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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASENIJ
SUNDAY, MARCH 28, 1999202/307-0703

POLICE AND CORRECTIONS GET TOGETHER TO IMPROVE PUBLIC SAFETY

BOSTON, MA -- Public safety can be more effectively enhanced when police and corrections agencies collaborate and share information, according to a report released today by the Justice Department. The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) study, Police-Corrections Partnerships, examined several police-corrections collaborations including enhanced supervision partnerships, fugitive apprehension units, information-sharing partnerships, specialized enforcement partnerships and interagency problem-solving partnerships.

"When law enforcement and corrections agencies work together both benefit, work more efficiently, and most importantly strengthen public safety in communities, " said NIJ Director Jeremy Travis. "This report discusses the potential benefits, as well as practical problems associated with police-corrections partnerships. It offers solid, realistic insights into the future of such collaborations."

The NIJ study, released today at the First Regional Symposium on Police-Corrections Partnerships here, found that staff morale often improves in both police and corrections agencies when staff are given flexibility and creativity to solve community problems from their respective vantages. The study also suggests that services to neighborhoods may be improved by expanding partnerships to include other social services and community organizations.

Future regional symposia on police-corrections partnerships will be held in Minneapolis, Minnesota on June 27, 1999, in Raleigh, North Carolina on September 26, 1999, and in Seattle, Washington on November 21, 1999.

The National Institute of Justice (NIJ), the research arm of the Department of Justice, is the primary sponsor of criminal justice research and evaluations of programs to reduce crime. For additional information about NIJ, the Internet address is https://ojp.gov/nij.

General information about the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) is available at https://ojp.gov.

The report is available on the Internet at https://ojp.gov/nij, or from the National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS) by calling toll-free, 1-800/851-3420.

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NIJ 99-058

After hours contact: James Phillips at 888/491-4487 (pager)