NIJ was created in 1969 and has been in the forefront of nearly every innovation in criminal justice research and policy ever since. The following Director's have led the Institute in that work. Select a director to view a list of their speeches, remarks, and testimony.
- Nancy La Vigne, May 2022-present
- Jennifer Scherer, Acting 2021-May 2022
- David B. Muhlhausen, 2017-2021
- Howard R. Spivak, Acting 2017
- Nancy Rodriguez, 2015-2017
- William J. Sabol , Acting 2014-2015
- Greg Ridgeway, Acting 2013-2014
- John H. Laub, 2010–2013
- Kristina Rose, Acting 2009–2010
- David W. Hagy, 2006–2009
- Glenn R. Schmitt, Acting 2005–2006
- Sarah V. Hart, 2001–2005
- Julie Samuels, Acting 2000–2001
- Jeremy Travis, 1995–2000
- Carol V. Petrie, Acting 1994
- Michael J. Russell, Acting 1993–1994
- Charles B. DeWitt, 1990–1993
- James K. Stewart, 1982–1990
- W. Robert Burkhart, 1982
- James Underwood, 1981–1982
- Harry Bratt, 1979–1981
- Blair Ewing, 1977–1979
- Gerald Caplan, 1973–1977
- Martin Danziger, 1971–1973
- Irving Slott, acting 1970–1971
- Henry Ruth, 1969–1970
- Robert L. Emrich, Acting 1968-69
- Ralph Siu, acting 1968–1969
Nancy La Vigne, Director, 2022-
- Public Criminology: Charting the Course from Evidence to Action
October 7, 2024, article in Translational Criminology - From the Director: Body Armor Standards Updated to Better Protect Those in the Line of Fire
October 1, 2024, article in Police Chief and on NIJ.ojp.gov - Promoting safer and more humane environments: The imperative of studying restrictive housing in corrections
August 28, 2023, Op-Ed, The Hill, by Director La Vigne and Collette S. Peters, Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons - The Importance of Inclusive Research How Engaging People Closest to the Issue Makes for Better Science and Greater Impact
August 21, 2023, article recapping an NIJ 2023 Research Conference plenary session - Meet the OJP Science Directors: Nancy La Vigne and Alex Piquero Discuss the Future of Research and Statistics
May 24, 2023, NIJ Research Conference plenary session - NIJ 2023 Research Conference Opening Ceremony
May 23, 2023, Director La Vigne and DOJ leadership welcome attendees to the NIJ 2023 Research Conference - The United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Programme Network of Institutes Interviews NIJ Director La Vigne,
May 15, 2023, article in PNI Newsletter 3rd Issue - Inclusive Research: Engaging with the People Closest to the Issue,
March 7, 2023, video interview - Director La Vigne Discusses Forensic Research and Development at NIJ
February 15, 2023, interview with AAFS TV - "Selling the Science: Our Collective Visions for the National Institute of Justice and the Bureau of Justice Statistics"
January 9, 2023, with Alex R. Piquero, Director, Bureau of Justice Statistics, published in the Criminologist, the newsletter of the American Society of Criminology - "Reliable data and research on crime is needed now more than ever"
January 5, 2023, with Alex R. Piquero, Director, Bureau of Justice Statistics, published in The Hill - "From the Director: Harnessing the Power of Data-Driven, Inclusive Research"
December 7, 2022, originally published in Police Chief - NIJ Director La Vigne Outlines NIJ’s Priorities at the American Society of Criminology’s 2022 Annual Meeting
November 17, 2022 - "Getting the Most Out of Research Partnerships"
November 15, 2022, original published in Corrections Today. - Podcast: A New Vision for NIJ with Director Nancy La Vigne
