The National Standards for Criminal Justice Coordinating Councils is a comprehensive framework for the formation and ongoing management of criminal justice coordinating councils (CJCCs). CJCCs are established bodies of key criminal justice, government, and community stakeholders that convene regularly to identify systemic challenges and work collaboratively to improve the local criminal justice system. CJCCs have existed for several decades and are widely considered a best practice because they heighten public safety; yet they vary considerably from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. These standards represent the accumulation of practical knowledge on CJCCs, and they outline practices and protocols deemed highly effective in operating a high-functioning council.
The standards cover thirteen elements of CJCCs: 1) vision and mission, 2) bylaws, 3) membership, 4) officers, 5) executive committee, 6) standing committees and workgroups, 7) meetings, 8) decisionmaking, 9) strategic planning, 10) data and research, 11) community engagement and outreach, 12) administration, and 13) support staff. Each element is associated with a set of standards, and commentary is provided to support each.
The standards reflect the ideal model for a CJCC. It may not be feasible for a jurisdiction to fully meet all the standards, but it should strive to meet or exceed the standards as best as possible.