The acting director of the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), Greg Ridgeway, reviews his background in police research, largely under NIJ funding of private researchers, and profiles NIJ's work in advancing criminal justice science.
As the research and development agency of the U.S. Justice Department, NIJ is committed to identifying and refining innovative technologies and ideas that respond to the needs of criminal justice agencies. NIJ's goal is to build and disseminate a knowledge base of best practices in criminal justice by promoting and evaluating innovative practices in preventing and responding to crime. NIJ's science program is administered by three offices. The Office of Investigative and Forensic Sciences focuses on a variety of criminal justice activities, ranging from optimal crime-scene procedures to understanding the problem of DNA backlogs. NIJ's Office of Science and Technology works on projects that range from police communications systems to developing standards for equipment that officers use daily. NIJ's Office of Research and Evaluation specializes in rigorous social science studies that complement NIJ's other research domains. Criminal justice research contributions under each of the aforementioned three offices are highlighted in this presentation.