RG 114 Human Rights

In 1987, the Department of Human Rights was created as an umbrella agency comprised of advocacy organizations for women, children and families, disabled, poor, Spanish-speaking persons, and organizations providing services for blind and deaf persons; nearly all of which had rule-making authority and operated independently. In 2010, the department responsibilities were expanded to serve not only as an advocacy agency but also as an administrative agency whose core functions were the administration of federal programs to assist low-income individuals and families and provide research and data analysis pertaining to juvenile and criminal justice.