Bylaws of the Criminal Justice Section

1. The name of this organization shall be "Criminal Justice Section" of the Division of Psychologists in Public Service (Division 18) of the American Psychological Association.
 
2. The members of the Division are principally involved in public service through their common responsibilities to carry out programs that are located in federal, state, county and private correctional settings.

a. As psychologists, we share these missions common to all organized groups of psychologists to:

i. Provide a forum for psychological information exchange,

ii. Develop and expand psychological knowledge pertaining to psychologists and patients in the criminal justice system through research,

iii. Communicate psychological knowledge through education and training,

iv. Apply psychological knowledge through services to the public,

v. Develop and maintain standards, and

vi. Advance psychology and psychologists in the public interest. 

b. As psychologists in the public service in criminal justice settings, we have specific additional missions to:

i. Promote the ability of psychologists to serve the public interests in criminal justice settings,

ii. Communicate within APA about professional issues and programs in the public interest in criminal justice settings that concern all psychologists,

iii. Study the psychological effects of public policies on various sectors of the public as well as on individuals in criminal justice settings,

iv. Use psychological knowledge to develop and implement public policies in the public interest in criminal justice settings, and

v. Serve as advocates for the public and for psychologists in criminal justice settings with complex and sometimes frustrating bureaucracies by assisting the latter to understand psychological implications of their procedures.

1. Introduction

a. Membership in the Criminal Justice Section of the Division of Psychologists in Public Service of the American Psychological Association shall be limited to persons who at the time of application for membership, are actively interested in the application or study of psychology in public service. Voting membership of the Criminal Justice Section shall consist of Members. Members shall meet the standards set forth for membership in the Division of Psychologists in Public Service. There is no recognition of APA Fellows within the Section and they shall be considered as Members. The Criminal Justice Section also accepts three categories of non-voting members: Associates (Associate members of APA), Student members of APA, and Affiliates who are not members of APA. 

2. Members, Associates, Students and Affiliates

a. Members and Associates must meet the minimum standards prescribed by the American Psychological Association.
 
b. New Members and Associates of the Division who are elected by a majority vote of the Board of Directors of Division 18 upon nomination by the Membership Committee shall automatically be Members and Associates of the Criminal Justice Section upon self-declaration as established by the rules and procedures of Division 18.

1. The Officers of the Section shall consist of a Chair and Secretary-Treasurer.
 
2. It shall be the duty of the Chair to chair all meetings of the Section. The chair shall also represent the Section to the Board of Directors of Division 18. The Section Chair shall also be responsible for drafting a brief report on section activities for inclusion in the quarterly Division newsletter. The Chair shall draft and present for approval of the membership an annual budget. The Chair shall present this budget to the Division 18 Board of Directors for funding. A Chair of the Criminal Justice Section may not immediately succeed him/herself. The Chair's term shall be two years beginning in even numbered years starting at the close of the annual APA convention.
 
3. It shall be the duty of the Secretary-Treasurer to keep records of all meetings of the Criminal Justice Section of the Division; to issue calls and notices of meetings and of nomination of officers; to have custody of all funds and property of the Criminal Justice Section of the Division; to make disbursements as authorized the approved budget of the membership or directive of the chair after a special vote of the membership; to prepare in writing a fiscal report and budget for approval by the membership at the annual meeting. The term of the Secretary-Treasure shall be two years beginning in even numbered years beginning at the close of the annual APA convention.
 
4. In the case of death, incapacity, or resignation of any of these officers, the membership of the Section shall conduct a special election to fill the remaining portion of the un-expired term. The candidate shall by majority vote of Members voting. The time for voting shall not exceed 30 days from the issue of the ballots.

1. The officers of the Criminal Justice Section of the Division shall be elected in accordance with procedures specified by the Bylaws of the American Psychological Association.
 
