National Institute of Justice
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National Institute of Justice
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810 Seventh St. NW Washington, DC 20531 DC Tel. 202-307-2942 Fax 202-307-6256 |
Type: Government Agency
On the web:
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/
Not to be confused with the famed Hall of Justice, headquarters of Super Friends -- Wonder Woman, Batman, Superman, and Apache Chief -- the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) performs a more sedate role in the fight against evil. The NIJ is dedicated to researching crime control and justice issues with the goal of enhancing the administration of justice and public safety. The NIJ advances law enforcement technology and knowledge through technology and social research grants to academic institutions and other organizations, and by collaborating with state and local governments. The NIJ in a component in the Office of Justice Programs branch of the Department of Justice.
Officers:
Acting Director: Glenn R. Schmitt
Program Executive, Communications and Information Technology, and Program Manager, Information Led Policing: Hyuk Byun
Chief, Communications Division: Jolene Hernon
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National Institute of Justice
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NIJ (National Institute of Justice)
The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) serves the United States Department of Justice in the areas of research, development, and evaluation. Established under the authority of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, its purpose is to provide independent, evidencebased tools to assist state and local law enforcement. Its programs address a variety of law-enforcement issues, including use of DNA evidence, drug abuse, and domestic violence.
Appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate, the director of NIJ is responsible for establishing objectives in alignment with Justice Department priorities, as well as the current needs of the field. It works to take account of views from professionals in all areas of criminal justice and related fields in its search for knowledge and tools to guide the policy and practice of law enforcement nationwide. On January 12, 2003, it reorganized, streamlining its structure from three offices to two; the Office of Development and Communications and the Office of Research and Evaluation.
NIJ has set research priorities in a number of fields, including law enforcement and policing; justice systems (sentencing, courts, prosecution, defense); corrections; investigative and forensic sciences (including DNA); counterterrorism and critical incidents; crime prevention/causes of crime; violence and victimization (including violent crimes); drugs, alcohol, and crime; interoperability, spatial information, and automated systems; and program evaluation. Among its programs are the Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring Program (ADAM); Community Mapping, Planning, and Analysis for Safety Strategies (COMPASS); National Commission on the Future of DNA Evidence; and the Violence Against Women and Family Violence Research and Evaluation Program.
Further Reading
Books
Connors, Edward F. Convicted by Juries, Exonerated by Science: Case Studies in the Use of DNA Evidenceto Establish Innocence After Trial. Washington, D.C.: National Institute of Justice, 1996.
Kelling, George L. Broken Windows and Police Discretion. Washington, D.C.: National Institute of Justice, 1999.
Riley, Kevin Jack. Crack, Powder Cocaine, and Heroin: Drug Purchase and Use Patterns in Six U.S. Cities. Washington, D.C.: National Institute of Justice, 1998.
Periodicals
"Crime Year in Review." Crime Control Digest 36, no. 35 (August 30, 2002): 1.
"NIJ Technologies for Public Safety." Law & Order 50, no. 8 (August 2002).
Waldron, Ronald J. "National Institute of Justice Helps Facilities Implement Telemedicine Program." Corrections Today 64, no. 2 (April 2002): 184.
Electronic
National Institute of Justice. <http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/> (March 28, 2003).
Wikipedia on Answers.com:
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National Institute of Justice
The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) is the research, development and evaluation agency of the United States Department of Justice. NIJ, along with the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), and other program offices, comprise the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) branch of the Department of Justice.
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Contents
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History
| NIJ Directors (and Acting Directors)[1][2] | |
|---|---|
| Name | Dates |
| Ralph Siu | 1968–1969 |
| Henry Ruth | 1969–1970 |
| Irving Slott | 1970–1971 |
| Martin Danziger | 1971–1973 |
| Gerald Caplan | 1973–1977 |
| Blair Ewing | 1977–1979 |
| Harry Bratt | 1979–1981 |
| James Underwood | 1981–1982 |
| W. Robert Burkhart | 1982 |
| James K. Stewart | 1982–1990 |
| Charles B. DeWitt | 1990–1993 |
| Michael J. Russell | 1993–1994 |
| Carol V. Petrie | 1994 |
| Jeremy Travis | 1994-2000 |
| Sarah V. Hart | 2001–2005 |
| Glenn R. Schmitt | 2005–June 2007 |
| David Hagy | June 2007–January 2009 |
| Kristina Rose | January 2009–June 2010 |
| John H. Laub | June 2010–present |
The National Institute of Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice was established in 1968, under the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, as a component of the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration (LEAA). In 1978, it was renamed as the National Institute of Justice.[3] Some functions of the LEAA were absorbed by NIJ on December 27, 1979, with passage of the Justice System Improvement Act of 1979.[4] The Act, which amended the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, also led to creation of the Bureau of Justice Statistics.[5] In 1982, the LEAA was succeeded by the Office of Justice Assistance, Research, and Statistics (1982–1984) and then the Office of Justice Programs in 1984.[6]
NIJ is notable among U.S. governmental research organizations because it is headed by a political appointee of the President rather than by a scientist or a member of the civil service. NIJ is currently headed by John Laub.
