Assistant Attorney General Delivers Opening Remarks

    WASHINGTON, D.C. ? Sponsored by the Department of Justice?s National Institute of Justice (NIJ), this annual conference is a national forum for discussing cutting edge research and promising programs making a difference in shaping criminal justice policy and practice. Criminal and juvenile justice researchers, practitioners and policymakers convening here will participate in over 40 panels discussing research on terrorism prevention and response, DNA research, illegal drug markets, child protective investigations, violence theory, research and practice, and human trafficking.

    Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Deborah J. Daniels, opened the forum and spoke about the importance of applying research in criminal justice practice and policy. ?Over the past decade, this conference has contributed a wealth of knowledge on the scope and impact of crime, practical approaches to crime control, and effective methods for evaluating criminal justice policy,? said Ms. Daniels.

    Findings from Project Safe Neighborhoods, the President?s initiative to reduce gun violence, will be presented in a panel discussion and in one of the 25 ?Showcase Sessions? which allow participants to interact directly with knowledgeable presenters about specific criminal justice topics, including technology efforts, crime mapping and more. A plenary session explores the relationship between DNA and privacy, bringing together participants to discuss various aspects of the issue including the role DNA can play in criminal investigations and the justice system and future technological possibilities in its application. Another plenary session on firearms research discusses current firearms violence research including the context in which gun crimes commonly occur, gun ownership patterns and their relationship to violent crime patterns, illegal gun markets and the usefulness of gun tracing.

    Paul Wiles, director of the Research Development and Statistics Home Office in London, England, is Monday?s keynote speaker. The Home Office is the British government department responsible for police, prisons, probation, youth justice services, international and organized crime, crime reduction, immigration and migration, and criminal law.

    Mr. Wiles will comment on the significance of the ?British Government Crime Reduction Strategy? and its effect on criminal justice practice and policy in Britain. He will also be commenting on how Britain?s strong emphasis on costs and benefits has altered the way the Home Office manages and defends its programs. Professor John H. Laub of the University of Maryland will keynote the conference on Tuesday, July 29th. He will report on a 50-year follow-up study of 500 adolescent offenders. Dr. Laub?s areas of research include crime and deviance over the course of life, juvenile delinquency and juvenile justice, and the history of criminology.

    For more detailed information about the conference agenda, please visit the conference web site at http://www.nijpcs.org/RE/RE2003/index.htm.

    The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership in developing the nation?s capacity to prevent and control crime, administer justice, and assist victims. OJP is headed by an Assistant Attorney General and comprises 5 component bureaus and 2 offices: the Bureau of Justice Assistance; the Bureau of Justice Statistics; the National Institute of Justice; the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; and the Office for Victims of Crime, as well as the Executive Office for Weed and Seed, and the Office of the Police Corps and Law Enforcement Education. Information about OJP programs, publications, and conferences is available on the OJP Web site, www.ojp.usdoj.gov.

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