NIJ

The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) serves as the research, development, and evaluation agency of the U. S. Department of Justice, dedicated to improving knowledge and understanding of crime and justice issues through science.

Their mission is to provide objective and independent knowledge and tools to inform the decision-making of the criminal and juvenile justice communities, particularly at the state and local levels. NIJ operates through the "Listen, Learn, Inform" model, where they listen to the needs of the field, learn ways to meet those needs by funding research, development, and evaluation projects, and then inform the field of what they learned. They invest in research across scientific disciplines to provide evidence-based knowledge to strengthen the justice system and ensure the validity and integrity of their research.

NIJ's scientific investments inform the national conversation on issues of criminal and juvenile justice and public safety, with results disseminated through multiple channels to advance both science and practice. With a focus on research, development, and evaluation, NIJ is committed to providing the justice community with the knowledge and tools necessary to reduce crime and advance justice