September 12, 2022 - In Acceptance of the SEARCH 2022 Justice Policy Leadership Award
July 19, 2022 - Director Nancy La Vigne’s Vision
June 7, 2022 - Addresses the American Society of Evidence-Based Policing
May 24, 2022
David B. Muhlhausen, Director, 2017-2021
- Replication Studies are Vital to Science We Can Count On
December 21, 2020 - The National Institute of Justice Strategic Research Plans
July 30, 2020 - Perspectives on Research and Evidence-Based Policing
July 20, 2020 - Realignment of Forensic Capacity Enhancement Programs within the Office of Justice Programs
April 17, 2020 - Reflecting on my Time as Director So Far ... And Envisioning the Future
January 2, 2020 - Rare Incidents Data Collection Methods to Advance Research on Mass Violence
September 25, 2019 - NIJ Helps Lay the Groundwork for Implementation of the First Step Act
April 9, 2019 - Remarks on Reentry at the 2018 National Project Safe Neighborhoods Conference
December 8, 2018 - Research Summit on Women in Policing
December 3, 2018 - Corrections Strategic Research Plan
October 25, 2018 - Juvenile Justice Research Comes to NIJ
October 24, 2018 - Elevating Practitioners — From Advisers to Participants to Drivers
October 12, 2018 - Fighting the Opioid Crisis: Convening Police Leaders and Researchers to Learn Promising Practices and to Inform Research Agenda
September 25, 2018 - Bringing the Field to NIJ — Introducing the Practitioner-in-Residence Program
September 18, 2018 - Pushing the Edge on Evidence-Based Policing - Reflections on Research for the Real World
August 20, 2018 - Advancing Evidence-Based Policing
June 28, 2018 - Research on Returning Offender Programs and Promising Practices
June 13, 2018 - Responding to Sexual Assault
April 16, 2018 - A Message to Law Enforcement Professionals During Police Week 2018
May 14, 2018 - Learning From Leading Voices in Our New "Notes From the Field" Series
January 31, 2018 - Proactive Policing — What We Know and What We Don’t Know, Yet
January 17, 2018 - Improved Officer Safety in 2017 — and Beyond
January 10, 2018 - Remarks at the Korean Institute of Criminology Forum
December 7, 2017 - The Las Vegas Body-Worn Camera Experiment, prepared remarks delivered at a press event, hosted by CNA.
November 27, 2017. - Research at the National Institute of Justice, prepared remarks welcoming attendees to NIJ Day at ASC 2017.
November 15, 2017. - Director’s Corner: Data at Your Fingertips — the National Law Enforcement Applied Research and Data Platform, Director's Corner.
November 13, 2017. - Innovative Approaches to Addressing Violent Crime, Prepared remarks delivered at a CNA Executive Session, October 12, 2017.
- CrimeSolutions Has Rated 500 Programs and Counting, Director's Corner.
September 27, 2017
Howard R. Spivak, Acting Director, January-August 2017
- Supporting Crime Lab Directors and the Formation of the Forensic Laboratory Needs Technology Working Group (given as NIJ Principal Deputy Director)
May 29, 2018 - Researcher Practitioner Partnerships (given as NIJ Principal Deputy Director)
March 5, 2018 - Policing Strategic Research 2017-2022
July 31, 2017 - Equipment Guidance From NIJ and Our Expanding Standards Program
July 12, 2017 - Valuing and Communicating Science That Advances Justice
May 30, 2017 - Supporting Forensic Science Is a Priority at the National Institute of Justice
April 3, 2017
Nancy Rodriguez, Director, February 2015-January 2017
- Farewell from Nancy Rodriguez
January 13, 2017 - Restrictive Housing in the U.S.
