Building Knowledge About Crime and Justice: The 1997 Research Prospectus of the National Institue of Justice. Series: NIJ Prospectus Published: February 1997 25 pages 52,757 bytes ------------------------------ Building Knowledge About Crime and Justice: The 1997 Research Prospectus of the National Institute of Justice February 1997 ------------------------------ Figures, charts, forms, and tables are not included in this ASCII plain-text file. To view this document in its entirety, download the Adobe Acrobat graphic file available from this Web site or order a print copy from NCJRS at 800-851-3420. ------------------------------ U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs National Institute of Justice Jeremy Travis Director The National Institute of Justice is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Assistance, the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, and the Office for Victims of Crime. NCJ 163708 ------------------------------ Table of Contents From the Director Introduction Extramural Research Foundational Research Intramural Research Research Infrastructure Research Demonstration Programs Technology Development Support for Innovative Programs and Policy Development Strategic Challenges ------------------------------ Exhibits Total NIJ Expenditures, FY 1994-1996 NIJ Expenditures By Research Area, FY 1996 NIJ's Crime Act Activity, FY 1995-1996 ------------------------------ From the Director I am pleased to present the 1997 Research Prospectus of the National Institute of Justice, Building Knowledge About Crime and Justice. Our Research Prospectus describes the approach we take to research on the twin challenges of controlling crime and achieving justice. As we approach the 21st century, the challenges of crime and justice loom large. Despite welcome recent declines in rates of violent crime, the levels of crime are still unacceptably high. Although the steep increase in juvenile crime appears to have abated, the certain rise in the crime-prone population over the next decade causes deep concern. As States struggle to fund increases in prison capacity, the fiscal strains then felt throughout the rest of the criminal justice system become acute. As the true incidence of violence within the family -- including spouse abuse, child abuse, and elder abuse -- becomes more apparent, members of the medical and criminal justice professions urgently seek effective interventions. In this time of challenge and change, there is a compelling need for sound research that can guide public policy. Mayors ask, "Which prevention programs work?" State legislators ask, "What options do we have in designing new sentencing statutes?" Police chiefs ask, "What is the best response to family violence?" Judges ask, "How can we more effectively respond to drug abuse?" Prosecutors ask, "How can we harness the power of science and technology to enhance criminal investigations?" Civic leaders ask, "How can we energize community resources to promote safety and reduce fear?" The National Institute of Justice was established by Congress to develop and disseminate knowledge that provides answers to questions such as these. This Research Prospectus describes, in a general way, our approach to building that knowledge. We encourage you to contact us if you wish to submit an application to receive research funding from NIJ or if you wish to receive information on our research findings. We also encourage you to share this knowledge within your community so that the network of informed citizens continues to grow. Jeremy Travis Director National Institute of Justice ------------------------------ Introduction The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) is the research and development arm of the U.S. Department of Justice. Created by Congress in 1968, the Institute is charged with investing public funds to develop knowledge that will reduce crime, enhance public safety, and improve the administration of justice. Under its enabling legislation, NIJ is authorized to assist State and local justice systems in the following ways: o By conducting and sponsoring basic and applied research into the causes and prevention of crime. o By sponsoring evaluations of major Federal initiatives. o By supporting research and demonstrations to develop new approaches, techniques, systems, and equipment to improve law enforcement and the administration of justice. o By developing new technologies to deter crime and enhance criminal justice operations. o By making recommendations to Federal, State, and local governments. o By conducting conferences and workshops for criminal justice policymakers and professionals. o By collecting and disseminating both domestic and international criminal justice information obtained by the Institute or other Federal agencies. Since its creation, the Institute's appropriated budget has fluctuated significantly, from a high point of $115 million in fiscal year 1974 to a low of $22.9 million in fiscal year 1994 (current dollars). In fiscal year 1997, Congress appropriated $30 million for the core NIJ operations; this is augmented by $20 million to support law enforcement technology and $10 million to support counterterrorism technology. Much of NIJ's current research portfolio is supported by funds transferred from other Federal agencies, particularly offices within the Department of Justice and Office of Justice Programs that administer programs created by the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (Crime Act; see "1994 Crime Act Initiatives" on page 6), to carry out jointly designed research and evaluation activities. The sections that follow describe the range of strategies that NIJ employs to carry out its statutory mandate. The final section describes the strategic challenges that NIJ foresees as it builds a capacity for research that can meet the needs of the 21st century. ------------------------------ Extramural Research NIJ engages the Nation's best researchers to explore crime and justice issues through its diverse, multidisciplinary extramural research program. As a science agency, NIJ is firmly committed to a competitive process for awarding grants to these researchers. Successful applicants for NIJ funds must demonstrate to an independent peer review panel that (1) the gap in our knowledge they propose to fill is critical to our