Criminology and Criminal Justice Research: Organization

Prior to the 1960s in the United States, criminological research resulted from individual efforts. The reliance on individual investigators to conduct (and oftentimes fund) their own research agenda was primarily a function of a lack of funding sources devoted to issues surrounding criminology and criminal justice. Since the 1960s, however, research in criminal justice has dramatically increased. The period between 1960 and 1980 saw the emergence of a concerted effort in the federal government to initiate research projects that were designed to understand the extent of criminal behavior, including the etiology of criminal behavior as well as the reaction of the criminal justice system to criminal behavior. Although still noticeably undersupported financially, funded research efforts during this time period gathered much information that helped set the stage for the continuation and expansion of criminological research efforts. Since 1980 there has been a substantial increase in the financial resources afforded to criminological research, which has led to a proliferation of scholarly activity within criminology and criminal justice.