November 14, 2016 - Bridging the Sciences to Support Cutting-Edge Research — NIJ’s Partnership With the National Science Foundation
October 26, 2016 - Identifying Alternatives to Exclusionary School Disciplinary Practices
October 18, 2016 - Advancing the Police Profession Through Science
October 11, 2016 - Congressional Briefing: Violence and Violence Prevention
September 27, 2016 - Addressing Sexual Assault Response — Moving Forward and Finding Solutions
September 1, 2016 - Safety, Health and Wellness Strategic Plan
August 19, 2016 - Developing a Comprehensive Response to Human Trafficking
July 28, 2016 - Driving Innovation in Crime Forecasting
July 26, 2016 - Shining Light on Wrongful Convictions
July 7, 2016
Read notes from Exonerees and Original Victims of Wrongful Conviction: Listening Sessions to Inform Programs and Research (pdf, 28 pages). - Explaining the Recent Rise in Violent Crime
June 15, 2016 - Decades of Research Provide Guidance on Police Wellness
May 16, 2016 - New National Protocol for Sexual Abuse Medical Forensic Examinations of Prepubescent Children
May 6, 2016 - Violence Against American Indians and Alaska Natives
May 5, 2016 - Strengthening Justice in the U.S.: The Impact of Scientific Research
April 22, 2016
Dr. Rodriguez gave the 27th Annual Walter C. Reckless-Simon Dinitz Memorial Lecture at Ohio State University
Read the Director's lecture as printed in the Ohio State Journal of Criminal Law (pdf, 13 pages) - Making Progress on Understanding and Investigating Sexual Assault
April 14, 2016 - Countering Violent Extremism with Research
March 7, 2016 - Tips for Making Your Proposal Competitive
February 19, 2016 - Developing the Future of Law Enforcement Leadership
November 12, 2015 - Setting the Agenda for Administrative Segregation Research
October 22, 2015 - Building Knowledge to Make Schools Safer
October 21, 2015 - New Research Projects Funded in Fiscal Year 2015
October 13, 2015 - Statement on Support for Forensic Science Research: Improving the Scientific Role of NIJ
October 1, 2015 - Building Our Next Generation of Researchers
September 21, 2015 - Body-Worn Cameras: Investigating and Evaluating Their Use by Police
August 30, 2015 - Strengthening Forensic Science at Its Foundations to Improve Public Safety
August 10, 2015 . - Making Change Happen in Policing
July 27, 2015 - Envisioning the Future
Greg Ridgeway, Acting NIJ Director, June 2013-July 2014
- Statement on NIJ's Role in the National Dialogue on Gun Violence
February 14, 2013
John H. Laub, NIJ Director, June 2010-January 2013
- Farewell Message from Director Laub
December 21, 2012 - Combining Intellectual Muscle: NIJ and the National Science Foundation Sign a Memorandum of Understanding
September 24, 2012 - A Post-NIJ Conference Recap...and Moving Forward
August 3, 2012 - Open Remarks to the Keynote Address of the 2012 NIJ Conference, Arlington, Va.
June 19, 2012
Watch the video - Australians and NIJ to Collaborate on Forensics
March 30, 2012 - Presidential Plenary Address — Strengthening Science to Promote Justice and Public Safety
Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS) Annual Conference, Washington, D.C., March 15, 2012 - Dr. Laub Discusses Translational Criminology
March 9, 2012
Watch "Translational Criminology" - NIJ and the Dutch Agree to Work Together to Improve the Use of Forensic Sciences
December 1, 2011 - The Challenges of Deficit-Driven Budgets
November 16, 2011 - Stockholm Prize: Conversation with John Laub and Rob Sampson
October 11, 2011
Watch an Interview with Drs. Laub and Sampson - Reorganization of NIJ
October 3, 2011 - Feedback from the Field: How Your Colleagues Are Using NIJ's Work
August 30, 2011 - My Post-NIJ Conference Guest Appearance on the Diane Rehm Show
July 12, 2011 - NIJ's Response to the NRC Report Strengthening the National Institute of Justice
June 20, 2011 - Partnerships: Coming Together to Study Crime & Solutions — A Message from the Director
June 6, 2011
Watch the "Partnerships: Coming Together to Study Crime & Solutions" - Embracing a Culture of Science — A Message from the Director
March 23, 2011
Watch "Embracing a Culture of Science" - Translational Criminology
Office of Justice Programs, Washington, D.C.
