District of Columbia

The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) is the primary source for criminal justice statistics in the United States. Its mission is to collect, analyze, publish, and disseminate information on crime, criminal offenders, victims of crime, and the operation of justice systems at all levels of government. This data is critical to federal, state, and local policymakers in combating crime and ensuring that justice is both efficient and evenhanded.

AARP is a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to addressing the needs and interests of persons 50 and older. Through information and education, advocacy and service, they seek to enhance the quality of life for all by promoting independence, dignity and purpose.

The American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists, a resource center, provides professional publications on violence against women (intimate partner violence, sexual assault, adolescent dating violence) and materials for patient education in English and Spanish.

Founded in 1972 by the American Civil Liberties Union, the National Prison Project seeks to create constitutional conditions of confinement and strengthen prisoners’ rights through class action litigation and public education. Our policy priorities include reducing prison overcrowding, improving prisoner medical care, eliminating violence and maltreatment in prisons and jails, and minimizing the reliance on incarceration as a criminal justice sanction. The Project also publishes a semi-annual Journal, coordinates a nationwide network of litigators, conducts training and public education conferences, and provides expert advice and technical assistance to local community groups and lawyers throughout the country.

The Stalking Resource Center is an initiative of the National Center for Victims of Crime, with initial funding from the Violence Against Women Office of the U.S. Department of Justice. Its primary purpose is to provide resources, training and technical assistance to victim service providers and criminal justice professionals in an effort to promote a shared, national understanding of stalking and to support locally coordinated, multidisciplinary anti-stalking approaches and responses.  

The National Alliance to End Sexual Violence, which began in September of 1995, is an organization that focuses on public policy and public education to end sexual violence. The Alliance is committed to advocating on behalf of sexual assault victims, and to supporting advocates and service providers working in the anti-sexual violence movement at the local, state and national levels. Most importantly, the NAESV advocates on behalf of the victims/survivors- women, children and men- who have needlessly suffered the serious trauma of sexual violence and envisions a world free from sexual violence.

Men Can Stop Rape empowers male youth and the institutions that serve them to work as allies with women in preventing rape and other forms of men’s violence. Through awareness-to-action education and community organizing, they promote gender equity and build young men’s capacity to be strong without being violent.

The Commission on Legal Problems of the Elderly (Commission) is an entity of the American Bar Association (ABA). Its goal is to examine and respond to law-related needs of older persons in the United States through policy development, education, and the provision of technical assistance. The Commission does not provide direct legal services or make referrals to private lawyers. The Commission can, however, help connect people with the free legal services/legal aid programs serving older persons in the area in which they live.

The Urban Institute conducts research, program evaluation, and policy analysis on a broad range of social, economic and governance issues. These issues range from education and health care policy to criminal justice and housing. Its research on sexual violence focuses on services to victims of domestic violence, child abuse and neglect, and sexual assault; civil, criminal and family courts; child protection agencies, and community-based treatment providers. Reports of completed and on-going projects are available.