In 2010, the United States National Research Council released a report on reforming the NIJ,, and identified issues with its independence, budget, and scientific mission. While it considered making the NIJ separate from its current department, Office of Justice Programs, it recommended retaining the NIJ within the OJP but giving it increased independence and authority through clear qualifications for its director, control over its budget, and a statutory advisory board. It also recommended that the NIJ: (1) a focus on research rather than forensic capacity building activities,(2) increase funding for programs for graduate researchers, (3) increase transparency, and (4) do periodic self-assessments.[7]
Research areas
NIJ is focused on advancing technology for criminal justice application including law enforecment and corrections, forensics, and judicial processes, as well as criminology, criminal justice, and related social science research. Much of this research is facilitated by providing grants to academic institutions, non-profit research organizations, and other entities, as well as collaborating with state and local governments. Areas of social science research include violence against women, corrections, and crime prevention, as well as program evaluation.[8]
Grants for technology development help facilitate research and development of technology and tools for criminal justice application, which is a need that the private sector is otherwise reluctant to meet. NIJ also supports development of voluntary equipment performance standards, as well as conducting compliance testing.[3] Areas of technology research and development include biometrics, communications interoperability, information technology, less-lethal technologies (e.g. tasers), and officer safety including bullet-proof vests. Crime mapping and analysis is a topic that includes both technology and social science (geography) aspects. The National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Centers, which are located throughout the United States, play a role in law enforcement technology development, testing, and dissemination.[8]
DNA initiative
A major area of research and support is for forensics and the President's DNA initiative. The Federal Bureau of Investigation developed the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) system as a central database of DNA profiles taken from offenders. In the late 1980s and 1990s, all of the states and the Federal government required DNA samples to be collected from offenders in certain types of cases. The demand (casework) for DNA analysis in public crime laboratories increased 73% from 1997 to 2000, and by 2003, there was a backlog of 350,000 rape and homicide cases. In 2003, President George W. Bush proposed the Advancing Justice Through DNA Technology initiative, which would include $1 billion over five years to reduce backlogs, develop and improve capacity of state and local law enforcement to use DNA analysis, support research and development to improve the technology, and additional training for those working in the criminal justice system.[9]
See also
- Law Enforcement Assistance Administration (LEAA)
- National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center (NLECTC)
- National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS)
References
- ^ "25 Years of Criminal Justice Research". National Criminal Justice Reference Service. December 1994. http://www.ncjrs.gov/txtfiles/yea.txt. Retrieved 2008-01-25.
- ^ "Speeches and Presentations: NIJ Directors". National Institute of Justice. http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/speeches/directors.htm. Retrieved 2008-01-25.
- ^ a b "The Evolution and Development of Police Technology" (PDF). National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center (NLECTC). July 1998. pp. vi-vii. http://www.justnet.org.
- ^ Tonry, Michael. "Building Better Policies on Better Knowledge". Archived from the original on 2007-03-02. http://web.archive.org/web/20070302124525/http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/reports/98Guides/lblf/panel4c.htm. Retrieved 2007-06-10.
- ^ Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Subcommittee on Juvenile Justice (1983). Federal Assistance to State and Local Law Enforcement Systems (hearing). Government Printing Office.
- ^ "Records of the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration". National Archives. http://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/423.html. Retrieved 2007-06-10.
- ^ Center for Economic, Governance, and International Studies. (2010). Strengthening the National Institute of Justice. National Academies Press.
- ^ a b "2005 Annual Report" (PDF). National Institute of Justice. December 2006. http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/213267.pdf.
- ^ "Advancing Justice Through DNA Technology" (PDF). White House / U.S. Department of Justice. March 2003. http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/infocus/justice/dna_initiative_policy_book.pdf.
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