The genesis of NABCJ was a historic conference on "Blacks and the Criminal Justice System" hosted by Dr. Charles Owens at the University of Alabama in February of 1974. At the meeting, Dr. Bennett Cooper, then Director of the State of Ohio's Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, called for the creation of a permanent national organization that would focus on the goal of achieving equal justice for Blacks and other minorities. The conference supported Dr. Cooper's recommendation and created a committee to establish the National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice, Inc.

Over the years, a substantial portion of NABCJ's membership has come from the ranks of criminal justice professionals representing the entire spectrum of the criminal justice process. A major asset of the association has been its ability to attract a strong mix of members representing law enforcement institutional and community corrections, courts, social services, academia, religious and other community-based interests.

As a national association, a substantial part of NABCJ's strength and vitality can be found in its state and local chapters. Through the efforts of its membership, NABCJ provides an action-oriented vehicle for initiating constructive change within the criminal justice system.

With state and local chapters located across the United States, the association has shown consistent and positive growth. Through the coordinated efforts of its members, NABCJ provides thousands of volunteer service hours to the communities in which its membership works and resides. Through its annual, regional and state conferences, NABCJ provides countless hours of in-service training all aimed at enhancing and increasing the level of professionalism in criminal justice.

All funds generated by the association are used to carry out its official activities, e.g., educational programs, prevention and intervention programs, training conferences, scholarships, research and public awareness. All national, state and local officers, as well as board directors, are volunteers who serve with no monetary compensation whatsoever from the association.