Resources - Civil Rights - California Dept. of Justice

This directory of civil rights agencies in 22 California cities and counties is compiled by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.

Based in San Francisco, ALC is the nation's oldest Asian Pacific American civil rights legal organization providing legal services, community education, and advocacy assistance to low-income people, with a focus on Asian and Pacific Islander immigrants and refugees. The ALC's multilingual staff offers services in the areas of civil rights, housing, employment, immigration and naturalization, and the rights of the elderly. Address: 720 Market Street, Suite 500. Phone: (415) 391-1655; Fax: (415) 391-0366.

The ADC web page notes that the non-partisan civil rights group is the largest Arab-American grassroots organization in the U.S. ADC was founded in 1980 by former Sen. James Abourezk with chapters nationwide.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) enforces federal laws and regulations relating to alcohol, tobacco, firearms, explosives and arson by working directly and cooperatively with others.

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) provides assistance to state and local governments in combating violent crime and drug abuse via funding, evaluation, training, technical assistance and information support.

Part of the California Department of Justice, the Bureau of Investigation (BI) provides expert investigative and criminal intelligence services through innovative programs, technological support, and dedicated, professional personnel.

The California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training establishes professional standards, assures top-quality training and provides effective services to develop and support the world's finest peace officers and law enforcement organizations.

The California Attorney General's Crime and Violence Prevention Center provides information, training, technical assistance and high-quality resources in the following areas: community policing, violence prevention, neighborhood and personal safety, drug and alcohol abuse prevention, family violence prevention, safe schools and youth gang prevention. Check out their web site for the latest publications, reports, surveys, films and videos.

A part of the California Attorney General's Office, the Criminal Justice Statistics Center collects, analyzes and reports statistical data, which provide valid measures of crime and the criminal justice process.

The principal investigative arm of the United States Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has the authority and responsibility to investigate specific crimes assigned to it. The site includes tips on Internet safety and national hate crime statistics.

JACL was founded in 1929 to fight discrimination against people of Japanese ancestry. The organization advances it mission through programs of civil rights, education, leadership, advocacy and redress. It is the largest and one of the oldest Asian Pacific American organizations in the United States.

LEAP is a national, nonprofit, non-partisan community-based organization founded in 1982 by a cross section of Asian Pacific Americans. LEAP programs include improving cross-cultural and inter-ethnic collaboration and interaction, and increasing public understanding of Asian Pacific concerns and their impact on policy formulation and decision-making at local, regional and national levels.

LULAC works to advance the economic condition, educational attainment, political influence, health and civil rights of the Hispanic population of the United States.

The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department has joined with many other agencies and community based organizations to take a leading role in the fight against hate crime. The Department works closely with the Los Angeles District Attorney's Hate Crimes Unit.

MALDEF is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to protect and promote the civil rights of the more than 29 million Latinos living in the United States.

NAPALC is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization with nine major areas of focus: Affirmative Action, Anti-Asian Violence, Census 2000, Community Partners, Immigration, Language Rights, Naturalization, Voting Rights and Welfare Reform. The Consortium is affiliated with the Asian Pacific American Legal Center of Southern California in Los Angeles, Asian Law Caucus in San Francisco and the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund in New York City.

The National Council of La Raza is a private, nonprofit organization established in 1968 to reduce poverty and improve life opportunities for Hispanic Americans. NCLR conducts policy analysis and advocacy activities in civil rights.

Founded in 1910, the National Urban League is a nonprofit, community-based organization headquartered in New York City, with 115 affiliates in 34 states and the District of Columbia that works to advance civil rights and social and economic equality for African Americans.

This Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) site provides information and resources about juvenile justice and delinquency, as well as a framework for communities to combat youth crime.

The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) is an arm of the United States Department of Justice. BJS collects, analyzes, publishes and disseminates information on crime, criminal offenders, victims of crime, and the operation of justice systems at all levels of government. These data are critical to federal, state and local policymakers in combating crime and ensuring that justice is both efficient and evenhanded.

First established in 1957, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights is an independent, bipartisan, fact-finding agency of the federal Executive Branch which serves as a national clearinghouse of information regarding discrimination or denial of equal protection because of race, color, religion, sex, age, disability or national origin. The commission was reestablished in 1983 to provide reports and recommendations to the President and Congress, as well as investigate complaints alleging voter rights violations. This web site includes a catalog of commission publications.

Learn about the many ways the U.S. Department of Education teaches appreciation for diversity and how schools respond to intergroup tensions.