
From the U.S. Code Online via GPO Access
[wais.access.gpo.gov]
[Laws in effect as of January 23, 2000]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
  January 23, 2000 and December 4, 2001]
[CITE: 42USC3722]

 
                 TITLE 42--THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE
 
                 CHAPTER 46--JUSTICE SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT
 
              SUBCHAPTER II--NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF JUSTICE
 
Sec. 3722. National Institute of Justice


(a) Establishment; general authority of Attorney General over Institute

    There is established within the Department of Justice, under the 
general authority of the Attorney General, a National Institute of 
Justice (hereinafter referred to in this subchapter as the 
``Institute'').

(b) Director of Institute; appointment by President; authority; 
        restrictions

    The Institute shall be headed by a Director appointed by the 
President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. The 
Director shall have had experience in justice research. The Director 
shall report to the Attorney General through the Assistant Attorney 
General. The Director shall have final authority over all grants, 
cooperative agreements, and contracts awarded by the Institute. The 
Director shall not engage in any other employment than that of serving 
as Director; nor shall the Director hold any office in, or act in any 
capacity for, any organization, agency, or institution with which the 
Institute makes any contract or other arrangement under this chapter.

(c) Duties and functions

    The Institute is authorized to--
        (1) make grants to, or enter into cooperative agreements or 
    contracts with, public agencies, institutions of higher education, 
    private organizations, or individuals to conduct research, 
    demonstrations, or special projects pertaining to the purposes 
    described in this subchapter, and provide technical assistance and 
    training in support of tests, demonstrations, and special projects;
        (2) conduct or authorize multiyear and short-term research and 
    development concerning the criminal and civil justice systems in an 
    effort--
            (A) to identify alternative programs for achieving system 
        goals;
            (B) to provide more accurate information on the causes and 
        correlates of crime;
            (C) to analyze the correlates of crime and juvenile 
        delinquency and provide more accurate information on the causes 
        and correlates of crime and juvenile delinquency;
            (D) to improve the functioning of the criminal justice 
        system;
            (E) to develop new methods for the prevention and reduction 
        of crime, including the development of programs to facilitate 
        cooperation among the States and units of local government, the 
        detection and apprehension of criminals, the expeditious, 
        efficient, and fair disposition of criminal and juvenile 
        delinquency cases, the improvement of police and minority 
        relations, the conduct of research into the problems of victims 
        and witnesses of crime, the feasibility and consequences of 
        allowing victims to participate in criminal justice 
        decisionmaking, the feasibility and desirability of adopting 
        procedures and programs which increase the victim's 
        participation in the criminal justice process, the reduction in 
        the need to seek court resolution of civil disputes, and the 
        development of adequate corrections facilities and effective 
        programs of correction; and
            (F) to develop programs and projects to improve and expand 
        the capacity of States and units of local government and 
        combinations of such units, to detect, investigate, prosecute, 
        and otherwise combat and prevent white-collar crime and public 
        corruption, to improve and expand cooperation among the Federal 
        Government, States, and units of local government in order to 
        enhance the overall criminal justice system response to white-
        collar crime and public corruption, and to foster the creation 
        and implementation of a comprehensive national strategy to 
        prevent and combat white-collar crime and public corruption.

    In carrying out the provisions of this subsection, the Institute may 
    request the assistance of both public and private research agencies;
        (3) evaluate the effectiveness of projects or programs carried 
    out under this chapter;
        (4) make recommendations for action which can be taken by 
    Federal, State, and local governments and by private persons and 
    organizations to improve and strengthen criminal and civil justice 
    systems;
        (5) provide research fellowships and clinical internships and 
    carry out programs of training and special workshops for the 
    presentation and dissemination of information resulting from 
    research, demonstrations, and special projects including those 
    authorized by this subchapter;
        (6) collect and disseminate information obtained by the 
    Institute or other Federal agencies, public agencies, institutions 
    of higher education, and private organizations relating to the 
    purposes of this subchapter;
        (7) serve as a national and international clearinghouse for the 
    exchange of information with respect to the purposes of this 
    subchapter;
        (8) after consultation with appropriate agencies and officials 
    of States and units of local government, make recommendations for 
    the designation of programs or projects which will be effective in 
    improving the functioning of the criminal justice system, for 
    funding as discretionary grants under subchapter V of this chapter; 
    and
        (9) encourage, assist, and serve in a consulting capacity to 
    Federal, State, and local justice system agencies in the 
    development, maintenance, and coordination of criminal and civil 
    justice programs and services.

