DOJ Watchdog Finds Gaps in Federal MMIP Response

A Justice Department inspector-general audit released July 29 found gaps in how federal prosecutors are carrying out Savanna’s Act and staffing a regional program focused on missing and murdered Indigenous persons.

Audit Report 26-076 found that 10 of 49 guidelines reviewed from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices with Indian Country jurisdiction either lacked required elements or were not sufficiently tailored to local circumstances. The review also found that the department’s Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons Regional Outreach Program had an average vacancy rate of about 33 percent from January 2024 through February 2026, rising to 40 percent in February 2026.

The findings affect Indigenous families, Tribal governments, victim-service providers and federal prosecutors who depend on coordinated investigations, information sharing and support across jurisdictional lines. The audit did not conclude that every U.S. Attorneys’ Office failed to comply.

What the audit examined

The Office of Inspector General reviewed federal efforts from October 2020, when Savanna’s Act was enacted, through February 2026. The work included a review of 49 guidelines submitted by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in districts with Indian Country jurisdiction.

Investigators visited six U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and six Tribes. They interviewed Tribal leaders, prosecutors, law-enforcement personnel, victim advocates, victim-witness specialists and staff involved in the regional outreach program.

Thirty-nine of the 49 guidelines complied with Section 5 of Savanna’s Act. The remaining 10 had deficiencies. Seven did not include all six required subsections, while eight were not sufficiently tailored to the specific circumstances of their districts. Some guidelines fell into both categories.

What Savanna’s Act requires

Savanna’s Act was enacted to improve the federal response to missing and murdered Indigenous persons by clarifying law-enforcement responsibilities and strengthening coordination among federal, state, Tribal and local agencies.

Section 5 requires regionally appropriate guidelines covering inter-jurisdictional cooperation, search practices, data collection and reporting, responsibility for entering information into databases, follow-up responses and access to culturally appropriate victim services.

The law also addresses training, technical assistance, information sharing and coordination with Tribal partners. The audit said the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys met certain other requirements or found them not applicable at the time of review, including training and technical assistance delivered through the National Indian Country Training Initiative.

Staffing problems limited regional outreach

The MMIP Regional Outreach Program was created to provide specialized attorneys and coordinators across five regions. The program was allocated 10 positions: five Assistant U.S. Attorneys and five coordinators.

According to the audit, the program was never fully staffed, with recruitment and onboarding occurring inconsistently since its creation. Program personnel said persistent vacancies and turnover hindered its growth and momentum.

As of February 2026, four positions were vacant across three regions: one attorney position and three coordinator positions. That produced a 40 percent vacancy rate. From January 2024 through February 2026, the program’s average vacancy rate was about 33 percent.

The audit also found that the program lacked a standardized definition of MMIP-related work and consistent performance measures. Staff differed over whether the program should focus narrowly on unresolved missing and homicide cases or also include related crimes such as domestic violence, sexual abuse and human trafficking.

Without a common definition and reporting system, the department could not consistently measure the program’s work or determine whether resources were producing the intended results.

DOJ agreed to the recommendations

DOJ’s Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys concurred with all three recommendations. It said it would work with the 10 districts to update deficient guidelines, provide drafting assistance when needed, consult with Tribal partners and conduct final reviews.

The office also said it would work with host districts to prioritize filling vacant outreach positions and issue a memorandum emphasizing the importance of the roles. Until vacancies are filled, host districts would be directed to assign qualified personnel to cover essential duties on an interim basis.

Finally, DOJ said it would develop formal program expectations, including a standardized definition of MMIP-related work and performance measures. The audit said those measures are expected to include prosecution, training and law-enforcement coordination data.

What to watch next

The recommendations have been resolved through DOJ’s agreement to act, but acceptance does not mean the work has been completed. The Inspector General said the recommendations can be closed only after receiving evidence that the 10 guidelines were corrected, staffing gaps were addressed and standardized definitions and performance measures were developed.

For Tribal communities and families, the clearest accountability indicators will be updated local guidelines, filled regional positions, consistent reporting and evidence of stronger coordination and case support. Those records will show whether the department’s response changes beyond the written commitments made after the audit.

Readers can share the highest and lowest pump prices they are seeing locally in the comments.

Sources

Discover more from Interactive News

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.