ADDRESS OF THE HONORABLE GRIFFIN B BELL, ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES, BEFORE THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON STATE COURTS, WILLIAMSBURG CONFERENCE CENTER, VIRGINIA, MARCH 19, 1978

• NCJ Number: 45976
• Author(s): G B BELL
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 13 pages
• Corporate Author: US Dept of Justice
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

GRIFFIN BELL, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE U.S., COMMENTS ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE, WITH EMPHASIS ON STRENGTHENING STATE AND FEDERAL COURTS AND THE PROPOSED REORGANIZATION OF LEAA.

Abstract

BELL STRESSES THAT BECAUSE THE LITIGATION EXPLOSION OF THE LAST FEW YEARS SHOWS NO SIGN OF ABATING, THE COURTS OF THE NATION SHOULD BE STRENGTHENED, IMPROVED, AND WHERE NECESSARY, EXPANDED. ONGOING CONGRESSIONAL EFFORTS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF FEDERAL JUDGES WILL PROVIDE THE FEDERAL SYSTEM WITH MUCH NEEDED RESOURCES, ALTHOUGH CRIMINAL JUSTICE PLANNERS HAVE COME TO REALIZE THAT MERELY MORE OF THE SAME WILL NOT RESOLVE THE BURDEN CAUSED BY INCREASING RECOURSE TO LITIGATION. MORE JUDGES, COURTHOUSES, AND COURT ADMINISTRATORS MAY BE NEEDED, BUT SOCIETY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO KEEP UP WITH THE INCREASING NEEDS BY SIMPLY EXPANDING TRADITIONAL TOOLS. NEW AND MORE EFFECTIVE MEANS MUST BE DEVISED TO HANDLE SOME TYPES OF DISPUTES AND TO PROVIDE MEANS FOR RESOLVING DISPUTES FOR WHICH NO ADEQUATE FORUM EXISTS. TO THIS END THERE ARE TWO INTERRELATED ROLES FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT: IT CAN EXERCISE LEADERSHIP IN DEVELOPING NATIONAL POLICY ON JUSTICE AND IT CAN ACT AS A CATALYST FOR INNOVATION, CHANGE, AND IMPROVEMENT IN THE NATION'S JUDICIAL SYSTEM AT ALL LEVELS. MAJOR STEPS HAVE ALREADY BEEN TAKEN (E.G., THE CREATION OF THE OFFICE FOR IMPROVEMENTS IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE), AND MORE WILL BE TAKEN, INCLUDING THE REORGANIZATION OF LEAA. THE PROPOSED REORGANIZATION CALLS FOR THE CREATION OF THREE MAJOR ENTITIES IN PLACE OF THE EXISTING LEAA INFRASTRUCTURE. A BUREAU OF JUSTICE STATISTICS PLANNING WILL PROVIDE A SINGLE NATIONAL STATISTICS AGENCY TO GATHER AND ANALYZE DATA ON CIVIL AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE, AT BOTH THE STATE AND FEDERAL LEVELS. THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF JUSTICE WILL BE CHARGED WITH CARRYING OUT RESEARCH IN CIVIL AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE IN A MUCH MORE COMPREHENSIVE MANNER THAN HAS BEEN POSSIBLE IN THE PAST. THE THIRD MAJOR ELEMENT WILL BE A RESHAPED LEAA WHICH WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ADMINISTERING BLOCK GRANT FUNDS AND CERTAIN OTHER PROGRAMS OUTSIDE THE RESEARCH AND STATISTICAL FUNCTIONS. (KBL)