UNODC, in cooperation with the Government of Niger, discussed international cooperation against trafficking of cocaine and the smuggling of migrants in the region. The issue is of particular concern in Niger, as Agadez, a northern city in the country, is a transit hub for smugglers and migrants through the Sahara on route to Libya and beyond. Participants discussed and identified approaches to address transnational organized crime and cocaine trafficking.

UNODC: #ADeadlyBusiness: regional conference adopts UNODC's campaign against smuggling of migrants

#ADeadlyBusiness, a UNODC campaign to prevent and combat migrant smuggling, was adopted recently by eleven countries in the Americas as a regional communication initiative within the framework of the XX Regional Conference on Migration (RCM). UNODC's Office in Mexico originally developed #ADeadlyBusiness and it was in that country where the campaign was endorsed for the first time. [

UNODC: Bolstering anti-corruption and independence among the judiciary: the Global Judicial Integrity Network

In preparation of the launch of the Global Judicial Integrity Network in 2017, a two-day meeting was held in Bangkok bringing together senior members of the judiciary from across the Pacific, South Asia and Southeast Asia. Once live, the Network will connect judges to support each other in upholding judicial integrity and prevent corruption within the justice system. In doing so, it will create the first ever global platform dedicated exclusively to this issue. [

Prosecutors and legal experts from Africa's Great Lakes region lay the foundation for a regional judicial cooperation network

The International Conference on the Great Lakes Region and the Office of the United Nations Special Envoy for the Great Lakes seek to follow up on existing recommendations made to facilitate the administration of justice through judicial cooperation in the Great Lakes region. A two-day meeting was organized in Nairobi to lay the foundation for a Great Lakes Regional Judicial Cooperation Network comprising the 12 member states of the ICGLR.

First forensic science laboratory opens in Ramallah with UNODC support

The Palestinian Civil Police Forensic Science Laboratory, established with the assistance of UNODC, was officially inaugurated in Ramallah recently. The laboratory provides much needed assistance to the Palestinian criminal justice system. The new facility was inaugurated by David Johnston, Governor General of Canada and by Major General Hazem Atallah, Chief of the Palestinian Civil Police in representation of the Palestinian President.

UNODC: Indian Ocean: "Colombo Declaration" adopted to coordinate anti-drugs efforts

Recently, UNODC and the Government of Sri Lanka co-hosted a meeting to address drug trafficking in the Indian Ocean Region. At the high-level meeting, Ministers and Government Representatives adopted the "Colombo Declaration," which gives way to the forthcoming Southern Route Partnership as the main coordination mechanism for counter narcotics initiatives in this region.

Cops, Trump and the Threat to Police Reform

By Joe Domanick | November 21, 2016 In 2014, President Barack Obama responded to nationwide demonstrations protesting deadly police violence by commissioning a study on police reform. In May 2015, the 11-member “Task Force on 21st Century Policing” reported back with a series of six good, detailed policing policies and guidelines aimed at easing the sizzling tension between the police and poor communities of color. Chief among its recommendations was one focused on seriously building neighborhood trust and support through best-practices community policing. Another called for creating “de-escalation strategies” to decrease confrontations, police violence and officer-involved shootings. While some leading police managers welcomed the recommendations, they were not well received by the vast majority of America’s police departments. That’s is unfortunate, because it’s clear now that the massive 2014 protests against deadly police violence were only a prelude to worse to come. We saw that this summer with the assassinations of eight police officers (and the wounding of ten others) by an African-American sniper in Dallas—followed 10 days later by the killing of three Baton Rouge cops and the wounding of three others by a second black sniper. Both assassins were reportedly retaliating for police-killings of unarmed black men. In the aftermath of one of the most contentious and divisive presidential elections in our nation’s modern history, the momentum begun by the Task Force recommendations is now in doubt—even as it has become crystal clear that what’s now required is a fundamental transformation of the oppressive policing that’s been the profession’s modus operandi over the past 30 years, together with an equally fundamental re-imagining of its mission, officer-selection criteria and training. In many ways, Donald Trump’s election is about turning back the clock, and it appears likely his administration might kill off many justice reform efforts nationwide.