understanding of crime and justice and is highly policy relevant, (2) the proposed research design is rigorous, and (3) the researchers are highly qualified to execute that design within a reasonable budget. Many more research applications are recommended by the independent peer review panels than can be funded within NIJ's budget. Peer review results are reviewed by Institute staff, who then make recommendations to the NIJ Director. Final decisions are made by the NIJ Director after consultation with Institute staff. The Open Solicitation NIJ's extramural research program consists of two types of funding strategies. The first is the open solicitation. Twice a year, NIJ receives and reviews research proposals that respond to the Institute's research solicitation for investigator-initiated projects. In recent years, NIJ has given priority to concerns such as violent crime, alcohol- and drug-related crime, community crime prevention, criminal justice system improvement, forensic science research, and technology development. The Institute generally has awarded grants under this open solicitation totaling up to $4 million a year. Typically, these grants range between $25,000 and $300,000 and last for 1 to 2 years. The Institute encourages potential applicants to contact NIJ to discuss funding ideas. (See "How To Participate in NIJ Research Programs" on page 4.) As a public agency, NIJ believes strongly that prospective applicants should have access to the Institute's best thinking about how a research idea might fit into the NIJ portfolio and guidance on how to submit a proposal that meets the Institute's standards. As a research agency, NIJ actively encourages applicants from a broad variety of disciplines so that the resulting research reflects different approaches to the challenges of crime and justice. The Directed Solicitation NIJ also issues special, directed solicitations that call for research proposals on a specific topic. For applications submitted under this type of solicitation, the peer review panel and NIJ staff impose an additional criterion, asking whether the proposal is responsive to the specific research questions set forth in the solicitation. Often, NIJ's directed solicitations are developed in partnership with another Federal agency, in which case staff from that agency may participate in the internal review of the proposals but do not participate in the peer review. The NIJ Director makes the final decisions regarding grant awards. The 1994 Crime Act has had a dramatic impact on the volume of research activity funded under directed solicitations. After its enactment, the Department of Justice decided that each of the major Crime Act initiatives would be evaluated, that selected local innovations would be assessed, and that basic research would be conducted to lay the foundation for further reform and innovation. With the approval of the Department's appropriators in Congress, funding for this research agenda was provided by setting aside a small percentage of the Crime Act program funds. Through this research activity, the National Institute of Justice and its partners hope to maximize the lessons learned from this unique period of innovation and reform in the Nation's approach to crime and justice. NIJ's partnerships with the Crime Act program offices have been particularly productive and exciting. In fiscal years 1995 and 1996, NIJ issued 35 directed solicitations, 16 of which were jointly developed with the Crime Act offices. In those 2 years, activities supported under the Crime Act amounted to $68 million. National evaluations are being conducted on the Crime Act's program initiatives on community policing, violence against women, violent offender incarceration, and truth in sentencing. Evaluations at the State and local level are being conducted to learn about community policing reform, different tactics and strategies in response to various crimes, coordinated responses to domestic violence, drug courts, drug treatment in prisons, truth-in-sentencing statutes, and other issues at the leading edge of criminal justice innovation. NIJ hopes that these research projects will yield valuable lessons to guide policy and practice in the future. Over this period, directed solicitations also have been stimulated by other partnership research efforts encompassing a wide variety of topics outside of the Crime Act. Evaluations have been funded of the Weed and Seed program, the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program, the Justice Department's initiative to improve responsiveness to criminal justice needs in Indian Country, the Gang Resistance Education and Training (G.R.E.A.T.) program, the Edward Byrne Memorial Law Enforcement Assistance program, and crime prevention programs supported by the Office of Justice Programs, among others. Basic research has been supported on youth gun violence and the use of Federal funds for police overtime to support such strategic innovations as community policing. In such instances, the partner agency transferred funds to support the research, the solicitation was jointly prepared by NIJ and the partner agency, and, to maintain the independence of the research effort, the grant was managed by NIJ. ------------------------------ Foundational Research Practice in other fields has made enormous gains as a result of long-term exploration of fundamental issues. In medicine, for example, studies such as the Framingham Heart Disease Epidemiological Study are commonplace, and advances in health care are evidence of the benefits of such research. Similar efforts are needed to build the comprehensive knowledge base for shaping more effective public policies on crime and justice. Thus, the National Institute of Justice supports long-term, multidisciplinary studies that promise significant contributions to the foundation of knowledge for understanding crime and delinquency. A primary example of such work is the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods, a longitudinal project involving a variety of research disciplines, a private foundation, and government -- the National Institute of Justice and, more recently, the National Institute of Mental Health. The study's 5-year development and design phase began in 1989 and involved more than 100 scientists representing the fields of pediatrics, biology, psychology, sociology, and