This address reviews 1984-85 research sponsored by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) in the areas of crime prevention, drugs and crime, domestic violence, victim services, the courts, career criminals, and corrections.
Crime prevention research has targeted the reduction of community conditions that foster citizens' fear of crime, evaluation of the Crime Stoppers program, and the production of a video series on citizen action against crime. NIJ-sponsored research has found a strong relationship between drug abuse and crime; developed information on offender drug abuse vital for pretrial, sentencing, and probation decisions; produced data relevant to countering drug trafficking; and recommended ways to expand the use of forfeiture in drug cases. Domestic violence research has explored police strategies for dealing with such cases, and victim research has examined ways to improve the criminal justice system's treatment of victims and increase their involvement in case processing. Court research has addressed felony case attrition, the use of pro bono judges, and sentencing reform. Research on career criminals has focused on strategies to enhance the identification, apprehension, and prosecution of serious and repeat offenders. Corrections research has emphasized privatization of corrections services. Future NIJ research directions are projected.