Criminal Justice Associations and Organizations

Send comments and questions to Mary Beth Minick, SPEA Subject Librarian

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A very brief list of some major organizations in the field of Criminal Justice… 

American Correctional Association
“The ACA is the oldest and largest international correctional association in the world. ACA serves all disciplines within the corrections profession and is dedicated to excellence in every aspect of the field.” 

American Bar Association: Criminal Justice Section
The ABA is the largest voluntary professional association in the world. With more than 400,000 members, the ABA provides law school accreditation, continuing legal education, information about the law, programs to assist lawyers and judges in their work, and initiatives to improve the legal system for the public. With its diverse membership of judges, private criminal defense attorneys, prosecutors, public defenders, academics, and other criminal justice professionals, the Criminal Justice Section of the ABA is uniquely situated to bring all the various actors to the table to address today's most pressing criminal justice issues. 

American Society of Criminology
The American Society of Criminology is an international organization concerned with criminology, embracing scholarly, scientific, and professional knowledge concerning the etiology, prevention, control, and treatment of crime and delinquency. This includes the measurement and detection of crime, a review of legislation and the practice of law, as well as an examination of the law enforcement, judicial, and correctional systems 

National Association of Police Organizations
The National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO) is a coalition of police unions and associations from across the United States that serves to advance the interests of America's law enforcement officers through legislative and legal advocacy, political action and education.  

National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL)
The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) is the preeminent organization in the United States advancing the mission of the nation's criminal defense lawyers to ensure justice and due process for persons accused of crime or other misconduct. 

Criminal Justice Resources: Associations and Organizations
This site, maintained by Jon Harrison of Michigan State University, has an amazingly thorough list of groups and organizations. If you do not see what you’re looking for in our very brief list above, try this mega-list of links.