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An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

Office for Civil Rights (OCR)

OCR ensures that recipients of financial assistance from OJP, OVW, and COPS comply with Federal laws prohibiting discrimination in employment and delivery of services or benefits based on race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, and disability.
About OCR
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OCR Initiatives

The statutory and regulatory information contained on this page does not constitute legal advice and is for general informational purposes only. The OCR makes no guarantee that the statutory authority or regulatory code citied within is the most current version of said law/regulation. For more recent versions of the U.S. Code and the CFR, users should consult the official revised U.S.C. or the eCFR.

Women in Law Enforcement

In 2014, the Office for Civil Rights of the Justice Department's Office of Justice Programs launched the Women in Law Enforcement Initiative based on publicly available data that showed that state law enforcement agencies lag behind their local counterparts in employing women as sworn officers. The initiative examines how state law enforcement agencies recruit, select, and retain female officers. Opened under the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 and its implementing regulations, the initiative reflects the Justice Department's commitment to ensuring that women have equal employment opportunities.

School Resource Officers

OCR launched the School Resource Officers Initiative to address the school-to-prison pipeline. The compliance review program, which aligns with the Inter-Departmental Supportive School Discipline Initiative, examines whether selected law enforcement agencies that receive federal financial assistance comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, when working in schools.

Date Created: June 2, 2023