MISSION/PURPOSE
The Mission or Purpose of the Association for Criminal Justice Research (California) is to stimulate and improve research on crime, delinquency, and the criminal justice process. It seeks to encourage cooperative relations among persons engaged or interested in research in the criminal justice area for scientific purposes. All activities of the Association are for the public interest, therefore all research performed by the Association and all activities of the Association will be for the benefit of the general public.
DESCRIPTION OF THE ASSOCIATION
The Association for Criminal Justice Research (California) is a dynamic mix of analysts: in academia, in government, and in other agencies; agency staff; providers; practitioners; and students of criminal justice issues. It includes those in public service, those in non-profit agencies, and those consulting for all of the above-mentioned entities. The persons from these diverse backgrounds are united by their common interest in criminal justice issues and the criminal justice system, particularly in this country, and by their belief that an evidence-based, analytical approach is needed to improve both the justice process and the delivery of services to offenders and victims.
The Association believes that the key means of furthering these improvements is through discussions involving the participation of the most diverse group possible. To this end, the Association organizes two conferences each year, and has for over forty years. One conference occurs in Northern California each spring, the other in Southern California in the fall. Conference programs are developed to deliberately include participants from all of the groups mentioned above, and to include a variety of topics of current interest. These topics and presenters range from law enforcement processes to drug therapies, from policy issues and policymakers to statistical program evaluations. The size of the Association and size of the conferences has been allowed to remain rather small so that all attendees can feel comfortable attending the same session and in participating in the discussions that follow.
In addition to the discussions and networking that occur at the conferences, information is shared by regularly published newsletters, through this website, and by social media (Facebook and LinkedIn). As technology continues to develop, the Association plans to continue to expand its networking and discussion options.
VALUES
The primary values of the Association are as follows:
- To promote the discussion of criminal justice issues among as diverse a group as possible.
- To drive these discussions from a basis of research, analysis, and evaluation. To promote the use of evidence–based research and practices in the formulation of policy.
- To strengthen research efforts both in academia and in public service agencies, and to share effective analytic techniques.
- To assist students to become more knowledgeable about analysis and evaluation. to encourage students to consider careers in criminal justice and criminal justice systems. To assist students entering careers in criminal justice to find appropriate positions.