Showing papers in "European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research in 2005"

Pretend It Doesn'T Work: The ‘Anti-Social’ Bias In The Maryland Scientific Methods Scale

Abstract: The social constructs and methodological principles embodied in the Maryland Scientific Methods Scale (SMS), comprising part of the Campbell Collaboration in Crime and Justice assessment protocol, induce a series of biases in the evaluation of evidence of crime prevention policy interventions that focus on collective social phenomena, such as communities. Applying these principles leads to negative conclusions about effectiveness; yet their inherent ‘anti-social’ bias may induce Type II error with regard to the desirability of ‘social’ interventions to reduce crime. Policy-making is poorly served as a result. This point is illustrated, first, through a scrutiny of the social constructs used, including those that typify treatments, institutional settings and units of analysis. These are seen as being constructed in a way that is congenial to the underlying methodological issue of ‘control’ but that constitute nevertheless a distorted definition of the governance issues involved in crime reduction in community settings. A model more appropriate for evaluating voluntaristic action in civil society is needed. Second, it is suggested that this methodological bias arises particularly in policy interventions and change programmes that address issues concerning the ‘collective efficacy’ of local communities in reducing crime. An empirical exemplification of these arguments is presented with reference to a completed evaluation research study (Foster and Hope, 1993).

Border Enforcement, Organized Crime, and Deaths of Smuggled Migrants on the United States – Mexico Border

Abstract: In response to ever increasing numbers of illegal immigrants entering the United States from Mexico, the United States adopted a border enforcement strategy in the 1990s that sought to bring the problem under control. This strategy relied primarily on increasing the number of Border Patrol agents directly on the border, the erection of walls at heavy traffic areas, and insertion of electronic surveillance systems. While these efforts succeeded in making it more difficult for illegal migrants to gain entry into the United States undetected, it also resulted in an increased reliance on human smugglers. Thus, the nature of the problem has shifted from one of illegal immigration to one of human smuggling. In an effort to gain entry successfully, smugglers have continued to lead migrants through hazardous terrain along the border where surveillance is less intense. Anecdotal evidence is presented which suggests that smugglers' drive for profit often results in the abandonment and death of migrants. Implications for future border policing strategy and research are discussed.

Trends and Developments in Program Evaluation in General and Criminal Justice Programs in Particular

Abstract: The paper first describes general trends in evaluation in (mainly) western societies. Why is evaluation growing, what are the characteristics of this ‘growth industry’ and what developments are occurring outside western societies? Trends in the evaluation of criminal justice programs in the USA, the UK and the Netherlands are then discussed. Two important developments are therafter highlighted: experimental evaluations and theory-driven evaluations. Both approaches are discussed, and some pros and cons are listed. Finally, the paper outlines some challenges for future work in the evaluation of criminal justice programs, stressing the importance of combining good designs with both program and social science theories.

Evidence-Based Approaches to Crime Prevention in Developing Countries

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to review the present state of the evidence base on the effectiveness of crime prevention programmes and practices in developing countries and to consider the prospects for its improvement. The paper summarises the findings from a scoping review of the literature and develops some suggestions about how the void it finds might be filled. A key focus is on the quality of the methodology used in the research from which the findings are drawn. Against this background the paper considers the degree to which findings about effectiveness, even where they are derived from high quality research on the impact of a criminal justice intervention, are likely to be generalisable from the location of an experiment or pilot to other settings or countries. Building an evidence based on the effectiveness of crime prevention or crime reduction interventions for developing countries would clearly be a major task. Many kinds of political, social, economic and other forces, which vary from country to country, may mediate the impact of criminal justice interventions. The result may be that what works well in one country may not work at all well elsewhere for all kinds of reasons. The principal challenge in creating an evidence base is to develop inclusion criteria when making cross-country comparisons that strike an appropriate balance between the costs and benefits of greater methodological rigour and generalisation.

Victim Policy Transfer: Learning From Each Other

Abstract: This paper looks at the recent introduction of victim impact statements in several European countries. It asks whether victim impact statements are a positive addition to victim policy and practice in Europe and examines the challenges of adapting to the civil legal tradition a tool that was developed in a common law country.

