Weekly News Brief

Highlights of the NIJ Conference:

In remarks at the 2011 National Institute of Justice's (NIJ) Conference: Translational Criminology - Shaping Policy and Practice with Research, on Wednesday, June 22, Attorney General Eric Holder said, "I want to note - and applaud - the fact that NIJ is not just playing a convening role and continuing its crucial research efforts; its leadership is setting an example of excellence. Through their outreach, their engagement with a variety of partners, and their commitment to independence and scientific rigor, they are paving the way to large-scale reform and improvement. And they are ensuring that today's breakthrough findings will not only be shared across disciplines and jurisdictions, but utilized." http://www.justice.gov/iso/opa/ag/speeches/2011/ag-speech-110622.html

OJP's Assistant Attorney General Laurie O. Robinson launched CrimeSolutions.gov, a new justice-related online resource, at the National Institute of Justice's Conference on Wednesday, June 22. "We all have tight budgets today," said AAG Robinson. "CrimeSolutions.gov helps us take a 'smart on crime' approach that relies on data-driven, evidence-based analysis to identify and replicate justice-related programs that have shown real results in preventing and reducing crime and serving crime victims." CrimeSolutions.gov provides information on 150 justice-related programs, each accompanied by an evidence rating that categorizes it as effective, promising, or showing no effects, based on available research. The Web site is searchable and it covers a wide-range of topics, including crime prevention, courts, corrections, juveniles, victims and law enforcement. http://crimesolutions.gov/

During the conference John Laub, the Director of NIJ and the recent recipient of the 2011 Stockholm Prize in Criminology, the highest honor for a researcher in the criminal justice field, emphasized NIJ's commitment to strengthening the science mission of the Institute and released NIJ's response to the National Academies of Science's National Research Council (NRC) recommendations. Among NIJ latest efforts are new peer review processes, new research collaborations with our OJP partners, and other federal agencies such as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. NIJ also plans to reinvigorate the visiting fellows program.

AG Holder Says 'Job Key to Re-entry Success' - Speaking at U.S. Department of Labor's roundtable conversation, Back on the Job Market: Workforce Development and Employment Strategies for the Formerly Incarcerated on Tuesday, June 21, Attorney General Eric Holder mentioned two new toolkits developed with funding from the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The toolkits, which were created by the Fortune Society and John Jay College, provide practical guidance for reentry agencies, and information for employers aiming to develop a competent, culturally diverse workforce that maximizes the talents of their entire community.

###