THE KNOWLEDGE FACTOR. Refugees in Central and Eastern Europe, 1912-2001

ANNUAL CONVENTION of the Leibniz Graduate School History, Knowledge, Media in East Central Europe, December 8-9, 2016 Venue: The Herder Institute for Historical Research on East Central Europe – Institute of the Leibniz Association Gisonenweg 5-7, 35037 Marburg Vortragssaal Organizers: Victoria Harms, Herder Institute Jan Surman, Herder Institute In arguments about the current refugee crisis, East European heads of state have repeatedly claimed that their countries have never been perceived as desirable destinations; therefore, they shall never be such. We would like to take the occasion to investigate this claim. “The Knowledge Factor” offers an opportunity to discuss the history of refugees in, not from, Eastern Europe and the role knowledge inherent to or associated with refugees has played in the interaction with host societies. The focus lies on the twentieth century from the Balkan Wars of 1912 until its ultimate end in 2001.

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The Council of State Governments Justice Center: U.S. Senate Approves 21st Century Cures Act

December 7, 2016 By CSG Justice Center Staff Five key impacts of the bill

The Council of State Governments Justice Center: Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health

November 30, 2016 Surgeon GeneralThis publication reviews available knowledge about substance use in the U.S and how to reduce its related consequences. The last chapter of the report presents a vision for the future, five general messages and their implications for policy and practice, and recommendations for specific stakeholder groups. Supplementary materials are available that outline the report’s key messages and highlight its findings and recommendations for specific audiences.

EFUS: Preventing and Countering Discriminatory Violence at the Local Level

European seminar 2-3 March 2017, Vienna

According to recent reports by European institutions and civil society organisations, incidents motivated by hate and intolerance are increasing in number and intensity in many EU member states. While this is a trans-national phenomenon, responses must be found at all levels of governance. Local authorities can play a particularly important role in terms of prevention and awareness-raising and contribute to creating a climate where discrimination, hate speech and violence are not acceptable. To discuss this pressing topic, Efus invites you to a public European seminar on countering discriminatory violence and hate crime at the local level. Representatives of local authorities, European institutions, civil society organisations and other experts will discuss local approaches and strategies to counter hate and intolerance and exchange examples of best practices. The seminar includes presentations by well known experts who work on anti-discrimination and hate crime, panel-discussions with representatives from European institutions, workshops on best practices by local practitioners, and field visits of some of the front line projects currently underway in Vienna to prevent hate crime

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What Works in Crime Reduction Conference

A free-to-attend one-day conference for academics, police, practitioners, and all those with an interest in the reduction of crime. When: 24th January 2017 Where: British Library, London This conference marks the end of a three year funded research programme supported by the ESRC and UK College of Policing to support the What Works Centre for Crime Reduction. The conference will highlight outputs from our research which: • assessed the quality of the existing crime reduction evidence base • carried out new reviews of the evidence base on topics ranging from domestic violence and youth knife crime to electronic tagging and organised crime • created the Crime Reduction Toolkit which now showcases over 40 interventions allowing users to weigh up evidence on the impact, cost and implementation of different interventions • produced guidance for practitioners on how to undertake cost analysis of interventions • developed a training programme for police and practitioners to equip them with the capability to understand, critique and make effective use of evidence. • carried out primary research on topics such as domestic violence, safer smart cities, the use of crime prevention messaging and the prevention of violent extremism Key speakers include: Alex Marshall, CEO of the College of Policing; David Halpern, National Adviser on What Works, Cabinet Office; Professor Malcolm Sparrow, Harvard; Sara Thornton, Head of the National Police Chiefs' Council; Professor Mike Kelly, Cambridge University; Phil Sooben, Deputy Chief Executive and Director for Policy and Research, ESRC. The future of the ‘what works’ enterprise as far as crime reduction is concerned, will be discussed in an important final panel session chaired by Professor Dame Shirley Pearce, former Chair of the College of Policing Board.

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Sexual Violence Research Initiative : Innovations to Prevent Gender Based Violence

The World Bank Group and the Sexual Violence Research Initiative awarded a total of $1.2 million to nine research teams from around the world, in recognition of their innovations to prevent gender-based violence.

