By Mariana Veras, Mental Health Program Assistant
Beccaria Portal: Your directory and knowledge network in crime prevention and criminology in Europe and worldwide.
News
Efus calls for the European Union to support local authorities in welcoming and integrating migrants
During its meeting in Reggio Emilia (Italy), the Executive Committee of the European Forum for Urban Security has adopted a resolution calling for the European Union to support local authorities confronted with serious humanitarian crises caused by huge inflows of migrants and to implement a shared responsibility scheme with Member states in order to face these daily tragedies.
Resolution of the Executive Committee,
Reggio Emilia, 18 October 2013
The international Master's program in Criminal Justice, Governance and Police Science is open
The application process for the April 2014 intake: The online-application tool will be open from the 15th of October until the 30th of November 2013
The international Master’s program in Criminal Justice, Governance and Police Science focuses on international security and justice perspectives, raising awareness and facilitating a broader foundation for better decision-making in the future. The Program is a two-year blended-learning course.
International Master's Program in
Criminal Justice, Governance and Police Science
Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB)
Faculty of Law
Department of Criminology,
Criminal Policy and Police Science
Understanding Recurrent Crime as System-Immanent
"Containing the spreading of crime is a major challenge for society. Yet, since thousands of years, no effective strategy has been found to overcome crime. To the contrary, empirical evidence shows that crime is recurrent, a fact that is not captured well by rational choice theories of crime. According to these, strong enough punishment should prevent crime from happening. To gain a better understanding of the relationship between crime and punishment, we consider that the latter requires prior discovery of illicit behavior and study a spatial version of the inspection game. Simulations reveal the spontaneous emergence of cyclic dominance between ‘‘criminals’’, ‘‘inspectors’’, and ‘‘ordinary people’’ as a consequence of spatial interactions. Such cycles dominate the evolutionary process, in particular when the temptation to commit crime or the cost of inspection are low or moderate. Yet, there are also critical parameter values beyond which cycles cease to exist and the population is dominated either by a stable mixture of criminals and inspectors or one of these two strategies alone. Both continuous and discontinuous phase transitions to different final states are possible, indicating that successful strategies to contain crime can be very much counter-intuitive and complex. Our results demonstrate that spatial interactions are crucial for the evolutionary outcome of the inspection game, and they also reveal why criminal behavior is likely to be recurrent rather than evolving towards an equilibrium with monotonous parameter dependencies"
Published: October 4, 2013
Perc M, Donnay K, Helbing D (2013) Understanding Recurrent Crime as System-Immanent Collective Behavior. PLoS ONE 8(10): e76063. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0076063
Report: Under-standing Child Abuse and Neglect
"Each year, child protective services receive reports of child abuse and neglect involving six million children, and many more go unreported. The long-term human and fiscal consequences of child abuse and neglect are not relegated to the victims themselves -- they also impact their families, future relationships, and society. In 1993, the National Research Council (NRC) issued the report, Under-standing Child Abuse and Neglect, which provided an overview of the research on child abuse and neglect. New Directions in Child Abuse and Neglect Research updates the 1993 report and provides new recommendations to respond to this public health challenge".
Authors: Anne Petersen, Joshua Joseph, and Monica Feit, Editors; Committee on Child Maltreatment Research, Policy, and Practice for the Next Decade: Phase II; Board on Children, Youth, and Families (BOCYF); Institute of Medicine (IOM); National Research Council
Firearms in the European Union
Flash Eurobarometer 383
Publication: October 2013
This survey has been requested by the European Commission, Directorate-General for Home Affairs
and co-ordinated by the Directorate-General for Communication.
This document does not represent the point of view of the European Commission.
This summary report looks at the level of firearms ownership among European citizens,
perceptions of firearms-related crime and whether stricter regulation is the most
effective way to address the problem. The role of the EU is also considered, in terms of
whether common European laws might improve the control of firearms, whether the EU
is the institution best placed to address firearms trafficking, and whether the EU should
work with non-Member States to improve firearms control outside the EU.
This survey was carried out by TNS Political & Social network in the 28 Member States of
the European Union between 16 and 18 September 2013. Some 26,555 respondents
from different social and demographic groups were interviewed via telephone (landline
and mobile phone) in their mother tongue on behalf of the European Commission's
Directorate-General for Home Affairs. The methodology used is that of Eurobarometer
surveys as carried out by the Directorate-General for Communication (“Research and
Speechwriting” Unit)
http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/flash/fl_383_sum_en.pdf
The Stockholm Criminology Prize 2014 to Daniel S. Nagin & Joan Petersilia
"Two recipients of the 2014 prize: Daniel S. Nagin and Joan Petersilia.