(d) Criminal and civil justice research

    To insure that all criminal and civil justice research is carried 
out in a coordinated manner, the Director is authorized to--
        (1) utilize, with their consent, the services, equipment, 
    personnel, information, and facilities of other Federal, State, 
    local, and private agencies and instrumentalities with or without 
    reimbursement therefor;
        (2) confer with and avail itself of the cooperation, services, 
    records, and facilities of State or of municipal or other local 
    agencies;
        (3) request such information, data, and reports from any Federal 
    agency as may be required to carry out the purposes of this section, 
    and the agencies shall provide such information to the Institute as 
    required to carry out the purposes of this subchapter;
        (4) seek the cooperation of the judicial branches of Federal and 
    State Government in coordinating civil and criminal justice research 
    and development; and
        (5) exercise the powers and functions set out in subchapter VIII 
    of this chapter.

(Pub. L. 90-351, title I, Sec. 202, as added Pub. L. 96-157, Sec. 2, 
Dec. 27, 1979, 93 Stat. 1172; amended Pub. L. 98-473, title II, 
Sec. 604(b), Oct. 12, 1984, 98 Stat. 2078; Pub. L. 103-322, title 
XXXIII, Sec. 330001(h)(1), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2139.)


                            Prior Provisions

    A prior section 3722, Pub. L. 90-351, title I, Sec. 202, June 19, 
1968, 82 Stat. 198; Pub. L. 93-83, Sec. 2, Aug. 6, 1973, 87 Stat. 198, 
provided for making of grants to State planning agencies, prior to the 
general amendment of this chapter by Pub. L. 96-157.


                               Amendments

    1994--Subsec. (c)(2)(E). Pub. L. 103-322 substituted ``crime,'' for 
``crime,,''.
    1984--Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 98-473, Sec. 604(b)(1), required Director 
to report to Attorney General through Assistant Attorney General.
    Subsec. (c)(2)(A). Pub. L. 98-473, Sec. 604(b)(2)(A)(i), struck out 
``, including programs authorized by section 3713 of this title'' after 
``system goals''.
    Subsec. (c)(2)(E). Pub. L. 98-473, Sec. 604(b)(2)(A)(ii), struck out 
``the prevention and reduction of parental kidnaping'' after ``reduction 
of crime,''.
    Subsec. (c)(3). Pub. L. 98-473, Sec. 604(b)(2)(B), substituted 
``chapter'' for ``subchapter''.
    Subsec. (c)(4) to (7). Pub. L. 98-473, Sec. 604(b)(2)(C), (F), 
redesignated pars. (5) to (8) as (4) to (7), respectively, and struck 
out former par. (4) relating to evaluation of programs and projects 
under other subchapters of this chapter to determine their impact upon 
criminal and civil justice systems and achievement of purposes and 
policies of this chapter and for dissemination of information.
    Subsec. (c)(8). Pub. L. 98-473, Sec. 604(b)(2)(D)(i), (ii), (F), 
redesignated par. (10) as (8) and, in par. (8) as so designated, struck 
out ``nationality priority grants under subchapter V of this chapter 
and'' after ``for funding as'' and substituted ``subchapter V of this 
chapter'' for ``subchapter VI of this chapter''. Former par. (8) 
redesignated (7).
    Subsec. (c)(9). Pub. L. 98-473, Sec. 604(b)(2)(E), (F), redesignated 
par. (11) as (9), and struck out former par. (9) relating to a biennial 
report to President and Congress on state of justice research.
    Subsec. (c)(10), (11). Pub. L. 98-473, Sec. 604(b)(2)(F), 
redesignated pars. (10) and (11) as (8) and (9), respectively.


                    Effective Date of 1984 Amendment

    Amendment by Pub. L. 98-473 effective Oct. 12, 1984, see section 
609AA(a) of Pub. L. 98-473, set out as an Effective Date note under 
section 3711 of this title.


 Anti-Stalking Legislation Evaluation, Model Development, Dissemination 
                               and Report

    Pub. L. 102-395, title I, Sec. 109(b), Oct. 6, 1992, 106 Stat. 1842, 
directed Attorney General, acting through Director of National Institute 
of Justice, to evaluate existing and proposed anti-stalking legislation 
in the States, develop model anti-stalking legislation that is 
constitutional and enforceable, prepare and disseminate to State 
authorities the findings made as a result of such evaluation, and report 
to Congress the findings and the need or appropriateness of further 
action by the Federal Government by Sept. 30, 1993.

                  Section Referred to in Other Sections

    This section is referred to in section 5603 of this title.
