As the U.S. Justice Department recalibrates its approach to white-collar crime under the Biden administration, officials have turned repeatedly to one common theme: corporate compliance.

The DOJ for years, and through successive administrations, has sought to induce companies to invest in programs designed to detect and ferret out misconduct and prevent criminal behavior from happening in the first place. The design and vitality of a program has become a central factor for the department in negotiating criminal resolutions with major corporations and determining whether to impose an independent monitor.