Statement of Stanley E Morris Before the House Committee on the Judiciary Concerning Reauthorization of the Justice System Improvement Act on February 23, 1983

• NCJ Number: 88346
• Author(s): S. E. Morris
• Date Published: January 1983
• Length: 11 pages
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored

Annotation

The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) has become the national repository of criminal justice information, conducting the National Crime Survey as well as supporting and directing evaluations of the FBI's Uniform Crime Reports program. The Department of Justice's (DOJ's) research arm, the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), has reorganized its agenda to better bridge the gap between theory and practice.

Abstract

It has funded projects focusing on community crime prevention, career criminals, and violent criminals. The Reagan Administration proposes a highly targeted program of financial assistance to State and local criminal justice agencies operating within a new streamlined and efficient organizational structure. High priority objectives will be violent crime, repeat offenders, and crime prevention. This proposal would establish an Office of Justice Assistance composed of three units: the BJS, the NIJ, and a new Bureau of Justice Programs (BJP). A Justice Assistance Advisory Board appointed by the President would replace the two separate advisory boards advising the NIJ and BJS. The BJP would assist State and local agencies through a combination of block and discretionary grants. Block funds would be limited to specific types of activities based on successful program models, while discretionary funds could be used for technical assistance, training, and some demonstration projects. The Administration's proposal would require a single comprehensive annual report and establish an emergency assistance program to handle unique problems.