NCJ Number
237357
Date Published
June 2010
Length
64 pages
Annotation
This summary of the proceedings of the NIJ Conference held in Arlington, VA, on June 14-16 presents the day-by-day agenda of addresses, panels, and workshops that reflected the conference themes of exploring innovation, transcending boundaries, and embracing science.
Abstract
After a brief welcome and opening remarks on Monday morning, a plenary session examined what was learned from the Cameron Todd Willingham case, which involved his execution under a conviction based on evidence later considered unscientific and flawed. Concurrent panels and workshops addressed issues that included the National archive of criminal justice data, stalking, the impact of Justice Reinvestment on two States, recent advances in forensic science and geospatial technologies, preventing crime and rehabilitating juvenile offenders, and the nature and uses of research and evaluation results. Following the keynote address on indigent defense and access to justice, the conference had afternoon concurrent panels on evidence backlogs, domestic violence research, the impacts of administrative segregation on mental health, prevention of gang membership, law enforcement responses to human trafficking, crime-scene procedures, and the technology and effectiveness of license plate readers. The late afternoon sessions included concurrent panels, forensic science demonstrations/poster session, and workshops. Tuesday's morning session consisted of a plenary panel on cell phones in prisons; and afternoon sessions involved concurrent panels on closed-circuit TV surveillance, predictive policing, sexual violence research, and a new professionalism in policing. Late-afternoon panels and workshops addressed a variety of issues related to law enforcement, forensic science, community corrections, crime prevention, and the development of NIJ standards. The concluding sessions on Wednesday morning consisted of concurrent panels on various law enforcement issues, the prevention of gun violence, and the prosecution of elder abuse cases. A keynote address and a plenary panel on progress under the Federal Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) concluded the conference. Presenter biographies are included.