The Institute of Criminology and Forensic Science was established in 1972 to undertake teaching and research in Criminology and Forensic Science and to impart in-service training to senior functionaries of the criminal justice system.
The Institute was renamed as National Institute of Criminology and Forensic Science (NICFS) in 1991 and again renamed after Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Narayan in 2003. In 43 years of its existence, the Institute has made significant headway in the areas of training of criminal justice functionaries and others, as well as research in applied aspects of the twin subjects.