UCJC Background
The Utah Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice was established in 1983 by the Utah State Legislature to promote broad philosophical agreement in Utah's criminal and juvenile justice systems and to provide a mechanism for coordinating the functions of the various branches and levels of government to reduce crime and victimization. Almost from its inception, U.C.C.J.J. has enjoyed a research partnership with the University. Since 1985, for instance, the College of Social Work and U.C.C.J.J. have jointly funded one full-time faculty member to promote a criminal justice curriculum within the college, teach courses, and consult with state criminal and juvenile justice entities.
To facilitate research with U.C.C.J.J., faculty from various departments and colleges at the University formed the Utah Criminal and Juvenile Justice Consortium. More than 30 studies have been completed, ranging from a $200,000 National Institute of Justice examination of sentencing guidelines in Utah to a $5,000 study of crime in Salt Lake City apartment complexes. A number of position papers have also been developed for U.C.C.J.J. in response to inquiries from state officials. The projects have touched on issues of great importance and with practical implications, such as:
- research on alternative incarceration strategies and intermediate sanctions for, among others, the Utah Department of Corrections
- analysis of racial bias and minority overrepresentation in the Utah justice systems for the Utah Task Force on Racial and Ethnic Fairness
- studies on the prevention of juvenile delinquency in Utah.
Ongoing and current projects include an evaluation of the Utah Board of Juvenile Justice grantees, a study of mentally ill offenders in Utah state prisons, an evaluation of Salt Lake County's drug courts, and a cost of crime survey and meta-analysis of criminal justice programs in Utah.
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