Criminal Justice Policy Transfer To Post-Soviet States: Two Case Studies Of Police Reform In Russia And Ukraine

Abstract: The aim of this article is to review the impact of two British research projects on the policies and practices of local police forces in two former Soviet states: Russia and Ukraine. Using a case study approach, the article explores the ways in which the political, cultural and ideological context within which the police operate, and reform is being attempted, shape attitudes towards reform amongst the police and the public, and the outcomes achieved. The article draws upon an evaluation of the impact of two independent 3-year applied research projects, which aimed to investigate specific crime and policing issues in Russia and Ukraine, implement pilot projects and evaluate their impact in order to make recommendations for more general criminal justice policy reform. The overall results of the projects suggest that, despite significant interest in the concept of police reform and the adoption of western concepts, particularly at the local level, significant barriers to large-scale policy transfer persist, many of which are largely beyond the influence of local practitioners and western reformers.

Think Nationally, Act Locally: The Municipal-Level Effects of the National Crime Prevention Program in Finland

Abstract: This paper gauges the effects of the National Crime Prevention Program (NCPP) on the level of crime in Finland. The research design involves comparisons between municipalities that vary in terms of their participation in the NCPP. Is this characteristic related to improvements in community safety? The analyses utilize data from victim surveys as well as police statistics. Findings from each type of analysis suggest that active participation in the national initiative has not resulted in reduced levels of crime and violence. The study concludes with a set of recommendations for improving the effectiveness of the NCPP.

Increasing Evidence-Based Programs in Criminal and Juvenile Justice: A Report from the Front Line

Abstract: For the past 5 years in the United States, there has been an increased emphasis on evidence-based programs, and, in particular, the promotion of experimental designs as the highest standard of evidence This interest has been fueled by the Federal government's demand for accountability that links budget allocation with program performance The National Institute of Justice, the research, development and evaluation agency within the Office of Programs in the US Department of Justice is undertaking a number of efforts to improve the quality of evaluation research and address the need for evidence-based programs These efforts have focused on making improvements upfront in the grant selection process so that well-designed evaluations will be undertaken and in the management and monitoring of ongoing evaluation research grants so that implementation and design issues can be identified and addressed Evaluability assessments is a key strategy that NIJ is relying on increasingly to identify programs that have a high likelihood of being successfully evaluated Whether these efforts will lead to an overall increase in the rigor of NIJ-supported evaluations remains unanswered at this time

Lithuania’s Anti-corruption Policy: Between The “West” And The “East”?

Abstract: Corruption is still a serious problem in Lithuania as well as in the majority of new European states. It reveals itself not only through regular internal corruption scandals, but is also exposed in various international surveys, such as Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI), or the World Bank’s Business Environment and Enterprise Performance Survey (BEEPS). In recent years, the European Commission in its annual reports on the progress achieved by candidate countries in the process of European integration expressed concern about the inefficiency of the real anti-corruption policy in all those states.

Policies Transfer: The Case Of Juvenile Justice In Spain

Abstract: After a cursory description of the policy transfer phenomenon (the common subject of the volume) and the supranational character of the juvenile justice, the paper tries to explain the problems that can be found in a specific country when this phenomenon of policy transfer occurs. To show these problems we have gone through a very detailed exposition of the internal problems arising from this process. The role of the juvenile instructor Prosecutor and the methods underlying the paradigm of restorative justice is analyzed. The implementation of this practice is especially interesting insofar as the methods imported come from a common law criminal system, with different tradition and principles to the continental criminal system, as the Spanish system is (adversarial system vs. inquisitorial system).

The transferability of evaluation and the "what works" approach in france

Abstract: In France, there is an apparent shift towards integrating what is referred to as “evaluation” and sometimes “impact assessment” in the implementation of public policies, including crime policies. However, this trend is very tentative and fragile. In addition, the meaning of evaluation remains vague. The paper explains the French interpretation of evaluation, presenting a case study of community policing evaluations (1997–2002), the most important police reform in the country and the most thoroughly evaluated public safety policy. The paper also offers a description of how evaluation is perceived among the preventive actors as well as among the police and sociologists in France. Finally, the paper discusses both the forces encouraging more use of “evaluation” (European directives or networks, changes in the budget, national legislation, emergence of new partnership schemes, decentralization of powers, the growing role of expertise in general) as well as those working against “evaluation” (organizational reluctance, ideological reluctance, risk aversion among politicians).

