Congressman John Conyers, Jr., Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, today released a report by the Inspector General of the Department of Justice detailing further civil liberties abuses by the Justice Department.  In response to the report, Conyers issued the following statement:

 "This report shows there are more victims of John Ashcroft's war on the constitution.  The Attorney General appears on television nearly every week claiming to protect us, while he simultaneously dismantles our civil liberties and civil rights.  Will the Justice Department ever admit that it has gone too far?

 At the same time, the Inspector General should be applauded for his courage and independence.  This kind of report is essential to open and accountable government in the face of this most secretive Administration."

 The Report includes the following:

-20 inmates' allegations of abuse at the hands of a Bureau of Prisons officer.   Among the allegations, the officer asked a Muslim inmate to remove his shirt so he could it to shine his shoes.  The officer admitted lying to the Bureau of Prisons about the allegations. (P. 6)

-Allegations that an INS detention enforcement officer at a detention facility held a loaded gun to a detainee's head and threatened him. (P. 8)

-An INS employee treated an individual rudely and asked if he "wanted to kill Christians and Jews." (P. 10)