This award recognizes research that has helped to re-shape the use of prison and community corrections based on evidence of what works – and what doesn’t.
Petersilia’s work on prisoner re-entry helped multiply US investment in supporting ex-offenders during the high-risk period immediately following release from prison, often with no place to live or work.
Nagin’s reviews of evidence for the zero-to-negative effects of prison on those sent to prison helped support the first decline in four decades in the world’s highest incarceration rate, providing a clear rationale to invest more in policing than in imprisonment"
Draft Code of Practice for Victims of Crime
This draft version of the Code has been published in accordance withsection 33 of the Domestic Violence Crime and Victims Act 2004.
"The code sets out what support victims should get from different organisations such as the police and the courts.
Justice Secretary Chris Grayling and Victims Minister Helen Grant heard from victims groups and criminal justice practitioners on how the government can improve the Code and services for victims.
The new Code should give victims clearer information about the support they’re entitled to. It will also set out how services will be tailored to the needs of different victims.
Most thought the new Code was a big improvement, especially a new flow chart explaining the journey through the criminal justice system.
Some suggested that leaflets or summary cards for specific groups, like children or young people, would be easier for victims to read."
They asked whether the entitlements and duties as set out in the revised Code were the right ones. Most were positive that the new Code has been written for victims and that we are targeting resources at the groups most in need:
- victims of the most serious crime
- persistently targeted victims
- vulnerable or intimidated victims.
However, many felt that the way these groups are defined could be clearer. They also said that agencies should flag any victims falling within these groups so they are offered the right level of service.
Strategies in Family Engagement to Support Youth with Behavioral Health Needs: Q&A with Darin Carver of Weber Human Services
October 30, 2013
"Youth reentering the community after contact with the criminal justice system often have significant mental health and substance abuse needs. Unfortunately, many jurisdictions struggle to implement effective reentry services for these young people and their families. The following feature is a Q&A session with Darin Carver, Clinical Practice Administrator at Weber Human Services in Ogden, Utah. Mr. Carver recently participated in a Council of State Governments Justice Center webinar, during which he addressed how community supervision and treatment providers can best support youth with behavioral health needs following release from out-of-home placement. In this Q&A, Mr. Carver discusses the promising practices in his jurisdiction and offers his own perspective on emerging research in juvenile justice." To read the Q&A, click here.
UNODC Executive Director discusses crime prevention, criminal justice, corruption and drug control on official visit to Armenia
23 October 2013 - Yury Fedotov, Executive Director of UNODC, completed an official two-day mission to Armenia with a final round of meetings that included discussions with the President of the Republic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan and the Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan
UNODC Bolivia launches radio drama to prevent human trafficking
18 October 2013 - Every year, Bolivian victims are sold, transported, held, and forced to work against their will. Given this alarming reality, UNODC, in collaboration with the US Embassy in La Paz, PCI Media Impact and the Interchurch Organization for Development Cooperation (ICCO), recently launched a radio drama to help prevent and raise awareness of this problem in the country
6th Milestones in a Global Campaign for Violence Prevention Meeting programme
6th Milestones of a Global Campaign for Violence Prevention
Mexico City, Mexico, 13-14 November 2013
"Towards measurable violence prevention targets”
Download the final 6th Milestones programme
WHO: Violence and Injury Prevention
For a wealth of information on violence prevention, visit the WHO VIP Prevention of Violence web-site:
www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/violence/en/
AIC publication: Oral language competence and restorative justice processes: Refining preparation and the measurement of conference outcomes
Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice no. 463
Hennessey Hayes and Pamela Snow
ISSN 1836-2206
Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, November 2013
"This paper investigates issues around poor language competencies of many juvenile offenders, which can impede their participation in Restorative Justice (RJ) conferences. The paper suggests ways to tackle potential misunderstanding for both the offenders, and the victims.
It raises questions about the need to refine preparatory work with young offenders and victims, to better understand young offenders’ capacities to effectively communicate in conference processes. The authors suggest that improved preparation (where language impairments in young offenders are identified and addressed) will lead to better outcomes for young offenders and victims."