criminology. During this phase, scientists conducted several pilot studies and reviewed the relevant literature on early childhood development and conduct disorder, adolescent development and juvenile delinquency, and the development of criminal careers. The 8-year effort involves overlapping longitudinal studies that examine the development of both prosocial and antisocial behavior from birth to age 26 in 7,000 individuals as well as a series of data collection efforts at the community level. The research is examining the influence of a number of factors on the risk of delinquency and crime. These include individual differences such as temperament, health (including physical development, hormone levels, and prenatal risk factors), and self-image. Researchers will also look at the family--the quality of parenting, the consistency of the caregiver, the effect on the family of a hyperactive child, and exposure to conflict and violence in the family. The role of schools is another area of inquiry: Is lack of achievement a cause or effect of delinquency? What is the effect of the school and classroom climate on student involvement in school activities? Finally, the influence of peer networks at different ages is being examined as are such community factors as its social structure (homogeneity, mobility, labor markets) and formal and informal social control. Another foundational research effort is the Police Observational Study now under way in Indianapolis. This study replicates the landmark police observational studies of the 1960s and 1970s, with a special focus on understanding how police operate in the era of community policing. Researchers will be tracking changing law enforcement styles under a community policing rubric over time by accompanying officers on their beats to observe encounters with suspects and citizens. NIJ also intends to revisit the inmate studies done in the 1970s and 1980s in an effort to get up-to-date information on offender behavior. Using a sample of different offender groups -- incarcerated, probation, pretrial, and presentencing -- the research will gather and analyze self-reports of offending activity, motivation, lifestyle, and other characteristics. This foundational study will track changes in offenders' behavior and provide new empirical insights into the impact of policy interventions, ranging from prevention to incarceration, upon the incidence of crime. ------------------------------ Intramural Research NIJ is also committed to a vibrant program of intramural research. Research undertaken by Institute staff must also meet the rigorous standards of peer review, budget review, and policy relevance. Topics are recommended by NIJ staff that reflect timely issues of some urgency, gaps in NIJ's portfolio, or issues that will have immediate relevance to policy development. Topics are selected by the Institute's Deputy Director for Research and Evaluation; NIJ's intramural research activities are managed closely by senior researchers. Topics under development in 1996 included a study of homicide in American cities, an examination of drug use in a State prison, an assessment of sentencing outcomes for drug offenders in State courts, and the relationship between crime rates and public housing. In all, there were more than two dozen projects under way, each of which is described in the NIJ Research Portfolio. ------------------------------ Research Infrastructure One of the Institute's chief aims has been to build a solid research infrastructure that can develop the reliable data and knowledge needed to face current and future challenges. The Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring Program One NIJ contribution to the Nation's research infrastructure has become increasingly central to building knowledge on the nexus between crime, drugs, guns, and gangs. In 1984, NIJ tested a new concept in New York City and Washington, D.C., namely, that valuable insights into criminal behavior could be gathered by surveying individuals arrested and awaiting first court appearances and asking them to submit to a voluntary urine test for illicit drug use. This concept, originally called the Drug Use Forecasting (DUF) program, has since been expanded to 23 cities. NIJ staff researchers, working in close cooperation with local agencies and other researchers, now provide a rich source of information on crime patterns and the behavior of criminals who test positive for illicit drugs. In the coming years, NIJ plans to expand this system, now called the Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (ADAM) program, to all major cities around the country, with related surveys of rural and suburban jurisdictions, so that the Nation can have access to timely, locally relevant data on changes in patterns of crime, drug abuse, and related issues. Data Resources Program NIJ is committed to making the data from its supported projects publicly available, thus maximizing its usefulness for research. The Data Resources Program (DRP) collects, preserves, and disseminates data for further analyses by other researchers. The data are deposited with the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data. Under the Data Resources Program, NIJ also issues a competitive solicitation for analysis of archived data through grants for secondary analysis. Fellowship Opportunities The NIJ fellowship program issues an annual solicitation to support scholars and practitioners as they develop, enhance, and apply their skills to the study of criminal justice issues, especially those that reflect NIJ's research goals. This program provides support for individuals at all stages of their careers. Through NIJ's Visiting Fellows Program, senior researchers and practitioners come to NIJ to work on projects of their own design and to collaborate with staff as peers in work involving the entire Institute. The John B. Pickett Fellowship in Criminal Justice Policy and Management supports graduate-level study for experienced professionals and senior government executives. Support for new scholars is made available through several other fellowship opportunities: Graduate Research Fellowships for Ph.D. dissertation support, Historically Black Colleges and Universities Fellowship Program for support of master's thesis research, and the Graduate Law Enforcement Technology Fellowship