Please describe how your agency is structured.

The Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (ICJI) is a standalone executive branch agency. It is also governed by a 16-member Board of Trustees representing several areas of Indiana’s criminal and juvenile justice system. The Board evaluates and disseminates information concerning the cost and effectiveness of criminal and juvenile justice programs. It also promotes effective coordination and cooperation for the administration of the criminal and juvenile justice systems. Finally, the Board establishes plans for criminal justice systems, juvenile justice systems, and victim services, and makes recommendations concerning their implementation. The Board composition is determined by Indiana Code.

ICJI serves as the State planning agency for criminal justice, juvenile justice, traffic safety, and victim services. ICJI is designated as the State Administering Agency (SAA) for distribution of federal funds, and as the State Statistical Analysis Center for research.

Utilizing evidence-based decision making, ICJI works to improve the efficiency of the criminal justice system, from call for service through post-conviction. The agency accomplishes this by bringing together key leaders from the criminal justice system at the state, local, and national levels to identify critical issues facing Indiana. The agency evaluates policies, programs and legislation designed to address these issues.

Further, ICJI is responsible for coordinating and collaborating with local, state, and federal entities to identify, assess, plan, and evaluate new and emerging issues facing the criminal justice and public safety spectrum. The goal is to enhance, improve and coordinate all aspects of law enforcement and criminal/juvenile justice.

Through research initiatives, ICJI works to develop new approaches aimed at preventing and reducing crime, reducing traffic fatalities, and improving services for victims of crime. The purpose of these data compilations is to facilitate its dissemination to local decision-makers, providing them with valuable insights and evidence-based strategies to inform effective policies, interventions, and programs.

Please list the federal and state grants your agency administers.

a. Byrne JAG

b. PSN (North and South)

c. RSAT

d. NICS/NARIP

e. SORNA Reallocation

f. Coverdell

g. SASP

h. STOP

i. VOCA

j. VOCA Comp

k. FVPSA

l. Title II

m. National Highway Traffic Safety funded programs

n. SJS

Please list your top three current priority or focus areas.

ICJI’s top 3 areas of focus are staff development/retention, violence reduction and improvement of Indiana’s criminal justice data landscape.

What is the main thing you would like other NCJA members to know about your agency?

ICJI is a growing agency. We have almost doubled in size over the last 7 years and with that comes new challenges, but also improvements in customer service and the ability to meet the needs of an ever-changing environment of grant administration and criminal justice planning and research. We are relying heavily on data to inform decisions and drive our priorities of focus with grant making. Reliance on ICJI by other agencies and the legislature is growing and we once again are being seen as more than just a grant making agency.