Pursuing Quality in Drug Prevention
"The European Drug Prevention Quality Standards Project (EDPQS), led by the Centre for Public Health at Liverpool John Moores University and funded by the European Commission, is now in its second phase of work and provides the first European framework for high quality drug prevention. Working in close co-operation with the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) the aim of this work is to provide guidance and support to those working in the European drug prevention community and to promote awareness and application of high quality policy and practice. Phase I of this work was completed in 2010 under the project name 'European standards in evidence for drug prevention'. The resulting Prevention Standards were published by the EMCDDA in 2011. The focus of the current phase of work is to translate the research which organised the Standards in an eight-stage project cycle, to outline the necessary steps in planning, implementing and evaluating drug prevention activities to the stage where they are accessible and used by different prevention providers. Toolkits will be developed for prevention commissioners as well as for practitioners to help practical implementation of the Standards to inform policy, funding and practice."
2014 Summer Workshop: Local Justice, Global Standards and Critical Contemporary Challenges
Date and Location
11-19 July, 2014
The Hague Institute for Global Justice
The Hague, The Netherlands
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About the ACUNS-ASIL Summer Workshop Program
The ACUNS-ASIL Summer Workshop is an annual program intended to bring together emerging scholars and practitioners who are at a relatively early stage in their careers. The purposes of the workshop are, first, to encourage new directions and new ideas in the analysis of international organizations; second, to establish and strengthen contacts between international relations scholars and the United Nations practitioners; and third, to stimulate advanced research and teaching in the specific workshop subject matter. Participants will prepare and present individual research papers, actively discuss others’ research presentations, and engage in meetings, guest lectures, and site visits in The Hague. Participants in the workshop will gain scholarly and practice-based knowledge and applied skills in the analysis of a number of issue areas related to the workshop theme.
Program Theme and Policy Relevance
For 2014, the ACUNS-ASIL Summer Workshop on International Organization Studies (SWIOS ’14) engages with the subject of “Local Justice, Global Standards and Critical Contemporary Challenges”.
Industry Engagement Evening for UCL SECReT - the UCL Security Science Doctoral Research Training Centre
Date & Time: 6pm-8pm, Tuesday 3rd December 2013
Venue: Woburn House, 20 Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9HQ
This event is designed to create mutually beneficial interactions between industry / public-sector organisations and the students of UCL SECReT. Organisations can gain by accessing some of the brightest minds in the UK to work on real-world research problems central to their own agendas, whilst students benefit from mentorship, access to data, facilities and practitioner expertise. (The evening includes a briefing for current and prospective partners of the aims, structure and focus of the centre.The event IS INTENDED FOR CURRENT AND POTENTIAL PARTNERS of the SECReT programme.)
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/secret/SECReT-industry-engagement/ie-2013
A Community Court Grows in Brooklyn: A Comprehensive Evaluation of the Red Hook Community Justice Center (Full Report)
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New Study: Justice Center Helps Reduce Crime and Incarceration in Brooklyn |
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The pioneering Red Hook Community Justice Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., has reduced re-offending, saved money, and decreased the use of jail, according to a new study by the National Center for State Courts. The report, which was commissioned by the National Institute of Justice, documents that the Justice Center's emphasis on alternatives to incarceration has lowered recidivism among misdemeanor offenders. "The Red Hook Community Justice Center is an important part of the city's successful efforts to reduce crime and, at the same time, reduce incarceration," said New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. "These findings validate the New York State Court System's longstanding commitment to the Red Hook Community Justice Center and the community court model," said New York State Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman. "The Red Hook Justice Center is not only helping prevent crime and improving the quality of life in Brooklyn – it's showing other jurisdictions how to do it." Key findings from the evaluation include:
Increased Use of Alternative Sanctions
Reduced Use of Jail
Reduced Recidivism
Impact on Local Crime The full report.
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Second Chance Reauthorization Act Introduced—CSG Justice Center Releases Publication
"At the Second Chance Act Reauthorization event, the Council of State Governments Justice Center released Reentry Matters: Strategies and Successes of Second Chance Act Grantees Across the United States (Reentry Matters). The publication features snapshots of grant programs around the country that illustrate the positive impact these initiatives can have on successful reentry into the community by focusing on employment, education, mentoring, and substance abuse and mental health treatment. It also highlights programs that address the needs of specific populations, such as women, youth and their families, and tribal communities. Representing a wide range of populations served, these programs also demonstrate the diversity of approaches that can address recidivism and increase public safety."
To watch a video of the Second Chance Act Reauthorization event, or to download a copy of Reentry Matters, click here.
