NCJ Number
234747
Date Published
March 2011
Length
1 page
Annotation
This video and its transcript cover the first in a series of conversations with John H. Laub, the director of the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), in which he describes his vision for how NIJ will craft its leadership role in guiding criminal justice system policy and practice.
Abstract
He envisions a "culture of science and research" within NIJ. By this, he means that NIJ will emphasize the importance of basing criminal justice policy and practice on empirical data derived from state-of-the-art research methods. Empirical data will be used to challenge policies based on opinions, political ideologies, tradition, unproven theories, and unreliable evaluations. Laub hopes that NIJ will be viewed as a science agency that invests in the collection, analysis, and application of scientifically derived data that shape hypotheses to be tested and retested in their incorporation into criminal justice policy and practice designed to achieve intended outcomes.