Program. ------------------------------ Research Demonstration Programs NIJ is responsible, within its statutory mission, for carrying out research demonstration programs. The Institute has defined a research demonstration as a planned intervention that is based in theory, designed to test one or more clearly articulated hypotheses, and carried out with the most rigorous research methods. This definition serves an important purpose: to ensure that the research results can be clearly understood so that findings of impact can be attributed directly to the intervention and findings of no impact cannot be laid at the doorstep of poor program design. In 1996, NIJ was conducting three research demonstration programs. In Washington, D.C., the Institute is overseeing the implementation of the city's Drug Court, a collaborative venture with the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment in which defendants are randomly assigned to drug treatment, graduated sanctions, or a control courtroom. This project will yield important lessons about the comparative value of drug treatment and criminal justice sanctions. In a second research demonstration, NIJ is evaluating the System for the Effective Control of Urban Environmental Security (SECURES), which uses acoustic signal-processing technology developed for the military to detect and report the location of gunshots in an urban environment. This project will yield an effectiveness measure of this sophisticated technology. With funding from the President's Office of National Drug Control Policy, NIJ is managing a third research demonstration project in Birmingham, Alabama, called "Breaking the Cycle" that tests the hypothesis that, if the criminal justice system were to test every arrestee for illicit drug use and offer treatment, sanctions, or continued testing for all defendants with drug problems, the levels of drug abuse and criminal behavior would decline significantly. In each of these research demonstration programs, NIJ enters into a cooperative agreement with the jurisdiction hosting the programmatic intervention and issues a competitive, directed solicitation for the evaluation of the program. ------------------------------ Technology Development NIJ has a long history of developing technology for law enforcement and criminal justice agencies. NIJ pioneered the development of some of the technologies that are now commonplace within policing and criminal justice. Soft body armor (commonly called the bullet-resistant vest) was first developed and field tested by NIJ. The advances in the use of DNA science in forensics can be largely attributed to NIJ investments. NIJ also supported the research and development of a new cyanoacrylate technology for lifting latent fingerprints -- contained in a portable device not much larger than an ordinary fountain pen. In addition, for many years, NIJ has operated a program to test products that are routinely purchased by police agencies. These products are measured against objective, voluntary performance standards so that purchasing entities at the local level can invest tax dollars wisely in the most effective police equipment. Over the past few years, NIJ's science and technology program has grown exponentially. The Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Defense (DOD) entered into a partnership in 1994 to share and develop technologies that can have both military and law enforcement applications. Congress then appropriated funds in the defense budget to support those technology developments. Congress also appropriated funds in the NIJ budget to develop a technology information network -- the NIJ National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center and its four regional centers -- to manage technology development projects and serve as a gateway for law enforcement, corrections, and the entire criminal justice community to have access to relevant technology information. (See "NIJ Technology Centers" on page 11.) Additionally, Congress appropriated funds in the NIJ budget for the establishment and operation of an NIJ Office of Law Enforcement Technology Commercialization to help introduce new products to the marketplace. In fiscal year 1996, Congress set aside 1 percent of Crime Act funds for law enforcement to create a $20 million fund at NIJ for investment in law enforcement and criminal justice technology and began funding for a 5-year, $40 million DNA laboratory improvement program to enhance State and local DNA laboratory processing capabilities. Finally, in the fiscal year 1997 budget, Congress appropriated $10 million for technology to fight domestic terrorism. NIJ has responded to this expanded mandate by creating an integrated mix of program strategies. First, the Institute regularly consults with law enforcement and correctional executives to ascertain their needs and priorities for new technologies. This is accomplished through the Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Advisory Council, made up of more than 150 professionals from all over the United States. Then, NIJ translates these needs and priorities into an agenda for the DOJ-DOD partnership -- thereby accessing the wealth of defense technologies -- and into the list of projects solicited through the Institute's open and special, directed technology solicitations. In fiscal year 1996, NIJ issued special, directed solicitations for proposals for technologies to support community-oriented policing; law enforcement, courts, and corrections technology development; and the Forensic DNA Laboratory Improvement Program. The community-oriented policing solicitation was developed with the DOJ Office of Community Oriented Policing Services and supported with Crime Act funds. NIJ has also developed, at the request of the President, a special technology development program area on concealed weapons detection. NIJ continues to develop a range of technologies that will have direct relevance to law enforcement practitioners, such as devices that will stop fleeing vehicles but avoid injuring pursuers, suspects, and innocent bystanders, or offer a broader range of options to conventional use-of-force methods and thus minimize the need for deadly force. A major goal of NIJ's forensic science research program is to develop technologies that will reduce processing costs and time and enable DNA testing to be performed