The Justice Department will require thousands more people working in the justice system to comply with rules barring race and gender bias in investigations, the Associated Press reports. The guidelines, released Thursday, appear in the first update in nearly a decade. Released on the third anniversary of the Minneapolis Police murder of George Floyd, the update also requires, for the first time, more extensive data collection measures that are intended to ensure the guidance is being followed. “We recognize that we have a responsibility to lead by example,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said.
The American Civil Liberties Union said the changes are a step forward, but that the guidelines don’t fully ban bias across national security activities, including areas where the most harm has occurred, like watch lists and pressure to become informants. “We welcome the improvements the Justice Department has made, but are disappointed that after so much work and communities’ calls for change, this policy falls short of a full and effective ban on discrimination by federal agencies,” said Hina Shamsi, director of the ACLU’s National Security Project, in a statement. Training on the new guidelines will be required to start within a year for people newly covered by the guidelines, as well as local law enforcement deputized to work with federal agencies on task forces. Law enforcement agencies must begin tracking complaints alleging bias within six months. They also must create data-driven research projects to track how the guidelines are playing out and report on that research within a year. The guidelines cover bias based on the use of race, ethnicity, gender, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, and now, disability.