Justice Today

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