at crime scenes. NIJ's other technology thrusts include: officer protection and safety technology; noninvasive drug testing; electronic monitoring of personnel movements; information technology and data base integration assessment and adoption; crime mapping technology; improved judicial processing, court proceedings, and corrections monitoring; situational awareness and crime prevention applications and technologies; simulation and modeling technology for training and operations; integrated Smart Gun/laser systems; and strategic technology application toolkits to help large, medium, and small law enforcement agencies to conduct technology assessments and acquisitions. (See "NIJ Research Portfolio" on page 12.) ------------------------------ Support for Innovative Programs and Policy Development Another role NIJ plays in the development of useful knowledge about crime and the criminal justice system is to survey the world of practice and policy to determine the critical issues and important innovations at the local level. For example, NIJ commissioned independent descriptive assessments of the Midtown Community Court in New York City, the Drug Court in Miami, the COMmunity-Backed Anti-drug Tax (COMBAT) in Jackson County, Missouri, the Information Collection Automated Mapping (ICAM) Program in Chicago, and Project Re-Enterprise in Texas, a public-private partnership to train inmates nearing release in job interview skills. In some cases, the initiatives are subjects of independent evaluations supported by NIJ. In others, NIJ staff and consultants assess the projects according to a set of criteria to ensure that they reflect programmatic innovations that are based on the literature of the field and offer important insights into the possibility for reform. The assessments are widely disseminated to the field to stimulate new thinking and research. More detailed reviews are also conducted of specific, emerging issues, and NIJ publishes reports synthesizing research findings, operational experience, and expert opinion related to the topic. (See "Delivering Information to the Field" on page 14.) For example, NIJ learned of the concern of police officials, prosecutors, and others about witness intimidation. NIJ convened a focus group to gauge the depth of the problem, inventory promising approaches, and develop research strategies. The result was two publications: a summary of the key points, problems, and potential responses raised at the meeting and, following onsite study, a report for criminal justice professionals detailing promising approaches. In response to the concern that job-related stress has negative consequences for law enforcement personnel and their families, NIJ commissioned a review of stress-reduction and other employee assistance programs operating in law enforcement agencies and will soon publish the findings. NIJ used these findings to shape its requests for research in two solicitations issued last year. The Institute recently awarded a total of $780,000 to eight agencies and organizations to implement innovative demonstration programs and provide training to officers in developing and providing services to alleviate job-related stress among law enforcement personnel. Funds also were awarded for research on stress from the perspective of female and minority officers. Another developmental support initiative involves a partnership between the National Institute of Justice and the State Department's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs. These agencies cosponsored a 2-day meeting for practitioners, researchers, and policymakers from around the world to develop the best possible information and approaches for assisting emerging democracies to promote modern, democratic, rule-of-law policing practices. An NIJ publication based on the meeting is now in progress. With the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services as partner, NIJ convened a national symposium on police integrity to formulate a national action and research agenda for maintaining police integrity and ensuring public trust in law enforcement. A report on the proceedings will be published in early 1997, and several research studies have recently been launched. Also in 1996, in cooperation with the Bureau of Justice Assistance and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, NIJ and the Office for Victims of Crime convened a national symposium on restorative justice practices. Practitioners and researchers from across the country shared information about existing and new approaches to restorative justice practices, which focus on providing support and compensation to victims and assisting with mediation among victims, offenders, and the community. The participants also were able to discuss problems related to the practices and their possible solutions, restorative justice applications to the juvenile and criminal justice systems, and measuring the effects of restorative justice. ------------------------------ Strategic Challenges As we approach the year 2000, NIJ envisions five strategic challenges that build on the evolving body of knowledge produced by research during the past quarter century. Rethinking Justice NIJ is committed to research and demonstration efforts that offer critical examination of society's response to crime. NIJ wants to ask questions about how victims and communities respond to crime and examine the role of the agencies of the justice system in dispensing justice. Now under way are projects that are examining novel approaches to traditional functions -- new, problem-solving courts such as domestic violence courts, and innovative concepts such as community prosecution, restorative justice, and neighborhood corrections. Beginning in 1997, NIJ will undertake a new initiative called "Criminal Justice 2000" that will review the state of our criminal justice system on a broad scale -- by documenting current operations and examining those systems from the perspectives of victims, offenders, jurors, and witnesses. The goal is ultimately to spur public discussion and ask whether recent innovations such as the community justice movement and problem-solving courts hold promise for systemwide reform. To that end, in the year 2000, NIJ will convene a major conference, "Rethinking Justice," that will bring together practitioners, policymakers, and interested