

Records contracts and proceedings related to real estate, through a system of publication of titles. Said system contains the adjudications, modifications and extensions of domain, inheritance taxes, and the judicial resolutions that may affect the rights of the title holders.

Objectives

• Evaluate the administrative operations and the registration processes in order to have a Property Registry that is swift and efficient, and whose information is centralized and up to date as far as registration and information systems.

• Revise the Mortgage Law to achieve a responsive law that meets the current needs of the citizenship.

• Digitalize the historical volumes in the Property Registry in order to achieve a registration system that is swift and trustworthy, that facilitates the entry, management, processing of and access to the information by the users of the Property Reyistry.

• Improve the technical process of the Property Registry, by implementing an electronic system for the processing of documents which, in turn, provides easy access to all the users of the Registry.

Statistical Data	2010	2011	2012
Documents pending to be registered	605,489	599,880	235,619
Documents released	246,667	256,657	257,091

The statistical data was provided by the Agency during the Fiscal Year 2011-2012 budget formulation process.

Customers

Property owners, title investigators, banks, financial institutions and government agencies that require expropriations.

Human Resources

Authorized and Proposed Positions	2009	2010	2011	2012
Managerial,Technical, Administrative, and Office Staff	71	67	33	94
Other staff	30	36	36	36
Planning, Budget, Statistics, Auditing, and Finance	406	385	366	311
Maintenance and General Services Staff	33	34	31	31
Information Systems	13	14	7	19
Total, Positions	553	536	473	491

Restriction of Monopolistic Practices

Program Description

Determines practices that serve to restrict free trade and tend to lead to the unfair concentration of economic power. Therefore, (the program) seeks to eliminate those practices or conditions that diminish the competitiveness of any natural or legal entity within the economic system. Among its basic functions, emphasis is placed on detecting and restricting monopolistic practices through economic and legal studies of the different markets and industries, preparing and promulgating regulations conducive to regulating some economic practices, attend consultations in cases of commercial mergers or acquisitions, among others. In addition, it represents the Government of Puerto Rico before the state and federal court system, in cases related to monopolistic practices.

To perform comparative analyses of pertinent laws in other jurisdictions, contemporary commercial practices and other commercial, economic and technological factors, in order to strengthen Puerto Rico Anti-Monopoly law.

• Develop a data bank of industries, commercial businesses and markets to facilitate the identification of the impact of commercial laws and practices on commerce.

• Perform an educational campaign related to the controls on monopolistic practices, by developing an orientation program for businesses and the public relative to Act No. 77 of June 25, 1964, as amended, 10 L.P.R.A. 257 et seq., and other laws enforced by the Office of Monopolistic Affairs.

Statistical Data	2010	2011	2012
Monopoly affairs cases completed	32	28	34

The statistical data was provided by the Agency during the Fiscal Year 2011-2012 budget formulation process.

Customers

Consumers public, small business owners and Government agencies of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Human Resources

Authorized and Proposed Positions	2009	2010	2011	2012
Managerial,Technical, Administrative, and Office Staff	10	10	8	5
Judges, Lawyers, and Legal Staff	5	4	4	4
Other Safety and Protection Staff	1	1	1	1
Planning, Budget, Statistics, Auditing, and Finance	3	3	1	1
Total, Positions	19	18	14	11

Program Description

Compiles and maintains information available on the case history of those persons who are indicted and convicted for the commission of felonies in an information system that is updated constantly. Incorporates and maintains said information into a national data system. Provides access and communication facilities to municipal, state and federal law enforcement agencies, enabling them to obtain detailed criminal information, in a precise and timely manner, on persons and events related to the criminal process in Puerto Rico as well as in all jurisdictions and states of the United States. Also develops and provides technical support to projects such as: Sexual Aggressors, Follow-up on cases from the District Attorney's Office, Protection Orders, Gangs and Terrorism, Minors Affairs and other components. Access to the electronic register of sex offenders may be obtained at their web page: www.sijc.gobierno.pr

Objectives

• Maintain and develop the infrastructure and the programming in order to culminate the Integrated Criminal Justice System (SIJC), which permits the exchange of data about criminal offenders and the movement of criminal cases with other components of the unit.

