NCJ Number
200337
Date Published
January 2003
Length
39 pages
Annotation
After an introductory statement of the National Institute of
Justice's (NIJ's) strategic goals and high-priority subject
areas, this annual report presents highlights of NIJ's activities
in 2002.
Abstract
As the U.S. Department of Justice's research, development, and
evaluation agency, NIJ is a reliable source for the latest
knowledge on criminal justice. In 2002 NIJ developed seven
strategic goals in the following three main areas: creating
knowledge and tools, disseminating information, and managing the
agency's programs. In addition to these strategic goals, NIJ
selected 10 high-priority subject areas: law enforcement and
policing; justice systems (sentencing, courts, prosecution, and
defense); corrections; investigative and forensic sciences
(including DNA); counterterrorism and critical incidents; crime
prevention and causes of crime; violence and victimization;
drugs, alcohol, and crime; interoperability, spatial information,
and automated systems; and program evaluation. In 2002 NIJ
expanded its focus on and capacity to perform research on
terrorism. One section of this report describes NIJ's 2002
activities that helped the Nation's public safety institutions be
better prepared and equipped to respond to a terrorist incident
and to investigate terrorist planning and activity. Another
section of this report describes NIJ's 2002 activities in the
area of research on violence against women/family violence, with
attention to when domestic violence and child maltreatment
co-occur, responding to campus sexual assault, transferring child
protective investigation to law enforcement, and research on the
commercial sexual exploitation of children. Further, NIJ
continued its leadership role in developing, testing, and
evaluating technology tools to assist criminal justice. Efforts
in the area of protecting communities addressed reducing firearms
violence, understanding gangs and gang-related crime, and the
provision of funding for Project Safe Neighborhoods. NIJ helped
knowledge on criminal justice to travel faster and farther in
2002 by redesigning its print and electronic products, better
equipping the agency to reach its audience electronically, and
disseminating research results. Appendixes present NIJ financial
data, NIJ awards in fiscal year 2002, NIJ publications and
products in fiscal year 2002, the number of visits to NIJ web
site, and key conferences.
Date Published: January 1, 2003