National Institute of Justice Annual Report 2011

• NCJ Number: 239796
• Date Published: 2011
• Length: 36 pages
• Agencies: NIJ
• Publication Type: Report (Annual/Periodic); Program/Project Description

Annotation

This Annual Report of the U.S. Justice Department's National Institute of Justice (NIJ) features descriptions of NIJ-funded research, development, and evaluations for fiscal year 2011.

Abstract

The NIJ is the only Federal agency devoted solely to bringing the benefits of scientific research and technology development to the Nation's criminal justice system. It assists criminal justice professionals by conducting basic and applied research, assessing new technologies, promoting innovations, and evaluating programs in order to learn what does and does not work in the pursuit of criminal justice goals and objectives. NIJ works with criminal justice professionals and researchers in establishing its research priorities. This annual report provides a sampling of the most prominent work undertaken by NIJ. The strategic challenges addressed by NIJ in 2011 included fostering science-based criminal justice practice, applying knowledge in improving practice, advancing technology, working across disciplines, and adopting a global perspective. Under each of these themes, specific achievements of NIJ-sponsored programs are presented. Highlights are reported from the new awards made in 2011. They include understanding the impact of child abuse, evaluation of an innovative probation program, an expanded prisoner reentry study, and a study of kiosk use for probation and parole. NIJ also awarded action research on addressing the backlog of testing evidence obtained through a sexual assault kit. Other NIJ awards addressed a partnership between researchers and practitioners, and predictive policing pilot programs.