Justice Today

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, Office for Victims of CrimeAbrianna Morales, Program Manager, Victim Advocacy CorpsGrace Chungu, Student Fellow, Victim Advocacy Corps Thanh Nguyen, Student Fellow, Victim Advocacy Corps

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 of CrimeAnne Seymour, Associate Academic Program Director, National Mass Violence CenterHerman Millholland, Independent Consultant, Millholland & AssociatesSteven R. Siegel, Denver District Attorney's Office (retired)

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 Director of BJA. Karhlton’s insights offer a closer look at how BJA collaborates with state and local agencies to address complex issues and drive meaningful change.Read the corresponding blog post.-----------------------------------Visit the BJA website and stay connected:Subscribe for announcementsFollow us on FacebookFollow us on XSubscribe to our YouTube channel

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 several former BJA directors who reflect on the agency’s evolution, the challenges it has faced, and its crucial role in responding to national crises. These past directors offer a unique perspective on how BJA has worked alongside law enforcement, community organizations, and policymakers to drive innovation in the criminal justice system across the country.----------------------------------- Visit the BJA website and stay connected:Subscribe for announcementsFollow us on FacebookFollow us on XSubscribe to our YouTube channel

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 Collective, redesigns life in American prison units by promoting a culture of individual dignity, healing, character, leadership, and restorative justice. Using lessons learned from prisons in other countries, Restoring Promise charts a new and hopeful course for the future of corrections in the United States, with encouraging results from a recent NIJ-funded evaluation.  NIJ host Josh Mondoro talks with Kyleigh Clark-Moorman of NIJ, Selma Djokovic of the Vera Institute of Justice, and Josh Somers of the MILPA Collective about the Restoring Promise program and its impact. Read the transcript.Reading and Resources from NIJTransforming Correctional Culture and Climate | ArticleRestoring Promise | ArticleChanging Prison Culture Reduces Violence | ReportRestoring Promise: A Randomized Control Trial Examining the Impact of an Innovative Young Adult Housing on Reducing Violence | ReportOther resourcesRestoring Promise | WebsiteVera Institute of Justice | WebsiteMILPA Collective | Website 

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 research fellow. Read the transcript.Reading and resources from NIJ:Vibrational Spectroscopy for the Analysis of Organic Gunshot Residue: Detection, Identification and Characterization | Research OverviewGraduate Research Fellowship ProgramSubscribe to NIJ topics

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 legalize recreational marijuana. Read the transcript.Listen to Part One.Reading and Resources from NIJ:Effects of Marijuana Legalization on Law Enforcement and Crime | Final ReportExploring the Neighborhood-Level Impact of Retail Marijuana Outlets on Crime in Washington State | ArticleDifferences in Cannabis Impairment and its Measurement Due to Route of Administration | ArticleChemical Foundations of a Cannabis Breathalyzer | Funding AwardMarijuana Intoxication: Roadside Tool for Law Enforcement to Measure Impaired Peripheral Vision | Funding AwardThe problems with Cannabinoid Analogs (Delta-8 THC, Delta-10 THC and CBD) and their metabolites detectability in urine drug testing for potential cannabinoid abuse | Funding Award

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 Marijuana as Hemp | ArticleEffects of Marijuana Legalization on Law Enforcement and Crime | Final ReportOther resources:NIST Tools for Cannabis Laboratory Quality Assurance | Program WebsiteNIST Tools for Confidently Distinguishing Between Hemp and Marijuana | Webinar Correction: The article referenced by Dr. Scott as having been published in the 1950s was actually published in 1976. "A Practical and Natural Taxonomy for Cannabis" by Ernest Small and Arthur Cronquist, was published in TAXON in August 1976.