Security Initiatives

Court Security Appropriation Oversight
Security was one of the top five issues cited by judges and court unit executives in the Director's 2006 survey of court priorities. The fiscal year 2007 Court Security appropriation of $391 million was primarily used to provide approximately 4,000 court security officers and physical security systems and equipment to federal courts nationwide. The annual appropriation request was developed

Staff worked closely with individual courts and the three executive branch providers of courthouse security: the United States Marshals Service (USMS) of the Department of Justice; the Federal Protective Service (FPS) of the Department of Homeland Security, and the General Services Administration, to identify and validate security requirements so that the available funding was properly allocated, and used prudently to support the security countermeasures that were approved by the Judicial Conference's Committee on Judicial Security.

Approximately 66 percent of the Court Security appropriation was earmarked for the court security officer program. By using those contract personnel in conjunction with security systems and equipment, the USMS protected judges, members of the court family, jurors, trial participants, and visitors while in court facilities, and helped provide a safe and secure environment in which to conduct the Judiciary's essential business.

	Fiscal Year 2007 Court Security Appropriation Based on Financial Plan Distribution by Activity ($ In Millions)
	Security Systems & Equipment $48.20 12% All Other/Program Administration $18.60 5% Federal Protective Service $65.60 17% Court Security Officer Contract Costs $259.00 66%
	Note: The “All Other/Program Administration” category includes funding for all other costs funded from the Court Security appropriation, including administrative support positions at the AO and U.S. Marshals Service.

In fiscal year 2007, $48.2 million was budgeted to address the security systems and/or equipment requirements of both the interior and exterior of courthouses. Included in that amount was funding to begin a nationwide initiative to replace the video cassette recorders currently in use at 98 older court facilities with digital video recorders. Those new devices represented a substantial advance in surveillance camera and recording technology for courthouse security. Lastly, thanks to the proactive cost containment procedures used collaboratively by courts and staff, $5 million in FPS security charges were avoided, and thereby saved for use by the USMS to run its Judicial Facility Security Program.

Court Emergency Preparedness Planning
The Judiciary maintains comprehensive emergency preparedness, crisis response, occupant emergency, and continuity of operations (COOP) plans. In 2007, the Committee on Judicial Security recommended, and the Judicial Conference approved, changing the membership and mission statement of the local court security committees to include the responsibility for an effective emergency preparedness program. Courts nationwide trained in emergency preparedness during FY 2007.

Court personnel attended FEMA's "COOP Manager's Train-the-Trainer Course," giving managers a comprehensive review of COOP planning and management, as well as hands-on COOP exercises. The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington conducted a district-wide continuity training event, with assistance from AO and Federal Judicial Center staff. The Court of International Trade participated in Exercise Grand Slam, a full-scale, continuity relocation exercise conducted under the auspices of the Metropolitan New York Federal COOP Working Group. The Federal Executive Board in Houston hosted a session of the COOP Program Manager's Course for 54 federal court personnel.

AO Prepares For An Emergency

AO COOP team leaders discuss emergency procedures and how service to the courts would continue if the Thurgood Marshall Federal Judiciary Building were inaccessible.

AO Continuity of Operations Planning
The AO COOP Plan was updated to include implementation procedures and transportation plans. In addition, a testing, training, and exercise plan and a corrective action plan were developed. These plans ensure that the AO is prepared to support the courts with as little interruption as possible if an emergency event occurs, and the Thurgood Marshall Federal Judiciary Building is not accessible. Teleworking and remote access have emerged as key tools for staff to use during any major emergency closure of AO office facilities. The AO conducted emergency communications team training with plans to train staff on the COOP Plan in preparation for the government-wide 2008 exercise.