NCJ Number
89038
Date Published
1981
Length
7 pages
Annotation
Many suggestions for reform of the judicial system are based on erroneous notions of how that system presently operates. The Institute for Law and Social Research (INSLAW), a nonprofit corporation in Washington, D.C., is attempting to bridge the knowledge gap and apply reliable knowledge directly to the administration of justice.
Abstract
INSLAW engages in research and development work for prosecution and court agencies, largely under Department of Justice funding. A major feature of INSLAW's research has been the development of a computer-assisted information system called Prosecutor's Management Information System (PROMIS) which is presently in operation in about 30 jurisdictions. As PROMIS is more widely used, it will enable criminal justice officials to see how the system actually operates. Thus, PROMIS not only may give insight into the present, but may shape and prefigure the future of the criminal justice system. Ten reference notes are appended. (Author abstract modified)