The Council of State Governments Justice Center:President Obama Signs 21st Century Cures Act

President Barack Obama signed the 21st Century Cures Act today after it passed the House and Senate with bipartisan support, signaling an effort to address the nation’s challenges with mental health in the criminal justice system, among other medical priorities. The $6 billion public health and medical research bill is an umbrella for a variety of health initiatives—from authorizing money to combat the nation’s opioid crisis to funding the “moonshot” project to cure cancer. Included in the omnibus bill’s range of initiatives are several criminal justice reform measures related to mental health, including the enactment of the Comprehensive Justice and Mental Health Act (CJMHA) and the reauthorization of the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act (MIOTCRA).

European Crime Prevention Award (ECPA): the winner is ... Czech Republic

On 15 December 2016 this year’s European Crime Prevention Award (ECPA) was awarded during the Best Practice Conference (BPC) in Bratislava, Slovakia. It was again a great success since 19 countries participated with their best national crime prevention projects, focusing on the theme ‘Organised crime targeting elderly people’. The winner received a check of 10 000 euro, while two other projects were also awarded with an honourable mention and a check of 5 000 euro each.

Publication: Women and Violent Radicalization

Centre for Prevention of Radicalization Leading to Violence (CPRLV) Research Report: Women and Violent Radicalization Women are victims of all forms of violent radicalism, but can also be participants or active accomplices of violence in the name of an ideology, cause or political project.

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United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC): Handbook on the Management of Violent Extremist Prisoners and the the Prevention of Radicalization

This Handbook was written for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) This Handbook is one of a series of tools developed by UNODC to support Member States in the implementation of the rule of law and the development of criminal justice reform. It is designed to be used by prison managers and prison staff, in particular, but will also be relevant for other actors involved in the criminal justice system, such as policymakers, legislators and members of non-governmental organizations. It can be used in a variety of contexts, both as a reference document and as the basis for staff training. While some elements of the Handbook may not be achievable immediately in some jurisdictions, particularly in postconflict situations, the Handbook provides national authorities with guidelines for the development of policies and protocols that meet international standards and good practice. This Handbook constitutes the first technical guidance tool to addresses the manifestation of radicalization to violence and violent extremism in prison settings at the level of the United Nations. It provides practical guidance on: • The management of violent extremist prisoners (prisoners who have embraced violent extremism) • Preventing the progression to violent extremism in prisons (prisoners who may be vulnerable to radicalization to violence) • Interventions aimed at disengaging violent extremist prisoners from violence and at facilitating their social reintegration upon release. Within these parts, the Handbook covers key prison management policies and mechanisms, such as the need for: overall prison conditions to be in line with international minimum standards; effective assessment and classification systems; physical, procedural and dynamic security; professional prison staff training; fair, humane and non-discriminatory treatment; preventing corruption; various categories of disengagement interventions involving experts from different disciplines; and social reintegration and post-release support. Overall, the Handbook advocates an approach aimed at strengthening these key components of prison management. Not only is such an approach explicitly called for in the international good practice documents, it also provides value by creating sustainable benefits for the entire prison system.

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Workshop “Brexit and the Future of European Criminal Law“

Marburg ׀ 17th January 2017 Technologie- & Tagungszentrum Marburg, Software Center 3, 35037 Marburg Room Pascal I After the Brexit-vote, the relationship between the European Union and the United Kingdom must be radically redefined. This holds also true for the broad field of (European) Criminal Law. What will be the legal and practical effects of the Brexit on EU-derived criminal laws? Will, can and should the United Kingdom continue to participate in the European system of police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters? How will the Brexit impact on European Institutions like Europol and Eurojust? This international workshop does not pretend to give definitive answer to these questions. It shall just bring some scholars and students from various countries together for a kind of brainstorming exercise, hoping for a fruitful dialectical exchange which might produce some ideas on a possible future after Brexit.

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Terrorism in Perspective: A Review for the Next American President

Richard A. Clarke and Emilian Papadopulus Eight years ago, as Senators Barack Obama and John McCain prepared for their campaigns against each other and for the American presidency, The ANNALS commissioned us to prepare the volume, “Terrorism: What the Next

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City Health International - “The prison system in England and Wales is in meltdown”

Prisons in England and Wales have some way to go before they rival the horrors of the tsarist and Stalinist gulags. But the system – beset with the chronic under-staffing of prison officers, spiralling violence, drug abuse, over-crowding, self-harming, suicides and high-profile prisoner escapes, amongst a host of problems – is facing what could be termed an existential crisis. “The prison system in England and Wales is in meltdown,” [...]

