Category Archives: Justice and Law Enforcement

Detecting Fraud in the Immigrant Investor Visa Program (podcast)

Foreign nationals who make substantial investments in projects that create or sustain U.S. jobs can get a conditional green card and a path to citizenship under the Immigrant Investor Program. Yet the program’s reliance on voluminous paper applications leaves it … Continue reading

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Criminal Justice—Exploring Alternatives to Prison

The federal prison population has grown from about 25,000 in 1980 to approximately 193,000 in August 2016. This expansion comes with substantial associated costs: housing, food, security, and medical care for each prisoner can cost $66 to $101 per day, … Continue reading

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FBI Face Recognition Technology

In movies and television shows, law enforcement agencies use automated face recognition to find suspects and solve crimes. Does it work that way in real life? Not quite—as Diana Maurer, a director in our Homeland Security and Justice team, explains … Continue reading

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Human Trafficking in the United States

Human trafficking— using force, fraud or coercion to exploit a person for the purposes of commercial sex or to work against their will—happens in the United States. But it’s not always easy to recognize the victims or understand the scope … Continue reading

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Fighting Female Genital Mutilation

Female genital mutilation is a form of gender-based violence that has affected over 200 million women and girls worldwide. The practice involves partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other harm to the female genital organs for … Continue reading

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Lights, Camera, Court Room?

The U.S. Supreme Court hears cases that potentially affect millions of Americans. Oral arguments are open to the public, but seating is limited—if you’re in DC while the Court is in session, you may glimpse lines of people snaking the … Continue reading

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Privacy, Accuracy, and the FBI’s Face Recognition Technology (podcast)

Face recognition technology used to only be the stuff of science fiction. The FBI now uses this technology for investigative leads. But how well can this new technology actually link crime images to criminals? And where is the FBI getting … Continue reading

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How to Spot and Report Government Fraud, Waste and Abuse (infographic)

You may already know that members of the public can anonymously report allegations of fraud, waste, abuse or mismanagement of federal funds to GAO’s FraudNet. But what exactly constitutes fraud? And what’s the difference between waste and abuse? To help … Continue reading

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Our 24/7 Fraud Reporting Line

For nearly 40 years, people have reported suspicions of fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement of federal funds to our FraudNet team. Today’s WatchBlog peeks inside FraudNet to see what happens to the calls, emails, and other tips we receive. A … Continue reading

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Smartphone Tracking Apps (podcast)

Smartphones have apps that can help parents keep track of their kids or businesses keep tabs on deliveries. But some of these tracking apps could also be used to facilitate stalking. Listen to Mark Goldstein, a director in our Physical … Continue reading

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