citizens to develop new directions for criminal justice policy in the new century. Understanding the Nexus As part of the effort to develop and sustain informed public discourse on crime, NIJ seeks to understand the nexus between crime and other social concerns, including crime and drugs, crime and guns, crime and youth, crime and alcohol, crime and gangs, crime and communities, and crime and economic development. In 1997, NIJ will undertake a major new initiative to develop a research infrastructure to dramatically expand our understanding of these links. With the creation of ADAM, the Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring program, this research program will expand to every city over 200,000 in population and ultimately reach into suburban and rural America. In the year 2000, NIJ will begin publishing an annual report based on ADAM that will map trends in drug use, gun markets, gang migration, suburbanization of crime, treatment availability, and other factors. Breaking the Cycle NIJ is committed to designing research demonstration projects to test the effectiveness of new interventions that, if successful, will significantly advance the state of practice. Currently under way in Birmingham, Alabama, is a project designed to "break the cycle" between drugs and crime by testing the hypothesis that testing, mandatory treatment, and other interventions provided to those with a history of illicit drug use will reduce drug abuse and criminal behavior. This project will shed light on the potential for systematic reform of the criminal justice system on the issue of drug abuse. In 1997, NIJ will begin design of a second "breaking the cycle" demonstration project--to break the cycle of violence. Building on research showing that children who are abused or neglected are 40 percent more likely to engage in delinquency or crime later in life, NIJ will collaborate with experts to devise and evaluate a multisite intervention that will reduce that level of delinquency. Creating the Tools Well-designed policies are tools for practitioners, but there is a need for more concrete, tangible devices. With increased funding for NIJ's science and technology program, the Institute will be developing a number of new technologies for law enforcement and corrections. In the next few years, NIJ will make special efforts in two areas -- DNA and crime mapping. DNA technology that is affordable -- about $20 a test -- and portable, with nearly immediate results, is within the grasp of scientists. If successful, this technology can aid in convicting many more criminals, exonerating innocent people earlier in the process, and, thus, fundamentally changing the work of law enforcement. The revolution in information technology has led to cutting-edge approaches that change the way we think about crime. Crime mapping permits us to explore the spatial and temporal dimensions of crime and enhance our ability to see crime in the context of other social forces such as income distribution, health care, transportation systems, and demographic patterns. Many police departments have made crime mapping an integral part of their response to crime. In 1997, NIJ will create a Crime Mapping Research Center to bring the revolutions of research, technology, and practice together to benefit all communities. Expanding Horizons It is critically important to look beyond traditional boundaries -- both geographical and intellectual -- in order to develop a full understanding of crime and justice issues. To this end, NIJ has joined the family of research institutes connected with the Criminal Justice and Crime Prevention Division of the United Nations. NIJ has developed UNOJUST -- the United Nations Online Crime and Justice Clearinghouse -- to link the criminological institutes of the world on the World Wide Web. Workshops on "Policing in Emerging Democracies" with our colleagues at the State Department, scholarly discussions, and exchange with international colleagues on the issue of police ethics and integrity have moved NIJ toward international initiatives that are expected to grow significantly as we approach the year 2000. Closer to home, NIJ continues to build interdisciplinary partnerships. Recently, the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services announced the recipients of grants under the first ever joint solicitation between the National Institute of Justice and the National Institutes of Health -- on the important topic of violence against women. In response to the National Academy of Sciences report on research needed in this area, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and NIJ have developed a 5-year research plan on violence against women. Expanding horizons also include collaborations with colleagues in the legal academic community. The Institute anticipates similar efforts with researchers working on urban policy issues -- community development, welfare reform, educational reform, and health care -- all of which have direct bearing on the creation of social infrastructure that discourages crime and delinquency. ------------------------------ How To Participate in NIJ Research Programs NIJ's research interests are made known to the field through competitive solicitations that are widely distributed, announced in the Federal Register and Commerce Business Daily, and available at the Justice Information Center on the World Wide Web (http://www.ncjrs.org). Information is also available from the DOJ Response Center at 800-421- 6770 (in the Washington, D.C., area at 202-307- 1480). Investigator-Initiated Research Opportunities Researchers may propose their own study concepts in NIJ's open competitions. Guidance for these competitions appears in an open solicitation, which is issued biennially. The solicitation conceptualizes broad criminal justice and social themes for investigators to consider, but virtually any criminal justice topic may be proposed. NIJ chooses proposals for funding that meet high standards of technical merit and demonstrate strong potential for making a contribution to justice policy. The burden of articulating a study's policy significance falls on the investigator. ------------------------------ 1994 Crime Act Initiatives The 1994 Crime Act provided for major innovations in four key areas: community policing, violence against women, sentencing and corrections, and