International Overview and Guide

Overview

The National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS) is a Federally funded resource offering criminal justice and substance abuse research, policy, and program information to policymakers, practitioners, researchers and the general public worldwide. It serves as an information clearinghouse for the International criminal justice community. NCJRS was created in 1972 under the auspices of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968.

The goal of NCJRS is to make the information resources from its Federal sponsors and those from other Federal, State, local, and private agencies available to the criminal justice community at large, both in the United States and internationally. The NCJRS target audience comprises policymakers, law enforcement and corrections professionals and practitioners, judges and court officials, and criminal justice researchers.

NCJRS and its Federal sponsors are taking full advantage of the information revolution spawned by the Internet. NCJRS users can download full-text versions of thousands of publications from the NCJRS Web site to read, store, or print. International users can save time and money, while staying up to date on the most recent developments in the field of criminal justice.

The Internet allows the international user to obtain the same level of information and assistance that NCJRS provides for users in the United States. This page describes how best to use what NCJRS has to offer to the international criminal justice professional, practitioner, and researcher.

Products, Programs, and Services

This section provides brief descriptions of the NCJRS products, programs, and services that are available for the international user.

NCJRS Web Site

The NCJRS Web site offers research solutions for all users:

• Search Publications/Products providing full text versions of more than 3,500 NCJRS partner agency publications;
• Perform a keyword search across the entire NCJRS site and select Federal justice Web pages;
• Browse the site using the topics on the left navigation or by visiting the A-Z topical index;
• Discover conferences, symposia, and workshops of interest to the juvenile and criminal justice, victim assistance, and drug policy communities throughout the world using the Justice Events calendar; or, add your own event to the Justice Events calendar;
• Search Questions & Answers on topics NCJRS staff have already researched;
• Order publications and products online by reviewing available materials in the Publications/Products page and adding them to your shopping cart;
• Register with NCJRS to receive announcements by e-mail or mail;
• Search the NCJRS Abstracts Database online:

Information Listservs

International Monthly Accessions List (IMAL)
The International Monthly Accessions List (IMAL) is a listing of documents on international and transnational topics added to the NCJRS Abstracts Database during the previous month. Subscribe or view previous issues of IMAL.

Justice Information Electronic Newsletter (JUSTINFO)
This free service provides subscribers with the latest information from NCJRS and the NCJRS partner agencies. Twice a month, subscribers receive e-mail announcements of new publications, products, conferences, and online resources. Subscribe or view  previous issues.

JUSTSTATS
Subscribe to JUSTSTATS for email notification of new statistical materials from the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention upon release.

Juvenile Justice Information Electronic Newsletter (JUVJUST)
This free service provides subscribers with information from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). Subscribers will receive regular e-mail announcements of new juvenile justice publications, products, conferences, and online resources. Subscribe or view a listing of previous issues.

Mapping and Analysis for Public Safety (CRIMEMAP)
Subscribe to the Mapping and Analysis for Public Safety (MAPS) program listserv which enables subscribers to post and respond to questions, and also serves as a vehicle for MAPS staff to announce upcoming conferences and new publications.

Network Against Gun Violence (PSNNetwork)
Subscribe to join the network against gun violence and receive news and updates from Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).

News From CCDO
Subscribe to receive CCDO's quarterly electronic magazine, In-Sites, and periodically receive newsworthy information and events. Browse past issues online.

OJJDP News @ a Glance Newsletter
This bimonthly electronic newsletter highlights OJJDP activities, publications, funding opportunities, and upcoming events. Subscribe or view a listing of previous issues.

Weekly Accessions List (WAL)
Subscribe to the Weekly Accessions List (WAL) to receive a weekly listing of documents added to the NCJRS Abstracts Database.

Publications/Electronic Resources

Obtaining Printed Materials

NCJRS distributes printed ("hard copy") versions of select publications produced by its Federal sponsors. Available product inventory may be ordered using the NCJRS Shopping Cart. While browsing the NCJRS Web site you may order any publication or product that has a Shopping Cart image associated with it. View Shipping and Handling Rates and Policies.

The types of publications distributed by NCJRS include one-to-three page briefs and bulletins, journals published by NCJRS partner agencies, manuals, program descriptions and evaluations, joint publications, conference proceedings, annual reports, and policy documents.

Information on new publications by NCJRS partner agencies can be found in JUSTINFO and the Justice Resource Update.

CD-ROMs

Some NCJRS partner agency publications are now available as CD-ROMs. For example, the Bureau of Justice Statistics' annual Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics and several other law enforcement and emergency responder trainings are available in this format. These can be found in the Publications/Products listing. 

Audiovisual Products

NCJRS distributes audiovisual materials produced by its partner agencies. For example, OJJDP distributes videotapes and DVDs of its satellite teleconferences, in which juvenile justice scholars, policymakers and practitioners from all over the United States meet to discuss issues such as truancy, gangs, and graduated sanctions. The Office for Victims of Crimes (OVC) sponsors training videos, as does the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA).

These videos are in NTSC format, therefore it may be necessary to convert them in order to use them successfully.

International Programs and Outreach

NCJRS supports the international activities of its partner agencies, providing document support to international conferences attended by partner agency staff, researching criminal justice issues in other countries for staff traveling to other countries, and participating in briefings of international visitors to NCJRS partner agencies. There are also specific international outreach and program activities.

Publications from other countries or on international subjects make up about 10% of the NCJRS Abstracts Database.

International Document Exchange Program

The International Document Exchange (IDE) program is a partnership between NCJRS and academic and government institutions in other countries to obtain NCJRS partner agency publications without having to pay the postage and handling fees that are normally required for international orders. IDE members also receive monthly e-mail notifications of newly available publications, and, for increased convenience, they can order these publications off of a dedicated order form on the NCJRS Web site. In return, IDE members are asked to submit publications from their respective agencies for entry into the NCJRS Abstracts Database. Currently, there are over 140 IDE members from 55 countries.

The International Networking Liaison

The International Networking Liaison is the point of contact for NCJRS international activities. Located on site at the National Institute of Justice, the International Networking Liaison also supports the activities of the NIJ International Center, plans and coordinates international visitor briefings, responds to criminal, juvenile justice, and drug policy queries from other countries or about other countries, and administers the IDE program.

Accessing NCJRS Products

Download and Print Publications

Download and print publications on your desktop. Publications that have “PDF,” “Text,” or “HTML” may be viewed online free of charge. You may need Adobe software to view PDF publications.

Ordering NCJRS Products

Order NCJRS documents by placing available items (marked with an "Order" or "Order Photocopy" icon) in your shopping cart. NCJRS products ordered by users outside of the United States are sent via airmail. To cover this expense, NCJRS charges postage and handling for publications and products mailed outside the United States.

NCJRS requires that all orders be paid in full when the order is placed. The following payment options are available to users outside the United States:

• Check, drawn on a U.S. bank in U.S. funds.
• Money order (in U.S. funds).
• MasterCard or VISA.
• NCJRS Deposit Account*

Contacting NCJRS