U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

Criminal justice research

A Data-Informed Response to Emerging Drugs

December 2023

The emerging drug crisis in the U.S. touches both criminal justice and public health, and experts from both fields came together at NIJ’s 2023 National Research Conference to discuss strategies and tools to fight this problem. Dr. Frances Scott, NIJ scientist and program manager, continues the conference discussion with two fellow panelists: Ciena Bayard, the Method Development and Validation Program Manager for D.C. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, and Haley Greene, the Deputy Epidemiologist for the Central Region for the Virginia Department of Health. Read the transcript.

Webinar: NIJ Research Assistantship Program Informational Webinar

This recorded webinar, originally held September 28, 2023, provides information on NIJ’s Research Assistantship Program, which offers highly qualified doctoral students the opportunity to bring their expertise to NIJ to work across offices and program areas to obtain a practical and applied research experience. The program is a research focused professional development opportunity for doctoral students from all academic disciplines. NIJ...

Inclusive Research: Engaging People Closest to the Issue Makes for Better Science & Greater Impact; 2023 NIJ Research Conference Plenary

August 2023

This panel will discuss what inclusive research is, how to conduct it, and what issues and challenges exist about engaging in it. “Inclusive research” has its history as a participatory research method designed to ensure people closest to the issue or problem under study are authentically engaged in the research process rather than simply being “research subjects.” While community-based participatory research has begun to take on greater prominence in the criminal justice realm, such efforts are largely confined to qualitative research inquiries.

2023 NIJ Research Conference Opening Ceremony

August 2023

The theme of NIJ’s 2023 Research Conference was “evidence to action,” and our goal was to bring researchers and practitioners together to learn about the latest research evidence and how it can be implemented to promote safety, equity, and justice.

The opening ceremony included remarks from U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs Amy Solomon, and NIJ Director Nancy La Vigne.

Driving Down Gun Violence (Part One)

May 2023

Three LEADS Scholars serving in different law enforcement agencies and positions discuss their experiences with identifying and implementing evidence-based interventions to reduce gun violence. NIJ Senior Advisor Dr. Tamara Herold hosts this conversation with guests Police Chief Cecilia Ashe (Milford Delaware Police Department), Chief of Staff Lieutenant Matthew Barter (Manchester, NH Police Department), and Analytical Services Manager Mr. Jason Schiess (Durham, NC Police Department). 

Webinar Transcript: NIJ FY23 Community-Based Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative (CVIPI) Research, Evaluation, and Associated Training & Technical Assistance Support

NIJ hosted a webinar on March 23, 2023, to discuss the solicitation "NIJ FY23 Community-Based Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative (CVIPI) Research, Evaluation, and Associated Training & Technical Assistance Support".

Due dates for that solicitation are:

  • Grants.gov Deadline: May 22, 2023, 11:59 pm Eastern
  • Application JustGrants Deadline: June 5, 2023, 8:59 pm Eastern

Transcript

STACY LEE: Good afternoon...

Current State of Knowledge about Stalking and Gender-Based Violence: The Known, Unknown, and Yet To Be Known

February 2022

Nearly one in six of women experience stalking victimization at some point during their life, and most are stalked by someone who they know—typically current or former intimate partners. Given the escalation of violence and potential harm that an individual may commit while stalking someone, it is important to bring more attention to this issue. This brown-bag session highlights a panel of scholars to share what the field currently knows about stalking behaviors and victims, including a focus on intimate partner violence, non-partner relationships, and police response.

Understanding, Preventing, and Responding to Human Trafficking

December 2022
Human trafficking is an issue without a simple solution, but research on this problem is helping victims and developing tools and information to help better understand, prevent, and respond to trafficking. NIJ Scientist Mary Carlton joins host Josh Mondoro, Communications Assistant at NIJ, for a discussion about this research.

Building the Evidence Base

October 2022

What is evidence-based research? Why is it important to measure program activities and impacts and what are some strategies to do so? How can research be used to support engagement and empowerment for historically marginalized and underserved communities? Find answers in an recorded discussion moderated by Linda A. Seabrook, Senior Counsel for Racial Justice & Equity for OJP, with a panel of distinguished experts in the field.

In Acceptance of the SEARCH 2022 Justice Policy Leadership Award

NIJ Director Nancy La Vigne, Ph.D., gives acceptance speech at 2022 SEARCH Meeting
NIJ Director Nancy La Vigne, Ph.D.

Thank you, Dave, and thanks to the SEARCH Board for choosing me as this year’s recipient of the Justice Policy Leadership Award. I am tremendously honored. I also want to thank the wait staff here for taking such good care of us this evening — please join me in thanking them all!

If I’m not mistaken, this is the first time that SEARCH has awarded...