Spotlight on Young The Council of State Governments Justice Center:Adults in the Justice System: Emerging Approaches to a Population in Flux

December 20, 2016 By Emily Morgan and Katy Albis, CSG Justice Center Staff In 2012, young adults—people between the ages of 18 and 24—accounted for just 10 percent of the U.S. population but nearly 30 percent of people arrested and 21 percent of all people admitted to adult state and federal prisons. In that same year, 18- to 20-year-olds accounted for approximately 20 percent of people in juvenile residential facilities; of those, 40 percent were black, according to data from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

The Council of State Governments Justice Center:Working with Victims of Crime: An Integrated Approach for Community Supervision Professionals

November 1, 2016 "This guide from the National Institute of Corrections provides a comprehensive overview of available information on victims’ rights and services. It is informed by the foundational work of many advocates, academics, and community corrections professionals. The guide is intended to develop knowledge and expertise in working with victims, advocates, and related service providers within the boundaries of the role of probation and parole officer (PPO); inform professional development and staff training; build capacity of PPO supervisors to coach and guide decision making related to victims’ rights and needs; and support presentations to other criminal justice system professionals about the intersection of PPO roles and victims’ rights and needs."

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CEP: experts seminar on the implementation of the Victims’ Directive

On 23 February 2017 the partners of the Criminal Justice Platform, EuroPris, EFRJ and CEP, organine an experts seminar on the implementation of the Victims’ Directive Brussels (10-16 hr). REGISTRATION The seminar is open to about 40 experts. Participation will be free of charge: registrations will open half January. PROGRAMME The common theme, bringing together the Victims’ Directive and the interests of different organisations working in the criminal justice field, is ‘Training of professionals and cooperation in the framework of Art 25 and 26 of the Victims’ Directive‘. The seminar will include plenary speeches in the morning (by representatives of the European Commission, Victim Support Europe, the EFRJ, Europris and the Confederation of European Probation) and thematic workshops in the afternoon. During the day there will be two sessions with parallel workshops that present and discuss the status of the implementation of the Victims Directive one year after the implementation of the Directive in Prison, Probation and Victims Services. The workshops will consist of short (15 minutes) presentations in combination with a moderated discussion with the participants. Topics of the workshop would focus on Art. 25 and 26, respectively on training of professionals and lay people and cooperation between services in order to provide better support and protection to victims of crime across Europe, such as: • Training of prison staff on victims awareness • Cooperation with Restorative Justice Service providers • Cooperation between prison, probation and/or victims / RJ organisations • How is the Directive implemented in the Prison Service? • What impact had the Directive on the work in Prison Services and the awareness of staff on victims issues?

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European Commission: Autumn 2016 Standard Eurobarometer: Immigration and terrorism continue to be seen as the most important issues facing the EU

