Office of Justice Programs

Innovation • Partnerships • Safer Neighborhoods          

Mission and Vision

Mission

OJP’s mission is to increase public safety and improve the fair administration of justice across America through innovative leadership and programs.

Vision

To be the premier resource for the justice community by:

  • Providing and coordinating information, research and development, statistics, training, and support to help the justice community build the capacity it needs to meet its public safety goals.
  • Embracing local decision-making, while encouraging local innovation through national policy leadership.

Goals

  • Implement national and multi-state programs, provide training and technical assistance, and establish demonstration programs to assist state, local, and tribal governments and community groups in reducing crime, enforcing state and local drug laws, and improving the function of the criminal justice system.
  • Collect, analyze, publish, and disseminate statistical information on crime, criminal offenders, victims of crime, and the operations of justice systems at all levels of government. Enhance the quality, completeness, and accessibility of the nation’s criminal history records system.
  • Sponsor research in crime and criminal justice and evaluations of justice programs. Disseminate research findings to practitioners and policymakers.
  • Support the development, testing, evaluation, adoption, and implementation of new and innovative technologies and techniques to support and enhance law enforcement, courts, and/or corrections options.
  • Provide national leadership, direction, coordination, and resources to prevent, treat, and control juvenile violence and delinquency, improve the effectiveness and fairness of the juvenile justice system, and combat the problem of missing and exploited children.
  • Enhance the nation’s capacity to assist crime victims and provide leadership in changing attitudes, policies, and practices to promote justice and healing for all victims of crime.
  • Provide targeted assistance to state, local, and tribal governments to advance and sustain public safety at the local level through the leveraging of both technical and financial resources and the development and implementation of community-based strategies, such as the Weed and Seed strategy.