Readout of Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco’s Trip to California

Deputy Attorney General (Deputy AG) Lisa Monaco traveled to Northern California this week to advance the Justice Department’s efforts to combat emerging threats posed by autocratic regimes and malign cyber actors, further partnerships with state and local law enforcement, and root out sexual abuse at the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP).

The Deputy AG delivered the opening keynote address at the 2023 Verify Conference, an annual gathering that brings together leading journalists, national security officials, and leaders in the technology industry and civil society for a discourse on emerging issues in cybersecurity and technology policy. She highlighted the Justice Department’s cybersecurity pivot over the last two years, to a strategy that puts victims first and prioritizes prevention and disruption, and she discussed how the newly created Disruptive Technology Strike Force is using 21st century tools and techniques to target illicit actors, harden supply chains, and protect critical technologies. While in the Bay Area, she also engaged in a planning session with local Strike Force members.

Deputy AG Monaco also visited the Federal Corrections Institute at Dublin as part the Department’s ongoing efforts, led out of her office, to address sexual misconduct within the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). She was joined by BOP Director Colette Peters; U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California, Ismail Ramsey; and her Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General (PADAG) Marshall Miller. PADAG Miller chaired a group of senior Justice Department officials, which issued more than 50 recommendations in November 2022 to strengthen the Department’s response to sexual misconduct perpetrated by BOP personnel. The Deputy Attorney General has directed implementation of each recommendation and created a standing Advisory Group to address the problem. 

The Deputy AG, Director Peters, U.S. Attorney Ramsey, and PADAG Miller reviewed the facility’s conditions, medical and mental health services, reentry programming, and processes for individuals to report sexual abuse and to access counsel. They also spoke directly with women in custody.  Prior to her visit, Deputy AG Monaco met with local community advocates who work directly with individuals in custody and are pursuing reforms at FCI Dublin. 

Her trip ended at the National Association of Former U.S. Attorneys’ annual conference, where she delivered the closing keynote address on upholding the Justice Department’s norms and traditions and defending the rule of law, including by combating corporate crime.

While in California, the Deputy AG visited the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California, where she met with U.S. Attorney Ramsey and his leadership team, as well as the prosecutors, professional staff, and leaders of federal and local law enforcement agencies to reinforce the strength of partnerships and thank them for their dedication to public safety, including tackling violent crime and the threat posed by illicit drugs, like opioids and fentanyl.