On the Front Lines: Drug Policy Directors in America's Cities

The National Institute of Justice, whose mission is the prevention and reduction of crime and the improvement of the criminal justice system, has been active in research that examines the link between drugs and crime, the evaluation of innovative justice programs in areas including drug law enforcement and community anti-drug initiatives, the creation of a corrections information-sharing system, and the operation of the world's largest criminal justice information clearinghouse. The U.S. Conference of Mayors has worked on many issues related to the problems of drugs and crime by convening national meetings to share information, identifying city drug policy directors, collecting information on local drug and crime control programs, and providing technical assistance to mayors and police chiefs.