March 1, 2011 - Second Progress Report: NIJ's Response to Strengthening the National Institute of Justice
January 21, 2011 - A Tribute to Herman Goldstein, George Kelling and James Q. Wilson: Contributions to the Field of Criminal Justice
Harvard Executive Sessions, Boston, Mass., January 13, 2011 - My Vision for NIJ
November 9, 2010 - Initial Progress Report: NIJ's Response to Strengthening the National Institute of Justice
November 7, 2010
Kristina Rose, Acting Director 2009–2010
- H.R. 3695, The Help Find the Missing Act or Billy's Law (pdf, 4 pages)
Statement Before the United States House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security
January 21, 2010
David W. Hagy, Director 2006–2009
- Reauthorization and Improvement of the DNA Initiatives of the Justice for All Act of 2004
Statement before the United States House of Representative Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security
NIJ Director David W. Hagy
April 10, 2008
Sarah V. Hart, Director 2001–2005
- DOJ Oversight: Funding Forensic Sciences (pdf, 24 pages)
Statement before the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Administrative Oversight and the Courts
Director Sarah V. Hart
July 31, 2003 - Regarding the President’s DNA Initiatives
Statement before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security
July 17, 2003 - Regarding DNA Initiatives
Statement before the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs
May 14, 2002 - Regarding Less-Than-Lethal Weapons
Statement before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Aviation, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
May 2, 2002
Jeremy Travis, Director 1995–2000
- Thanks and Dreams, Farewell Speech by Jeremy Travis,
Washington, DC
April 12, 2000 - Thinking Strategically about Developments in Law Enforcement Technology
Citizens Crime Commission
New York, NY
January 25, 2000 - Addressing Drug Abuse in the Justice Context: The Promise and the Challenge
National Assembly on Drugs, Alcohol Abuse, and the Criminal Offender
Washington, DC
December 7, 1999 - Stalking: Lessons from Recent Research
National Center for Women and Policing Conference
Orlando, FL
April 14, 1999 - Plenary Presentation to the American Society of Criminology
Washington, D.C.
November 12, 1998 - Research Informing Policy: What If We Took This Idea Seriously?
Address, National Corrections Conference: Enhancing Public Safety by Reducing Substance Abuse
Los Angeles, California
October 20, 1998 - Creating Safe Schools: Opening the Schoolhouse Doors to Research and Partnerships
Keynote Address Conference of the Security Management Institute of John Jay College
New York, New York
August 18, 1998 - Policing in Transition
Plenary Address at the Fourth Biennial Conference: International Perspectives on Crime, Justice and Public Order
Budapest, Hungary
June 21, 1998 - Justice Research as a Platform for the Diffusion of Innovation
Conference of the National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors
Salt Lake City, Utah
June 3, 1998 - Welcoming Remarks
Third Annual National Conference on the Future of DNA
Chicago, Illinois
May 21, 1998 - Declining Crime and Our National Research Agenda: A New Yorker's View
Inaugural Lecture, The Jack and Lewis Rudin Distinguished Visiting Scholar Program, John Jay College of Criminal Justice
New York, New York
March 9, 1998 - Declining Crime and Our National Research Agenda
School of Public Policy and Social Research, University of California, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
March 2, 1998 - Thinking About Prevention: Are We Asking the Right Questions? Mattik Lecture
Hans W. Mattick Lecture, University of Illinois at Chicago
Chicago, Illinois
February 12, 1998 - Crime Prevention in Community and Cultural Context
First Multi-Institutional Conference on Interdisciplinary Rehabilitation Services: Disabilities in Latino, African-American, and Native American Individuals
San Juan, Puerto Rico
January 30, 1998 - National and Comparative Perspectives on Juvenile Violence
Meeting of the International Scientific and Professional Advisory Council of the United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Programme
Courmayeur, Italy
October 4, 1997 - The Mentally Ill Offender: Viewing Crime and Justice Through a Different Lens
National Association of State Forensic Mental Health Directors
Annapolis, Maryland
September 3, 1997 - Framing the National Agenda: a Research and Policy Perspective
National Corrections Conference on Substance Abuse Testing, Sanctions and Treatment
New Orleans, Louisiana
April 23, 1997 - Crime Statistics — Good News or Bad News?
Speech to the New York University Alumni Association
Washington, DC
April 10, 1997 - Technology in Criminal Justice: Creating the Tools for Transformation
Address to the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences
March 13, 1997 - New Approaches to Juvenile Violence
Speech to the Citizens Crime Commission of New York City
New York, New York
February 10, 1997 - Lessons for the Criminal Justice System from Twenty Years of Policing Reform
Keynote Address, "New Beginnings" — the First Annual Conference of the New York Campaign for Effective Crime Policy
New York, New York
March 10, 1996 - Criminal Justice Research and Public Policy in the United States
Ninth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders
Cairo, Egypt
May 2, 1995 - Education in Law Enforcement: Beyond the College Degree
Forum on the Police and Higher Education, Center for Research in Law and Justice, University of Illinois
Chicago, Illinois
February 10, 1995
Date Published: November 24, 2015