Office of Congressional Affairs

National Center for Judicial Security

In Fiscal Year 2008, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) established a National Center for Judicial Security (NCJS) which is operated, staffed, and managed by employees and contractor staff of the USMS Judicial Security Division.  The NCJS provides educational, operational, and technical functions that are designed to serve various needs of a national, and in some cases, an international constituency.  The NCJS also provides a wide range of support and services to municipal, city, county, state, Federal, and international jurisdictions related to the security operations of their respective court systems and the protection of members of the judiciary and extended court family.

As the nation’s primary Federal law enforcement agency responsible for the protection of the Federal Judiciary, all Federal courthouse structures, and the judicial process (including prosecutors, witnesses, and defendants); it is appropriate that the USMS serve as the national subject matter expert for matters relating to court security and the protection of members of the judiciary.  One of the initial functions established by this country’s first Congress, United States Marshals were created as part of the Judiciary Act of 1789.  Accordingly, for nearly 220 years, U.S. Marshals have played a significant role in protecting both the Federal judicial process and the members of the Federal judiciary and the court family in this country.  In recent years, the USMS has advised several foreign nations regarding the security functions that need to be considered during the establishment of new democratic court systems and judicial processes.  These advisory roles and international training missions are incorporated into the NCJS mission.