2. The Section Chair shall appoint a Nominations and Elections Committee that shall solicit nominations of Members of the Criminal Justice Section of the Division for the offices of Section Chair and of Secretary-Treasurer. The committee shall be appointed after the conclusion of the annual APA meeting in odd numbered years. The Committee shall report to the Secretary-Treasurer the final list of at least two nominees for the office of Section Chair and at least two nominees for the office of Secretary-Treasurer. In the event that only one nominee for an office is found after a reasonable time (60 days minimum) the committee may submit a single name for an office. The election shall be conducted in the spring of even numbered years.
 
3. The Chairperson of the Nominations and Elections Committee shall submit the names of persons nominated for each office and willing to serve to the Section Chair. The Section Chair will then direct the Secretary-Treasurer to construct and mail ballots to all Section Members. The ballots shall be returned to the Secretary-Treasurer who will verify the ballot. The Section Election Committee shall count and submit a report with tallies to the Chair of the Section. The Member who receives a majority of votes shall be declared the winner. The Chair shall provide this information to the Division newsletter.

1. An Annual Business Meeting of the Criminal Justice Section of the Division shall take place during the annual convention of the American Psychological Association, for the transaction of business, the presentation of scientific papers, and the discussion of professional matters in the field of psychology. The Criminal Justice Section of the Division shall coordinate its program with, and participate in the program of Division 18 and of the American Psychological Association. If at the decision of the Chair other meetings are required of the Members of the Section they may be conducted either by conference call or as virtual meetings over the Internet if Division software is available. However, all such meetings must be budgeted for in the annual budget and approved by the Membership of the section and by the Division Board of Directors if funds are to be spent for such a meeting. The Chair shall set the date and time for all meetings outside the annual APA convention. The date and time of meetings at the APA convention will be coordinated with the Division 18 Convention Program Chair and shall be subject to modification by the Board of Convention Affairs. Business may be conducted with another Section however items requiring a vote of the Members shall include all Criminal Justice Section members present and voting. A simple majority vote is required for the passage of the budget and regular business items. A quorum for any Section meeting will consist of not less than 3 (three) voting members actually or virtually present, no proxies shall be recognized.

1. The Criminal Justice Section may establish committees on an ad hoc basis. All ad hoc committees shall have a specific term as established by the membership. This period may be extended by a vote of the Section. The Section Chair shall appoint all committee members and designate a committee chair. The term of a committee chair is one year, and may be reappointed.

1. The Criminal Justice Section shall establish no policies that are contrary to the policies of the Division or the Association.
 
2. The minutes of the Criminal Justice Section Annual Business Meeting shall be filed by the Division Secretary-Treasurer for publication in the next available Division Newsletter these shall be submitted along with the Chair's article.
 
3. The Criminal Justice Section, if it so desires, may have Affiliates who are not members of the APA. Such Affiliates may neither become of the Section nor may they vote on Section issues.
 
4. Dissolution of the Criminal Justice Section:

a. Consideration for dissolution of the Criminal Justice Section by the membership may occur upon decision of majority of those Section members voting in a mail ballot. All Members shall be provided a ballot and if approved by two-thirds of those voting within a 3-day period from the date set in advance for return, the section shall be dissolved.

b. Or upon a two-thirds vote of the Division Board of Directors if the Section has failed to be active and compliant with standards for a Section established by the Division Board of Directors for a period of in excess of two years.

c. At the time of dissolution any and all assets of the Criminal Justice Section, including monies in its treasury will, after meeting any financial obligations of the Section, become a part of the Division 18 treasury.

1. Amendments may be proposed by the elected officers of the Criminal Justice Section or by a petition signed by twenty (20) members of the Criminal Justice Section.

2. Proposed amendments to the Bylaws of the Criminal Justice Section must be mailed to the membership of the Division at least 30 days prior to the closing date for receipt of ballots.

3. The Criminal Justice Section of the Division, by a two-thirds vote of those members voting by mail ballot, shall adopt such amendments to these bylaws.

Updated August 1999