DIC Business Meeting Minutes
Palmer House Hotel, Parlor C Chicago, Illinois
Thursday, November 14, 2002
The meeting was chaired by DIC Chairperson, Rosemary Barberet. An agenda was provided at the outset and the meeting commenced at 9:00 a.m.
I. The DIC Secretary, Nancy Grosselfinger was absent due to illness, but the minutes of the 2001 meeting, previously published in the DIC newsletter, were distributed, and approved.
II. The Chair opened the meeting by reporting on several items raised last year at the business meeting which the Chair put before the ASC Board:
Barberet also discussed the progress made on the four short term objectives for her term.
Membership has increased from 279 to over 360. The newsletter is progressing nicely as a forum for information sharing, and "going electronic" has been well received. Regarding visibility at the annual meeting, this year many more sessions were "DIC sponsored" than before (see the list below). Furthermore, ECOSOC consultative status will mean a great deal for both ASC and DIC visibility. The last objective, which relates to the fostering of works in translation, has not been a focus of effort and needs attention. Overall, however, Barberet was satisfied with the progress so far and thanked DIC Officers and Executive Council for being so hardworking.
III. The Financial Report of the DIC was presented by Bonnie Fisher, Treasurer. The budget was distributed. The current balance is $2,519.86, derived from dues. It was noted that other Divisions have higher dues (some include a journal) and therefore more income. There was discussion of how the resources might be increased and if after paying the DIC luncheon, the Division might be in the red. Attendants were also reminded that the DIC saves money now on the newsletter, since printing and postage must no longer be paid.
DIC BUDGET
INCOME AND EXPENSE FIGURES FOR 2001 THROUGH TO DATE
2001 Year Income
Beginning balance
$11.10
Total dues paid
2,400.00
Luncheon paid by attendees 1,891.00
Sale of member mailing labels 50.00
TOTAL INCOME 4,352.10
2001 Year Expenses
Printing
1,250.02
Luncheon cost
2,619.36
Postage
257.00
Supplies
116.33
Election postage
20.00
Web site expense 200.00
TOTAL EXPENSES 4,449.56
2001 Balance -97.46
2002 Year Income
Total dues paid $2,620.00
Paid Luncheons
52.00
TOTAL EXPENSES 2,672.00
2002 Year Expenses
Postage
54.68
2002 Current Balance $2,519.86
IV. Cindy Smith gave a summary report of a recent survey of the members. There were only 27 replies, about 50% from U.S. members. 17 of the 27 respondents indicated they taught an international crime/criminal justice course. 14 were currently doing so and 4 had done so in the past. The respondents expressed a need for more financial support for comparative research, greater quantity of comparative research, and higher quality of research. Their reasons for joining the DIC included making contacts and broadening their knowledge. Smith said the survey replies, although very few, provided generally useful information.
Membership efforts were discussed. Other potential sources of new members include solicitations to other societies and organizations and informing students about their eligibility for membership in DIC.
V. The Chairperson reported that the Newsletter was working out well, was self-supporting, only mailed to 10-20 persons and otherwise transmitted electronically. However, without email updates there have been many returns. Electronic transmission had the virtue of immediate reception, no limit in page length, and the newsletter was now much larger/longer, and more extensive. The Chair is eager to recruit more student features. Member feedback commented on the timeliness and extensiveness of the recent newsletters.
VI. Liqun Cao, Executive Counselor, reported that the DIC webpage (part of the ASC webpage) is up and running. He reported consideration is being given to making it an archive of past DIC newsletter issues. The discussion following concerned the possibility of distributing the newsletter on the website, and whether this would be by free access or by password only. Currently anyone can access the DIC webpage, and the advantage of being a DIC member is getting the newsletter before Cao puts it on the webpage.
VII. Alexander Vazsonyi, Executive Counselor, reported only two persons (from UK) requested the DIC Hosting Service, and six persons volunteered as hosts. He said encouragement should be given for use of this service. ASC cannot provide a list of foreign participants however (as distinguished from foreign members which it can provide). It was suggested there be on the spot hosting at the DIC table or a list of potential hosts at the DIC table. Ineke Haen Marshall offered to organize at conference hosting at peak times via the DIC table and Alexander Vazsonyi will continue to coordinate pre-conference hosting, passing the names of volunteers onto Marshall.
VIII. Rosemary Barberet and Bonnie Fisher reported on the DIC Luncheon. Last year it was sold out with 75 attendees. This year there were 50 reservations at the time of the DIC Business Meeting. [The final number was 100.]