drug courts. The Department of Justice established offices to manage programs in each area: the Community Oriented Policing Services and Violence Against Women Offices within the Department of Justice and the Violence Against Women Grants Program Office, the Corrections Program Office, and the Drug Courts Program Office within the Office of Justice Programs. In partnership with these offices, NIJ has launched major research and evaluation initiatives in each area. NIJ's Crime Act-related research in fiscal years 1995 and 1996 consists of 113 projects on community policing, including a national evaluation of the progress made and problems encountered through implementation of the Crime Act's Community Oriented Policing Services, and 20 projects related to violence against women, including an evaluation of Block Grants to Combat Violence Against Women. NIJ also sponsored, in collaboration with the National Academy of Sciences, a research panel on violence against women made up of researchers and practitioners who examined empirical and clinical research, identified gaps in the knowledge base, and developed a research agenda with recommendations for improving policy and practice. In 1996, NIJ joined with the Corrections Program Office to award funding for a national multisite impact evaluation of existing boot camp programs and a national study of 27 juvenile boot camps. NIJ is also partnering with that office to support research and evaluations on truth-in-sentencing policies, the impact of two-strikes laws, and the impact of sentencing reforms on corrections -- 19 grants were awarded in 1996. In preparation for collaboration on research with the Drug Courts Program Office, the Institute is completing an assessment of drug courts to determine which are most amenable to rigorous evaluation. The Institute also is conducting a demonstration evaluation of the District of Columbia Superior Court's Drug Court. NIJ recently made eight awards totaling $780,000 under another Crime Act initiative, the Law Enforcement Family Support Program. The projects will develop policies and demonstration programs to reduce job-related stress and its consequences for law enforcement personnel and their families. In addition, NIJ is supporting a research study that will identify the effects of job-related stress from the perspectives of women and minority law enforcement officers. Finally, the Crime Act has supported significant investment in new technology to improve the effectiveness of law enforcement and criminal justice agencies. In partnership with the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, NIJ has awarded $4 million in grants to develop technologies to support community policing. NIJ has also developed an ambitious strategy to invest Crime Act funds -- totaling 1 percent of funds appropriated for the law enforcement portion of the Crime Act in fiscal years 1996-1997 -- to provide new technology tools for criminal justice practitioners. ------------------------------ NIJ Technology Centers The NIJ National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center (NLECTC) and its regional centers are the heart of NIJ's technology information and dissemination efforts. These centers offer a centralized source of product and technology information, assessment, and referral services to law enforcement, corrections, and other criminal justice professionals. Each regional center (located in Rome, New York; Charleston, South Carolina; Denver, Colorado; and El Segundo, California) has its own local advisory board and encourages input from local law enforcement and corrections agencies. The Centers' staff work with State and local agencies to support the needs they identify, prevent duplication and waste, and help transfer the technologies to law enforcement and corrections agencies. NIJ also supports a Border Research and Technology Center (BRTC) in San Diego, California, that focuses on developing and enhancing border research and technology. ------------------------------ NIJ Research Portfolio NIJ's research activities constitute an impressive portfolio of works in progress. NIJ's portfolio now includes more than 300 extramural, intramural, technology development, and program development projects, representing a total investment of more than $100 million. In 1996, NIJ for the first time published the NIJ Research Portfolio. Applicants are encouraged to scan the portfolio, contact researchers working on grants related to the proposed area of interest, and speak to NIJ staff about the Institute's interest in a proposed topic. Technology As a result of NIJ's expanded technology research activities, the science and technology portion of NIJ's portfolio has grown substantially. NIJ now has more than 130 projects under way valued at approximately $51 million. By the end of 1996, awards of grants under the Crime Act's 1-percent set-aside will bring this total to about $71 million. The projects jointly managed between NIJ and the Department of Defense, which are paid for by Department of Defense appropriations, will total about $29 million in value by the end of 1996. Researchers interested in submitting proposals to NIJ in these areas are encouraged to contact the Institute's Office of Science and Technology. ------------------------------ Delivering Information to the Field NIJ makes information on research and innovation available to the field in several ways: through traditional and electronic means of publication in a variety of formats, by providing opportunities for professionals in criminal justice to meet and exchange ideas, and by seeking out emerging ideas and bringing them to the attention of the field. Priority is given to the information needs of State and local officials and criminal justice practitioners. Opportunities are provided for personal contact and exchange of information among the various criminal justice professions and through the promotion of dialogue between the researcher and practitioner communities. The annual conference on criminal justice research and evaluation hosted by NIJ showcases new findings before representatives of the entire community of researchers, professionals, and practitioners. NIJ highlights topical issues, for example, a symposium on the emerging concept of "restorative justice," as well as a conference on ways the justice system is working