Impediments To Translation in the States

Abstract

The structure and function of both state agencies and academic criminology and criminal justice influence the degree to which translation can occur. For example, academics are rewarded not for reaching out to criminal justice functionaries, but for publishing scholarly articles and getting research grants. State agencies, on the other hand, operate under different role constraints, some of which may inhibit staff from translating basic research into implications for policy and practice. The structure of both state agencies and academic criminology are firmly entrenched, and thus stand as impediments to meaningful translation. This suggests that certain actors must find creative ways to overcome these obstacles.