AIC publication: Bail and remand for young people in Australia: A national research project
Research and Public Policy Series no.125
Kelly Richards and Lauren Renshaw
ISBN 978 1 922009 49 4ISSN 1836-2079
Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, November 2013"Abstract | Funded and endorsed by the Australasian Juvenile Justice Administrators, this is one of the first national scale research reports into the bail and remand practices for young Australians. A young person can be placed in custody on remand (ie refused bail) after being arrested by police in relation to a suspected criminal offence, before entering a plea, while awaiting trial, during trial or awaiting sentence.
Although custodial remand plays an important role in Western criminal justice systems, minimising the unnecessary use of remand is important given the obligations Australia has under several UN instruments to use, as a last resort, youth detention of any kind. This research identifies trends in the use of custodial remand and explores the factors that influence its use for young people nationally and in each of Australia’s jurisdictions".
http://www.aic.gov.au/media_library/publications/rpp/125/rpp125.pdf
2013 Australian Crime & Violence Prevention Awards
Winning projects 2013
Announced by The Hon Michael Keenan MP, Minister for Justice
Tuesday 19 November 2013.
“These awards highlight both the dedication of the Australian community and police services in preventing crime and violence, and demonstrate some truly creative approaches by communities in achieving their aims,” Mr Keenan said.
The full table of both National, and state and territory award winners is available here.
Transforming rehabilitation
"The rehabilitation programme will transform the way we manage offenders in the community to achieve a reduction in the rate of re-offending whilst continuing to protect the public.
The Ministry of Justice has published “Transforming Rehabilitation: A Strategy for Reform” – the Government’s response to the consultation document “Transforming Rehabilitation: a revolution in the way we manage offenders”. The strategy sets out the Government’s plans for transform the way in which offenders are managed in the community in order to bring down reoffending rates."
The Offender Rehabilitation Bill
The Bill makes changes to the sentencing and release framework to extend supervision after release to offenders serving short sentences. It also creates greater flexibility in the delivery of sentences served in the community.
The Bill and explanatory notes can be downloaded from the UK Parliament website.
Supporting documentation including the impact assessment for the Bill is on the gov.uk website.
International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women
"The Secretary General's Campaign UNITE to End Violence Against Women has proclaimed the 25th of each month Orange Day. Among other actions, the Orange Day invites us to wear something orange to highlight its calls for the eradication of violence against women without reservation, equivocation or delay. This year, the UNITE Campaign is extending Orange Day to 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, starting November 25, International Day to End Violence Against Women, through December 10, Human Rights Day. The date of November 25 was chosen to commemorate the Mirabal sisters, three political activists Dominican ruler Rafael Trujillo (1930-1961) ordered brutally assassinate in 1960."
Youth Gang Prevention Fund Projects (2007 – 2012): What did we learn about what works in preventing gang involvement?
"Public Safety Canada's National Crime Prevention Centre (NCPC) has a mandate to help prevent crime in local communities by generating, disseminating and fostering the use of evidence-based knowledge of ‘what works’ in crime prevention. This practical knowledge of effective practices assists policy makers, program developers and practitioners make the best use of limited resources. Between 2007 and 2012, the NCPC provided funding to community-based organizations for 17 youth gang intervention projects in communities across Canada through its Youth Gang Prevention Fund (YGPF). These projects aimed to reduce the number of gang-involved youth in communities with a known or emerging gang problem. To determine what works in gang crime prevention, 14 impact evaluation studies of gang projects were conducted across Canada. Evaluation research of crime prevention programs is one of the key activities conducted to generate this knowledge. Given that resources are limited and communities require the most effective programs to reduce offending among at risk children and youth, it is important to rigorously establish what works in crime prevention.
This paper provides a context for NCPC's work on youth gangs, describes the funded projects and the approach to conducting the evaluation studies, key findings, and some conclusions for moving forward."
http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/yth-gng-prvntn-fnd/index-eng.aspx
Drug use survey 2014: tell us what you take
For the third year running, the Guardian is teaming up with addiction specialists, media organisations and academics to help conduct the world's biggest drug survey. Here's how you can take part and what they've found in the past
http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2013/nov/19/drug-use-survey-2014-tell-us-what-you-take
You can find out more about the survey's findings so far at www.globaldrugsurvey.com/GDS2014
What Works in Reentry Clearinghouse Update – New Content on the Effectiveness of Employment and Education Programs
Council of State Governments Justice Center, November 18, 2013
by Henry Rosen, Policy Analyst, CSG Justice Center; Hannah Dodd, Research Associate II, Urban Institute; Nancy La Vigne, Director, Justice Policy Institute, Urban Institute
"The What Works in Reentry Clearinghouse (the Clearinghouse) now includes new and updated research findings on the role of employment and education programs in improving reentry outcomes. Having a job is often cited by those exiting incarceration as a key component to a successful transition back into the community.Research supports this notion, indicating that having a job reduces the odds of reoffending. However, the latest findings, now available on the Clearinghouse, suggest that the relationship between employment programs and reentry success is complex." to read more, click here.
