National Institute of Justice Looking for Criminal Courts Proposals

NIJ has issued a Dear Colleague letter to alert social and behavioral science researchers to its interest in receiving proposals related to criminal courts that can strengthen the knowledge base regarding U.S. criminal justice policies and practice. For FY 2015, NIJ's Office of Research and Evaluation has identified the following areas of particular interest:

• Evaluation of veterans' treatment courts, their recidivism outcomes and program fidelity.
• Alternatives to incarceration, their consequences and cost-effectiveness.
• Indigent defense, factors that influence waiving counsel and its consequences, and understanding contract/panel attorney systems and defense counsel operations.

Other topics of research on courts are also valuable. NIJ is interested in building sound, evidence-based knowledge of interventions and programs that work and can be tested in a variety of institutions under varied circumstances.
The Research and Evaluation on Justice Systems solicitation should be available on the NIJ website in early 2015. Interested prospective applicants are encouraged to consult with relevant project officers prior to proposal submission, Dr. Linda Truitt at linda.truitt@usdoj.gov and Dr. Nadine Frederique at nadine.frederique@usdoj.gov.