After stating the mission of the U.S. Justice Department's National Institute of Justice (NIJ) in a provision of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, this fact sheet outlines NIJ's major achievements in each of the 2-year periods from 1967 through 2017.
In 34 U.S. C., Section 10121, of the federal Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, NIJ was established to provide for and encourage research and demonstration efforts for the following purposes: 1) improving federal, state, and local criminal justice systems and related aspects of the civil justice system; 2) preventing and reducing crimes; 3) ensuring citizen access to appropriate dispute-resolution forums; and 4) identifying programs of proven effectiveness, programs having a record of proven success, or programs which offer a high probability of improving the functioning of the criminal justice system. Specific ways in which NIJ has fulfilled these responsibilities since its establishment are outlined through the year 2017.