Results from the Stop Now And Plan (SNAP®) Program
Stop Now And Plan (SNAP®) is a Canadian, community-based program for children (under the age of 12) who display early signs of anti-social or aggressive behaviour and have come into contact or are at risk of coming into contact with the criminal justice system.
The SNAP® model is based on a comprehensive framework for effectively teaching children with serious behavioural problems, emotional regulation, self-control and problem-solving skills. Children learn how to stop and think in order to find solutions to resolve their problems.
http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/stp-nw-pln-prgrm/index.aspx
IHRN Training Programme - Justice Sector Reform: Applying Human Rights Based Approaches
Dates:Monday 16th to Friday 20th June 2014
Venue:National University of Ireland, Maynooth, Ireland
This annual IHRN training programme aims at enhancing the skills of justice sector personnel, consultants, managers etc., in applying Human Rights Based Approaches to Justice Sector Reform. The programme is designed for people working in the justice sector (with state or non-state institutions) or undertaking Rule of law/Governance assignments (e.g. UN, EC Framework Contract Lot 7 - Governance and Home Affairs) as well as justice sector personnel wishing to adapt their expertise for international consultancy work.
Knowledge and skills enhanced include:
• The legal principles, policies & practice underpinning human rights based
approaches to justice sector reform
• The inter-linkages between justice sector roles (law enforcement, judiciary,
corrections/rehabilitation, etc.)
• The relationship between the justice sector and related terms; 'security
sector', 'rule of law', 'good governance'
• Human Rights Based needs assessment, programme design, implementation,
as well as monitoring & evaluation
• Programming tools & checklists (including benchmarks & indicators of human
rights change)
• Case studies from national contexts as well as international field missions
(including conflict and post-conflict)
• Teamwork, advocacy, strategic partnerships and consulting opportunities
http://www.ihrnetwork.org/justice-sector-reform_202.htm
New Report into the Methods and Motivations of Australian Human Traffickers
Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice no. 464
Frances Simmons, Brynn O’Brien, Fiona David and Laura Beacroft
ISSN 1836-2206
Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, November 2013
"There is a lack of international and Australian research about offenders who have been convicted of human trafficking, slavery and slave-like practices. In Australia, 15 offenders have been convicted of such crimes. The publicly available court judgments about these offenders contain invaluable information about the characteristics and motivations of offenders, the intersection of trafficking offending with other forms of criminality and the common methods offenders use to control and exploit their victims. By analysing these cases, this paper provides an accessible and timely assessment of offenders who commit human trafficking, slavery and slave-like crimes in Australia. This paper is part of a wider program of research undertaken by the AIC on this type of crime in Australia and the Asia–Pacific region, which is funded by the Australian Government as part of its national Action Plan to Eradicate Trafficking in Persons."
Webinars related to "Gun Violence, Disability and Recovery"
Wednesday 18th December at 10:00am (GMT)
hosted by: Damien Williams, School of Medicine, University of St. Andrews.
led by: Cate Buchanan, Director, Surviving Gun Violence Project and editor and contributor to the book; providing an overview of the policy and research recommendations.
and responded to by: Thilo Kroll, Social Dimensions of Health Institute and contributor to the chapter in the book on “Rehabilitation and Recovery”.
The book contains stories and reflections from over 35 survivors of gun violence from all over the world including Albania, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Norway, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Uganda and the USA.
With a mixture of thematic chapters (victims’ rights and international standards, traumatic injuries, rehabilitation, social protection) and country studies (Somalia, Sth Africa, Canada, India, Guatemala and shorter pieces on Haiti, El Salvador, Norway, Guyana) and much more.
Contributions from some 45 practitioners and professionals—physiotherapists, trauma surgeons, disability rights activists, nurses, gender specialists, violence reduction practitioners, aid workers, lawyers, victims’ rights advocates, psychologists, sociologists, social workers, criminologists, economists, social protection experts, and community workers.
Peer reviews from over 65 individuals from a variety of disciplines, and including survivors, are also reflected in the book. Supported by the Government of Norway.
If you would like to join this webinar, please contact:
Dr. Fred Comerford (fac1@st-andrews.ac.uk) or Rosanne Bell (r.c.bell@dundee.ac.uk)