• Synchronize an SIJC Fingerprint and Criminal History file in coordination with federal agencies such as the FBI.

• Standardize and facilitate the available data between local and federal criminal justice agencies.

Customers

The agencies that comprise the Criminal Justice System are: the Puerto Rico Police, General Court of Justice, Corrections Administration, Parole Board, Department of Justice, Pre-Trial Services Office, and the Municipal Police.

Human Resources

Authorized and Proposed Positions	2009	2010	2011	2012
Managerial,Technical, Administrative, and Office Staff	21	19	17	18
Maintenance and General Services Staff	1	1	1	1
Information Systems	48	47	41	35
Total, Positions	70	67	59	54

The consolidated budget adopted for fiscal year 2011-2012 is $151,821,000. Resources include: $125,705,000 from the Joint Resolution of the General Fund, $12,000,000 from Special Appropriations, $6,681,000 from State Special Funds and $7,435,000 in Federal Grants.

Operating Costs reflect a reduction of $5,343,000, compared with the assigned funds for the fiscal year 2010-2011. This is due to a reduction in non-recurring funds of the Federal Reinvestment and Economic Stimulus Program (ARRA).

The funds of the Joint Resolution of the General Fund include an additional $5,937,000 for payroll and for expenses related to legal appointments: (district attorneys, advocates, and registrars), as well as for agents from the Special Investigations Bureau (NIE, Spanish acronym). These agents work to ensure compliance with public policy that addresses criminality and corruption in the Country. It also includes funds for the payment of overtime hours for NIE agents to increase the number of investigations handled, as well as guarantees the security of the Shelter for the Protection of Victims and Witnesses (Shelter). In addition, it will make it possible to contract professional services with the expertise required to solve civil and criminal cases, as well as to cover the basic needs of the Shelter.

The funds of the Special Appropriatons General Fund ascend to $12,000,000. These funds include: $9,000,000 for the operational costs of all the components of the Drug Courts Program, such as: the Justice Department, the Puerto Rico Police Department, the Mental Health and Drug Addiction Services Administration, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and the Legal Aid Society. $200,000 is also recommended to cover the expenses of the Legal thought training and Development Institute and $2,800,000 to cover the legal representation services of the State, as provided by Act No. 104 of 1955, as amended by Act No. 9 of November 26, 1965.

The State Special Funds are genertated from the following Special Funds: Seized Property, Property Registry Automation, Compensation to Victims of Crime, the Closing Law, and NIE Confiscations. The money raised by (the Board of) Seized Property Special Fund is generated by the sale or transfer of all seized property resulting from felonies or misdemeanors, as authorized by law. These resources will be used for the administrative costs of the Board of Seized Property. The Special Fund for the Automation of the Property Registry is generated from the tariffs paid to register documents filed with the Registry. Eight dollars from this tariff goes to this fund, which is under the custody of the Treasury Department. These funds are utilized for the design, set up and financing of the automated system of the Property Registry, and to expediate the handling of documents pending registration, title search agents, banks and financial institutions, among others.

The Special Compensation Fund for Victims of Crimes receives funds from the imposition of the special penalty for the commission of crimes, established by virtue of the Penal Code of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The Closing Law Fund is generated from fines paid by merchants who violate said law. The NIE Seized Property Fund is derived from the participation of agents in federal interventions; a portion of the confiscated amount is transferred to cover the cost of purchasing of equipment and weapons, among others.

Contributing federal programs are: Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant, Crime Victim Assistance and Violence Against Women. It is estimated that an amount similar to funds received for fiscal year 2010-2011, will be assigned. These funds will be used for internal proyects related to crime prevention and to provide aid to victims of crime, as well as for other law enforcement agencies, municipalities anf non-profit entities.

SUMMARY OF AVAILABLE RESOURCES

Legal Counseling and Litigation Representation

General Management and Administration

Special Investigations

Criminal Investigation and Prosecution

Crime Victims Compensation Office

Property Registry

Restriction of monopolistic practices