NCJ Number
75677
Date Published
1979
Length
49 pages
Annotation
The September 1979 meeting of the National Institute of Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice (NILECJ) Advisory Committee focused on priority research areas for 1981.
Abstract
The meeting opened with a brief statement by the NILECJ's director on the impact of the Office of Justice Administration, Research and Statistics, (OJARS) legislation on NILECJ. Methods used to establish research priorities since 1976 were explained, and a resolution passed by the National Governor's Association identifying State criminal justice priorities was detailed. NILECJ staff members then presented papers on the following priority research areas for discussion by committee members: correlations and determinates of crime, violent crime, use of police resources with particular attention to police field services delivery systems, inconsistency and delay in the pretrial process, sentencing, rehabilitation, the career criminal, community crime prevention, performance measures for components of the criminal justice system, and deterrence. A representative from LEAA discussed the OJARS legislation and funding cuts. Committee members generally supported the current priority list but cautioned against political influences and suggested revisions of budget allocations. Other recommendations included minority participation in the Committee and research into how criminal justice agencies cope with reduced budgets. Finally, NILECJ's research director commented that three areas of special concern had emerged from the discussions: the need for the development of better theoretical frameworks, for more attention to the impact of pretrial processes, and more emphasis on the career criminal program. The meeting's agenda and a list of participants are provided.