in partnership with communities to reduce and prevent crime. The Policing Research Institute, begun last year in collaboration with the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, was organized as a way to bring to light the best thinking in the research community on topics of interest to the police early on, rather than waiting for long-term studies to be completed. In these sessions, management-level police officers meet with researchers to discuss the issues raised in specially commissioned papers. The inaugural session, "Measuring What Matters," examined the impact of police performance on crime, fear, disorder, and citizen satisfaction. To tap the expertise of professional organizations in coming up with new ways to disseminate research findings, "research in action partnerships" were inaugurated in 1995. The emphasis is on electronic means of information dissemination, and the concept is based on the notion that these organizations themselves are best equipped to know their members' needs and the best ways to reach them and can put research findings into contexts most useful for their members. Locally based programs that show promise for adoption or adaptation elsewhere are brought to the attention of the field (see "Support for Innovations and Policy Development" on page 17) as case studies. Issues and practices just beginning to emerge are also documented, their advantages and disadvantages explored, and relevant research synthesized. Health care costs in corrections and the criminal justice and community response to rape are examples of issues recently explored. The findings of these inquiries are disseminated in summary form in special publication series. NIJ also commissions studies on topical issues such as the spread of HIV, AIDS, and tuberculosis in correctional facilities. In recent years, NIJ has expanded the range of methods used to disseminate information and now publishes all documents electronically via the World Wide Web. The international clearinghouse of information created and managed by NIJ, the National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS), carries out this dissemination mission and responds to queries from the field about criminal justice matters from its library of more than 130,000 documents. The services of NCJRS are all available online. ------------------------------ For Further Information about NIJ Additional information about NIJ research activities is available in the following publications: Research on Crime and Justice: National Institute of Justice, Year in Review 1995 NIJ Research Portfolio NIJ Fiscal Year 1996 Crime Act Awards (forthcoming) NIJ Fiscal Year 1996 Awards (forthcoming) The NIJ Publications Catalog, Fifth Edition, 1985- 1995 To learn about the most recently available NIJ publications and final reports, please contact the National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS) to receive the NCJRS Catalog, a bimonthly publication of all Office of Justice Programs agencies. The catalog and all other NIJ publications and final reports can be obtained by writing or calling NCJRS at P.O. Box 6000, Rockville, MD 20849-6000; 800-851-3420. (See "NIJ Online Resources" on page 20 for information on electronic access to NIJ resources.) ------------------------------ NIJ Online Resources NIJ uses advanced information technologies to promote faster and easier access to the electronic exchange of criminal justice information. NIJ's clearinghouse, the National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS), provides NIJ publications for downloading from the Internet. Data collections from NIJ's Data Resources Program are also available for downloading from the World Wide Web. NIJ is one of six Federal agencies that support the Partnerships Against Violence Network (PAVNET), a unique online resource for information about anti-violence programs, including technical assistance programs and Federal and private funding sources. News and information about NIJ's technology programs and products is available on the Justice Technology Information Network (JUSTNET). JUSTNET provides access to a data base of information on commercially available products and technologies for law enforcement and corrections. It also features a chat area for online dialogue among users. These and other electronic resources are listed below. Justice Information Center. World Wide Web site: http://www.ncjrs.org. NCJRS anonymous ftp. For downloading full-text publications: ftp ncjrs.org. E-mail. To automatically receive information about NCJRS, send an e-mail to: look@ncjrs.org. To ask a question or to obtain other services, send an e-mail to: askncjrs@ncjrs.org. JUSTINFO. To subscribe to JUSTINFO, the bimonthly free newsletter from NCJRS, which is delivered via e-mail, send this message: "subscribe justinfo," and give your name. Send to: listproc@ncjrs.org. National Archive of Criminal Justice Data (NACJD). World Wide Web site: http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/nacjd. PAVNET Online. Gopher: pavnet.esusda.gov; World Wide Web: http://www.pavnet.org. JUSTNET. NIJ's Justice Technology Information Network: http://www.nlectc.org. UNOJUST. United Nations Online Crime and Justice Clearinghouse: http://www.ncjrs.org/unojust. Rule of Law. Online data base of more than 3,600 Internet-accessible documents that assists Eastern Europe and the newly independent states of the former Soviet Union and other emerging democracies: http://www.rol.org. ------------------------------ National Institute of Justice 633 Indiana Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20531 For more information on the National Institute of Justice, please contact: National Criminal Justice Reference Service Box 6000 Rockville, MD 20849-6000 800-851-3420 E-mail: askncjrs@ncjrs.org To access the World Wide Web site, go to http://www.ncjrs.org If you have any questions, call or e-mail NCJRS. ------------------------------ Figures, charts, forms, and tables are not included in this ASCII plain text file. To order a print copy, contact: National Criminal Justice Reference Service P.O. Box 6000 Rockville, MD 20849-6000 800-851-3420 e-mail: askncjrs@ncjrs.org You can also download the graphic form of this document from the NCJRS Justice Information Center World Wide Web site; go to http://www.ncjrs.org If you have any questions, call or e-mail NCJRS.