The National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement (NACOLE) is a non-profit organization that works to create a community of support for independent, civilian oversight entities that seek to make their local law enforcement agencies, jails, and prisons more transparent, accountable, and responsive to the communities they serve. Established in 1995, NACOLE is incorporated under the laws of the State of Maryland. The organization has an elected board of directors, which is composed of individuals in the field of citizen oversight of law enforcement, jails and prisons. The board manages the organization pursuant to a set of by-laws.

NACOLE is dedicated to promoting greater accountability through the establishment or improvement of citizen oversight agencies by:

• Organizing an annual training conference to increase the knowledge and skills of staff members and volunteers who work in oversight.
• Acting as a resource to jurisdictions considering the creation or enhancement of an oversight entity.
• Identifying effective practices as they emerge from the experiences of members.
• Encouraging networking, communication and information-sharing to counter the isolation inherent in the profession.
• Furnishing information to government officials and community representatives that will support their advocacy of oversight in their states, counties, cities and towns.