LibGuides: Criminal Justice Research Guide: Professional Associations

Professional Associations for Criminology and Justice

Professional associations are organizations that promote an occupation or industry by providing networking opportunities, workshops, and other support for current and aspiring workers. They often hold conferences where members present research and discuss industry trends. Some offer discounted student memberships, and conference presentations can help newcomers build experience in their field.

There are many professional associations for Criminology and Justice, and we have gathered a few below.

Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS)
The Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS) is an international association established in 1963 to foster professional and scholarly activities in the field of criminal justice. ACJS promotes criminal justice education, research, and policy analysis within the discipline of criminal justice for scholars who are international in scope and multidisciplinary in orientation, professionals from all sectors of the criminal justice system, and students seeking to explore the criminal justice field as future scholars or practitioners.
American Correctional Association
For more than 152 years, the American Correctional Association has championed the cause of corrections and correctional effectiveness. Founded in 1870 as the National Prison Association, ACA is the oldest association developed specifically for practitioners in the correctional profession. During the first organizational meeting in Cincinnati, Ohio, the assembly elected then-Ohio Governor and future President Rutherford B. Hayes as the first President of the Association.
Federal Bar Association
With more than 15,000 members—including 2,000 Federal judges—our members run the gamut of federal practice, from small to large firms, corporations, and Federal agencies. The FBA serves as the catalyst for communication between the bar and the bench, as well as the private and public sectors.
American Society of Criminology
The American Society of Criminology is an international organization whose members pursue scholarly, scientific, and professional knowledge concerning the measurement, etiology, consequences, prevention, control, and treatment of crime and delinquency. The Society’s objectives are to encourage the exchange, in a multidisciplinary setting, of those engaged in research, teaching, and practice so as to foster criminological scholarship, and to serve as a forum for the dissemination of criminological knowledge. Our membership includes students, practitioners, and academicians from the many fields of criminal justice and criminology.