Learn about the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA), which was signed into law 40 years ago on October 12, 1984. This episode features a conversation between Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) Director Kristina Rose and Victim Advocacy Corps Program leader Abrianna Morales and student fellows Thanh Nguyen and Grace Chungu as they discuss the impact of VOCA and the future of victim services.Read the corresponding blog post and view the VOCA 40th Anniversary Resources.Speaker ListKristina Rose, Director...
Learn about the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA), which was signed into law 40 years ago on October 12, 1984. Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) Director Kristina Rose and prominent victim advocates Steve Siegel, Herman Millholland, and Anne Seymour discuss the history of VOCA and highlight major accomplishments of the victim services field over the past four decades.Read the corresponding blog post and view the VOCA 40th Anniversary Resources.Speaker ListKristina Rose, Director, Office for Victims...
In this special episode of Justice Today, we’re marking a significant milestone in the world of justice and public safety—the 40th Anniversary of the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA).Since its inception in 1984, BJA has played a vital role in improving the criminal justice system, advancing public safety, and supporting law enforcement agencies across the United States. To commemorate this remarkable occasion, we're bringing you an in-depth conversation with Karhlton F. Moore, the current D...
In this special episode of Justice Today, we’re marking a major milestone in the world of justice and public safety—the 40th Anniversary of the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). As one of the nation’s leading agencies for advancing justice reform and supporting public safety initiatives, BJA has played a pivotal role in shaping the criminal justice landscape over the past four decades.This episode is part one of our podcast series celebrating BJA’s anniversary, and in it, we sit down with s...
The prison system in the U.S. typically places a heavy emphasis on security, control, and punishment, and this foundation can create an adversarial culture within correctional facilities — incarcerated individuals versus correctional staff. But what if that culture could change? What would it look like? How would it impact not only incarcerated individuals but also correctional officers and other staff?Restoring Promise, a program operated by the Vera Institute of Justice and the MILPA Collec...
The nations prisons and jails are struggling to recruit and retain staff. These staffing challenges impact re-entry efforts and overall public safety.In this episode of Justice Today, hear from former Bureau of Justice Assistance fellow Dr. Danielle Rudes on how leaders can make correctional institutions better for staff and residents.Also read the corresponding blog post.
Not every crime scene will have definitive evidence, such as DNA, to link an individual to a crime. In those cases, law enforcement relies on other evidence to build the burden of proof. NIJ graduate research fellow Dr. Shelby Khandasammy developed a tool to analyze organic gunshot residue and distinguish between different firearms calibers and manufacturers. She joins Marie Garcia, office director for the Office of Criminal Justice Systems at NIJ, to talk about her work and experience as a r...
Law enforcement agencies are teaming up with mental health clinicians to improve behavioral health responses and allow police officers to focus on crime reduction. In this episode, our host discusses how Denver police work side-by-side with mental health clinicians to treat residents experiencing mental health emergencies and connect them with treatment.
What’s Known and Unknown About Marijuana (Part Two)Marijuana legalization poses many challenges — especially those related to drug chemistry and toxicology — for researchers, law enforcement, and policy makers. In the latest episode of Justice Today, NIJ Communications Assistant Josh Mondoro hosts a conversation with NIJ Scientist Frances Scott about marijuana toxicology, including comparing its effects to alcohol, measuring impairment, and maintaining public safety as more and more states le...
Marijuana poses many challenges for researchers, law enforcement, and policy makers, challenges that fall into two fields: drug chemistry and toxicology. NIJ scientist Dr. Frances Scott joins this episode to explain the complications in drug chemistry and how difficulties defining marijuana lead to backlogs in crime labs around the country. NIJ Communications Assistant Josh Mondoro hosts. Read the transcript.Listen to Part 2.Reading and Resources from NIJ:Study Reveals Inaccurate Labeling of ...
NIJ Social Science Analyst Eric Martin discusses why the number of serial killers is declining and the factors that deter people from this type of violent offense. He also shares insight into whether society is experiencing an evolution away from serial killing and how NIJ continues to support research in this area.Mark Greene, the Division Director of the Technology and Standards Division at NIJ, and Lucas Zarwell, the Office Director of NIJ’s Office of Investigative and Forensic Sciences, c...
The emerging drug crisis in the U.S. touches both criminal justice and public health, and experts from both fields came together at NIJ’s 2023 National Research Conference to discuss strategies and tools to fight this problem. Dr. Frances Scott, NIJ scientist and program manager, continues the conference discussion with two fellow panelists: Ciena Bayard, the Method Development and Validation Program Manager for D.C. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, and Haley Greene, the Deputy Epidemiol...
Learn how the need for secure housing for victims of crime and their companion animals led to the creation of the Emergency and Transitional Pet Shelter and Housing Assistance Grant Program.Office for Victims of Crime Director Kristina Rose and Nancy Blaney, Director of Government Affairs at the Animal Welfare Institute, speak about how this program is ensuring that victims and their pets can access shelter services.
Every day, Joe Platania and his office make complex judgment calls that help decide whether people will spend years or even decades behind bars. In this episode, Platania explains how this process of “prosecutorial discretion” works.
In April 2018, the Golden State Killer, Joseph DeAngelo was arrested. NIJ support helped lead to his arrest, and in the aftermath of the arrest, NIJ Social Science Analyst Eric Martin was among those tasked with finding other cases NIJ helped law enforcement solve. Eric joins the show to talk about some of those cases, and answer some broader questions about serial killers: What is a serial killer? Are they on the rise? How do we know how many serial killers are currently active?Mark Greene, ...
The road to recovery from substance use has many twists and turns, and often stops and restarts. In Navajo County, Arizona, county prosecutor Bradley Carlyon is working to help residents on the road to recovery from the moment they enter the county jail.
Incarcerated individuals deserve opportunities for healing and growth, but they often lack the necessary resources for such opportunities. Additionally, organizational cultures that don’t support these outcomes often stand in the way. Researchers and practitioners gathered at NIJ’s 2023 National Research Conference to share ideas and projects that will increase opportunities for incarcerated populations around the country. This show continues their conversation. Angel Sanchez, a visiting...
A large body of research on crime and justice is available, yet it can take years for findings to influence practice in the field. During a recent panel at NIJ’s 2023 National Research Conference, researchers and practitioners shared ideas and discussed practical steps and promising new approaches to inspire change. Three guests join the show to continue their conversation: Dr. Tamara Herold, a senior advisor to the NIJ director, Dr. Nancy La Vigne, hosts Dr. Shon Barnes, the police chief of ...
The long-standing problem of estimating the age and sex of subadult skeletal remains has been significantly "solved" with the advances in understanding the growth and development patterns in the skeletons of young people. This is the second half of the conversation with Kyra Stull, an anthropologist and forensic researcher at University of Nevada, Reno, Danielle McLeod-Henning, a physical scientist at NIJ, host Jim Dawson. Read the transcript.Listen to part one.Reading and Resources from NIJ:...
The long-standing problem of estimating the age and sex of subadult skeletal remains has been significantly "solved" with the advances in understanding the growth and development patterns in the skeletons of young people. Kyra Stull, an anthropologist and forensic researcher at University of Nevada, Reno, and Danielle McLeod-Henning, a physical scientist at NIJ, share more about this research with NIJ writer and host Jim Dawson.Reading and Resources from NIJ:Meeting the Forensic Challenges of...