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International Overview and Guide
Overview
Created in 1972 under the auspices of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, the National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS) is a Federally-funded resource offering criminal/juvenile justice and substance abuse research, policy, and program information to policymakers, practitioners, researchers and the general public worldwide.
The goal of NCJRS is to make the information resources from its Federal sponsors and from other Federal, State, local, and private agencies available to the criminal/juvenile justice community at large, both in the United States and internationally. The NCJRS target audience comprises policymakers, law enforcement/corrections professionals and practitioners, judges and court officials, victim services providers, substance abuse professionals, and criminal/juvenile 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 justice field.
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 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:
NCJRS maintains a database containing abstracts of the more than 200,000 justice publications in the NCJRS Library. This database may be searched by keyword, subject, author, or accession number. If full text versions of publications are available, they can be accessed directly from the resource's abstract.
NCJRS also offers the free online NCJRS Abstracts Database Thesaurus Term Search, which allows users to search for materials located in the NCJRS Library's Abstracts Database using an official NCJRS–controlled vocabulary. This controlled vocabulary is used to assign relevant indexing terms to the materials in the NCJRS collection.
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.
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.
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 collection.
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 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 approximately 180 IDE members from 60 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*
*The NCJRS Deposit Account is a convenient method for paying for publication/product shipping and handling charges. A minimum first-time deposit of $100.00 is required. You can then order NCJRS products and their shipping and handling costs are debited from your Deposit Account. Therefore, you can e-mail or telephone orders at any time by just providing your deposit account number with your order. Please note that after your initial $100.00 deposit in the account, there are no requirements for a minimum balance. You can Login/Manage Your Account to view the status of your deposit account. Please contact NCJRS with questions concerning how to establish an account, or send your inquiry to: NCJRS International
P.O. Box 6000
Rockville, MD 20849-6000
USA
Contacting NCJRS
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By mail:
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NCJRS International
P.O. Box 6000
Rockville, MD 20849-6000
USA
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For research assistance:
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Use the Search Questions & Answers page or contact us.
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In person:
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The NCJRS Library is located in Rockville, Maryland, approximately 20 miles from downtown Washington, D.C. Most printed documents cited in the NCJRS Abstracts Database are available at this location for use by justice professionals and graduate students. Computer terminals and printed indexes for accessing the database are located in the reading room. A photocopier is also available.
The NCJRS Library is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., U.S. eastern time, Monday through Friday by appointment only. Please call 301-519-5063 for an appointment to use the facility. Library and reference staff are available to assist patrons.
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