Press release

Brussels, 22 December 2016

Europeans continue to see immigration and terrorism as the major challenges facing the EU at the moment, and they strongly support the political priorities of the European Commission. Immigration and terrorism continue to be seen as the most important issues facing the EU, albeit at a slightly lower level than at the last survey in spring 2016. Support for the European Union's priorities and policies remains strong, and has increased since spring 2016. These are two key results of the latest Standard Eurobarometer survey published today, together with the Special Eurobarometer survey “Future of Europe”. Immigration and terrorism are seen as the major challenges facing the EU: Asked about their main concerns, immigration remains on top of the issues facing the EU most frequently cited by citizens (45%,-3 percentage points since spring 2016). Terrorism (32%,-7) remains the second most frequently cited item. It is well ahead of the economic situation (20%,+1), the state of Member States' public finances (17%, +1) and unemployment (16%,+1). Immigration is number one concern for the EU in all Member States, except Spain and Portugal. At national level, the main concerns are unemployment (31%,-2) and immigration (26%,-2). The economic situation is in third place (19%, unchanged). Support for European Commission's political priorities: Compared to the previous survey of spring 2016, support for the priority topics set by the European Commission has increased further. - Regarding the issue of migration, 69% of Europeans say they are in favour of a common European policy on migration and 61% are positive about migration of people from other EU Member States. However, 56% are negative about immigration of people from outside the EU. - 81% of Europeans are in favour of the "free movement of EU citizens who can live, work, study and do business anywhere in the EU". Majorities of respondents support free movement in all countries. - Support for the euro is slightly increasing (58% in the EU overall, 70% in the euro area). - On investment within the EU, 56% of Europeans agree that public money should be used to stimulate private sector investment at EU level. Trust in the EU is higher than trust in national governments; EU citizenship stands firm Continuing the positive trend seen in the spring 2016 survey, trust in the EU has increased to 36% (up from 33%). Trust in national parliaments and governments has also increased but remains below trust in the EU. 38% of Europeans have a neutral image of the EU, a proportion that has remained unchanged since spring 2015. At 35%, the positive image of the EU has gained some ground, while the negative image has declined (25%). Four in ten Europeans consider that their voice counts in the EU, just below the peak of 42% recorded in spring 2014 and spring 2015. 67% of Europeans feel they are citizens of the EU. Awareness of the Erasmus programme has risen considerably since 2009: more than half of Europeans have now heard of it. Moreover, a very large majority of 86% of Europeans have a positive image of this programme. Though awareness varies greatly between countries, Erasmus is seen in a positive light by large majorities of the population in all Member States. The Treaty of Rome is seen as a positive event in the history of Europe by 69% of Europeans. This view is shared by majorities in all Member States. Future of Europe survey: two thirds of Europeans see the EU as a place of stability in a troubled world. 66% of Europeans agree that the EU is a place of stability in a troubled world. A majority of respondents in all Member States share this view. 60% of Europeans think that the European project offers a future perspective for Europe's youth. 82% of Europeans agree that free-market economy should go hand-in-hand with a high level of social protection. More than six in ten Europeans think that there should be more European-level decision-making in a range of areas. Eight in ten say that this should be the case regarding “fighting terrorism” and “promoting democracy and peace” (both 80%); more than seven in ten think the same for “protecting the environment” (77%), “promoting the equal treatment of men and women” (73%) as well as for “dealing with migration issues from outside the EU” (71%).

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CEP: Probation officers are key actors in reforming pre-trial detention and ensuring effective cross-border justice in the EU

Probation officers have a key role to play in fighting excessive and unlawful pre-trial detention and EU common standards could help them to do just that.Pre-trial detention is an exceptional deprivation of liberty against a person who is presumed innocent. As such, it is meant to be used only as a measure of last resort. Its impact on a person’s life can be devastating and can lead to serious violations of human rights, including the right to liberty, the right to family life, and the very right to a fair trial. By Gianluca Cesaro 

Costs of Crime and Criminal Justice Responses

Now available on Public Safety Canada’s website This report presents a global, comprehensive literature review on the costs of crime and criminal justice responses for the purpose of examining their comparative burdens to society. Research Summary: Costs of Crime and Criminal Justice Responses Homicides, on average, cost society between $4.8 and $5.9 million per incident. PDF (106 KB) Background A recent report by the Office of the Auditor General of Canada indicates that about half of all federal institutions are running above their rated capacities (Office of the Auditor General of Canada, 2014). In addition, the average cost of housing inmates is just under $118,000, an increase of 46 percent between 2002 and 2012. These figures, combined with a 66 percent increase in total criminal justice system expenditures (from $13.4 billion to $20.3 billion) over the same period, have created concerns about the sustainability of justice system programs and services (Story & Yalkin, 2013). The costs of crime fall into four broad categories: (1) victim costs, that is, the direct economic losses to crime victims, including property loss and damage, lost wages, and medical costs related to injuries; (2) criminal justice system expenditures for law enforcement, the courts, and correctional facilities, programs, and services; (3) opportunity costs incurred when an individual chooses to participate in illegal activities as opposed to the legitimate marketplace; and (4) intangible costs, which include pain and suffering of crime victims and a diminished quality of life. Although there is a growing body of international literature on the costs of crimes and responses to crime, little has been done to synthesize this literature. The principal aim of this study was to conduct a comprehensive review of international research on the costs of crime and of justice system responses.

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