THE INSTITUTE IS A SEMI-INDEPENDENT BODY SUBORDINATED IN THE STATE BUDGET TO THE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE. IT HAS ITS OWN BOARD AND IS IN A POSITION TO EVALUATE CRITICALLY THE POLICIES OF THE MINISTRY AND OTHER AUTHORITIES. THE INSTITUTE FUNCTIONS MIDWAY BETWEEN THE RESEARCH UNITS OF UNIVERSITIES AND ADMINISTRATIVE AGENCIES, ATTEMPTING TO COMBINE THEORETICAL AND APPLIED GOALS IN ITS PROJECTS. MOST FINNISH CRIMINOLOGISTS TAKE A SOCIOLOGICAL VIEW OF CRIME AND FOCUS THEIR EFFORTS ON KEEPING SOCIETAL COSTS RELATED TO CRIME ON A TOLERABLE LEVEL AND EQUITABLY DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT SOCIETY. IN PRACTICE, FINNISH CRIMINOLOGICAL RESEARCH GENERALLY INVOLVES MAKING SURVEYS OF THE EXISTING SYSTEM, REVEALING ITS WEAKNESSES, AND SUGGESTING NEW SOLUTIONS. OFTEN A COST-BENEFIT APPROACH IS TAKEN TO WEIGHING PROPOSED ALTERNATIVES. THE INSTITUTE'S RESEARCH PROJECTS HAVE INFLUENCED POLITICAL DECISIONMAKING IN THE AREAS OF DRUNKEN DRIVING LAWS, CRIMINAL RECORD CONFIDENTIALITY, VICTIM COMPENSATION, RIGHT TO PRIVACY, UTILITY OF PAROLE SUPERVISION, PUBLIC INFORMATION ON VIOLENT CRIME, AND WEAPONS CONTROL. CRIMINOLOGISTS INFLUENCE DECISIONMAKING NOT ONLY THROUGH RESEARCH PROJECTS, BUT ALSO THROUGH DIRECT PARTICIPATION IN LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEES AND TASK FORCES, EVALUATION OF COMMITTEE REPORTS AND LAW PROPOSALS, AND PUBLICATION OF BOOKS AND ARTICLES. IN FINLAND AND ELSEWHERE, THE PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS OF MUCH SOCIAL RESEARCH ARE LIMITED BECAUSE RESEARCHERS FAIL TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN TASKS CALLING FOR EXACT MEASUREMENT AND TASKS REQUIRING BROAD INSIGHTS INTO ALL FACETS OF A PROBLEM. RESEARCHERS AND DECISIONMAKERS NEED TO BECOME MORE SOPHISTICATED AND FLEXIBLE IN MATCHING RESEARCH METHODS TO UTILIZATION PROBLEMS. (LKM)