IX. Few persons or panels had requested DIC sponsorship for their session and so Liqun Cao, Bonnie Fisher, and Rosemary Barbaret combed the program and assigned DIC support based upon the title/subject matter. These sessions were receiving additional promotional materials on the DIC.
X. DIC Awards were reported by Mitchell Roth and William Chambliss. The recipient of the Distinguished Book Award was David T. Johnson of the University of Hawaii for his book entitled The Japanese Way of Justice: Prosecuting Crime in Japan. The Lifetime Achievement Award was given jointly to Venezuelan criminologist Rosa del Olmo (posthumously) and Maria Los of the University of Ottawa.
XI. Volunteers for the Awards Commitees were solicited by the Chairperson. The Book Award Committee is chaired by Barbara Owen, along with Mahesh Nalla, Ineke Haen Marshall, and John Winterdyk. Janice Joseph will also be on the book award committee since last year, due to a postal error, she did not receive the books to be judged.
The Lifetime Achievement Award Committee consists of Liqun Cao as Chair, Dick Anzenge, Joan McCord and Cristina Rechea.
XII. Jay Albanese, the new Director of the International Centre of the National Institute of Justice addressed the group at the invitation of the Chairperson. He said there is a specialized website presence. He pointed out there are 12 month fellowships, for either U.S. or non-U.S. scholars, to write about topics which are policy relevant/policy impact oriented, in consumer friendly language. In early 2003 there will be a solicitation for research on terrorism, especially how groups organize. He pledged his commitment to communicating with the DIC about opportunities with the agency and raised the potential for pooling resources to travel/attend international events. DIC Chair Barberet said she was equally willing to think of ways the DIC can help the International Centre and further international interests at NIJ.
XIII. Possible official DIC affiliation with a journal was discussed. Michael Vaughn, editor of the International Criminal Justice Review (ICJR), made a presentation informing those present that the journal has a circulation of about 200, has been in publication for 12 years, the single issue would be offered to DIC members at the rate of $10 per year, the DIC Chairperson could publish an annual address, DIC could appoint three editorial board members to serve one year terms, the journal would encourage submissions from criminology/criminal justice, and this agreement could be sealed with a memorandum of agreement between the DIC and the ICJR.
A second presentation was made by Mahesh Nalla, editor of the International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice, housed at Michigan State University. It is peer reviewed, has a circulation of 325 subscribers, mostly institutions, provides two issues per year including empirical and theoretical pieces, would offer the journal to DIC members for $10 per year, consider this an official affiliation, and allow for the DIC appointment of two board members for three year terms.
Ed Jacob proposed that both be made affiliated journals. Other members wanted to know about online access. Nalla agreed to mail copies of his journal to those interested and Vaughn distributed free copies he had with him.
A third option, raised by the Chairperson, was to have DIC provide guest editorship of the Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice. (The editor of this journal did not make a formal presentation.)
Paul Friday commented that the first and second journals were interesting but the third was not competitive.
The final option, raised by the Chairperson, was to start a new journal with Kluwer such as the Division of Critical Criminology.
The Chairperson agreed to further members more information in January and carry the matter to the ASC Executive Board. A publications committee was nominated, chaired by Barberet, and including Joan McCord, Paul Friday and Phyllis Schultze.
XIV. The achievement of Non-Governmental Organization Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations was brought to the attention of the members with a proposal for four representatives to be presented to the ASC Executive Board for approval two days hence. The duties of the representatives include attending various meetings, preparing reports regarding the meetings content, not to take policy positions but to educate other attendees in keeping with the academic/researcher basis for ASC. The focus will be on the U.N. Crime Commission which meets annually in the spring in Vienna, and the forthcoming 2005 Crime Congress. In addition there will be participation in International Scientific and Professional Advisory Council (ISPAC), which meets once a year in Italy to discuss one issue in depth. Its format is less formal, more in the academic style of lectures. Freda Adler and Gerhard Mueller are elected leaders in that organization.
The Alliance of NGOs, meeting six times per year in New York, will also be covered. It has working parties on such topics as trans-border crime and restorative justice. It was suggested we consider joining with the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS) in co-sponsoring an Ancillary Meeting at the 2005 Congress but no action was taken. The Chair solicited feedback on the reports to be provided. What about the content? Should they go to all of ASC members or just the DIC members? In addition ASC needs to print some literature for distribution at the U.N. and is also asking ASC for $5,000 to support its UN related work.
The meeting ended at 11:30 a.m.