About Us

A Century of Innovation and Reform

Since 1907, NCCD has been applying research to policy and practice in criminal justice, juvenile justice, and child welfare. NCCD has formulated innovative approaches to crime control and advised hundreds of agencies on effective and cost-efficient policies, strategies, and programs. Our studies and policy recommendations in juvenile and criminal justice helped to revolutionize the field.

Challenges and Opportunities for Change

America faces enormous challenges in promoting a more just society. The United States has the highest rate of incarceration of any country on earth. The number of people under criminal justice supervision of all types has skyrocketed since 1970. Despite a drop in violent crime, which began in the mid 1990s, we continue to incarcerate more individuals for nonviolent crimes such as drugs and property violations. Our nation's crime control policies are often the result of political maneuvering rather than sound analysis of the true nature and scope of our justice landscape. NCCD is working to change this.

Crime control policies must be based on data and best practices, not media sensation or political rhetoric.

The correctional system can only have a limited impact on crime rates. Our prisons must be used sparingly for those offenders who are a threat to public safety and cannot be safely managed in the community. Incarceration is expensive and often leads to increased criminality. Prevention strategies and well-planned alternatives to incarceration can reduce the fiscal and social costs of current policies.

We are entering a new era of opportunity, one which promises to renew obsolete policies and bring about reform. Only a comprehensive planning approach that includes all sectors of American life-business, charitable organizations, religious groups, individual citizens, and government-can bring about a more just society.