Description
This report of the Committee on Research on Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice is the product of an intensive 18-month effort by a committee of individuals with a variety of scholarly, research, administrative, and technical skills and experience broadly associated with law enforcement research. The effort was undertaken at the request of the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration (LEAA) of the Department of Justice.
One of the reasons for undertaking the task was the assumption that such an assessment was a value to the National Institute of Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice and to the country's effort to deal in an effective way with the general problem of crime. Understanding Crime includes a systematic examination of the Institute's projects, products, and processes.
This report has three sections: the first describes historical factors that have influenced the Institute's development and the LEAA structure within which it operates; the second reports the committee's evaluation of the federal role in crime research and of the program developed and funded by the Institute; the third details the committee's conclusions and recommendations. Understanding Crime presents the committee's findings, conclusions, and recommendations in terms of the program, role, and goals of the Institute.
