Making NIJ an Engine of Innovation in the Criminal Justice System

The National Institute of Justice is the scientific research arm of the U.S. Department of Justice. NIJ’s deputy director will describe recent efforts to move the Institute beyond managing science to advancing science to solve some of the nation’s most entrenched criminal justice problems. He will offer a glimpse into a number of cutting-edge projects, including: (1) a new $75 million initiative to make our schools safer; (2) the latest in forensics R & D, including research in using DNA analysis of biological evidence (from a suspect, for example) to predict facial appearance, and new developments in revealing an obliterated serial number on a firearm; and (3) an ambitious exploration of how the criminal justice system might adopt practices from other high-risk enterprises — such as aviation and medicine — to learn from errors and improve the fair administration of justice nationwide.