Proceedings of the National Conference on Criminal Justice

Book excerpt: This book provides a record of the speeches and discussion of the conference that was held to review major standards and recommendations of the National Advisory Commission on Criminal Justice Standards and Goals. This book is a companion to the six volumes of the Commission report, but it is not a statement of the Commission itself. This conference enabled criminal justice practitioners from across the nation to gain an overview of the Commission's work and an understanding of the intent of the Commission in developing its standards and goals. Other recent commissions have studied the causes and debilitating effects of crime in our society. This effort has sought to expand their work and build upon it, developing a clear statement of priorities, goals, and standards to help set a national strategy to reduce crime through the timely and equitable administration of justice; the protection of life, liberty, and property; and the efficient mobilization of resources. The Commission hopes that its standards and recommendations will influence the shape of the criminal justice system in the nation for many years to come. And it believes that adoption of those standards and recommendations will contribute to a measurable reduction of the amount of crime in America.