The Impact of ‘New Technology' on the ‘Red Brigades' Italian Terrorist Organisation

Abstract: The analysis of the ‘New Technology' (NT), as a highly potent set of criminal instruments is becoming more and more relevant. In fact, the most recent expressions of both National, European and International Terrorism have revealed a progressively wider use of goods and services related to NT. The present article studies the several forms of NT exploitation by the ‘Red Brigades' (BR), Italian terrorist group. The information collected is the result of a cross-analysis of doctrine; privileged witness interviews (experts and investigators); participant's observation of websites created by terrorist and subversive movements, sharing the same ideology at the base of the BR organisation and Journal articles on the latest successes by police against the BR, as well as the evaluation of the confiscated technological material. The result is a qualitative view of the interaction between NT and BR phenomenon, in the light of the increasing importance of specific technological tools, carefully selected by the criminal organisation to achieve pragmatic and contingent goals. It is relevant also to anticipate two series of conclusions: first, we show the substantial willingness of the ‘new generation' of BR to search for alternatives to traditional channels of communication, finding in NT, Internet in particular, a valid support, as it provides new and more anonymous vehicles of information exchange, inside and outside the organisation itself. A close ideological connection with a new transnational phenomenon is evident: the Urban Subversive Associations (Black-Block, Anarchic-Insurrectional). Young people with a high degree of technological skill form a potential ‘cradle' of recruitment for the BR movement.

The Scientific Integrity of Applied Research

Abstract: This paper reviews some of the threats to scientific independence in the Netherlands that have recently alerted the scientific community. The problems are not only apparent in research requested by the government or local authorities; they are also found in a variety of research fields. They are essentially related to the increasing dearth of research funding in the universities. In Europe in general, and the Netherlands in particular, there are no large, independent research foundations which exist elsewhere, so research funding generally depends on funding by government, local authorities or industry. The problem has long been underappreciated and no effective action has been taken. However, more recently and as a consequence of media reports, a number of drastic measures are being taken. This paper deals first with the nature of the threats to the integrity of scientific research, and then reviews the type of actions that have been, and could be taken.

Can us-type court management approaches work in civil law systems? experiences from the balkans and beyond

Abstract: The benefit of applying modern management approaches to court operations to ensuring access to justice, timely and transparent dispositions, and increased public trust in courts is recognized in many countries In the USA, the art of applying modern management techniques to court operations has evolved over the past 30 years into a now solidly established profession Since the underlying principles and techniques of modern court management, such as case flow management, goal-oriented performance measures, workload assessments, customer surveys, etc, are derived from general management concepts they are not tied to a particular legal system or framework and can be successfully applied in non-US systems if they are properly adjusted Interested in the positive results of court management in the USA, researchers and practitioners in several European countries have been looking at the applicability of the approaches used in the USA to improve their own ability to manage court processes more efficiently Since court management has become a main staple of reforming court operations in the USA, it is not surprising that US-funded development assistance in the Balkan states and other countries often involves transferring court management US-style into the newly evolving democracies as part of rule of law or commercial sector development assistance These projects frequently introduce, among others, case flow management techniques that sometimes seem to be in conflict with underlying legal principles or procedural laws, and often defy the local legal culture The US-funded assistance programs are often introduced parallel to efforts funded by European and other donors, which may take and suggest different approaches to the host country As a result, confusion and insecurity about which approaches are appropriate for a particular country can arise and impede much needed reforms or lead to legislative and regulatory changes that do not mesh well or even conflict with other parts of the legal framework This article reviews the role of US-based court management approaches in recent court reform efforts under way in Serbia, Bosnia, and Croatia and, in light of lessons learned there and in other countries, assesses the reform processes applied and their status It also outlines how these court management approaches fit into non-US court systems, how they can be adjusted according to individual country needs and what the main obstacles are that such reform efforts generally face

The Market for Scientific Crime Prevention: A Comparative Study of Canada and Venezuela

Abstract: Crime prevention is an activity that, sooner or later, requires the concourse of science. But the dictates of science may not mesh well with the social, institutional and political considerations that are persistent and powerful determinants of collective action. To the extent that they are ignored, crime prevention is less scientific and more pragmatic. Using a marketing metaphor, this paper examines selected aspects of the supply of and demand for scientific crime prevention in Canada and Venezuela from 1949 to the present. In both countries, academic entrepreneurs are revealed to be a necessary factor in the sale of crime prevention to government. On the demand side, governments adopt and adapt crime prevention policies in relation to their broader perspective on social problems and social change. However, rising crime rates and climates of urgency reduce the attractiveness of crime prevention. Scientific crime prevention is easier to sell when crime rates are stable or declining.

International Policy Formation: The Development Of Restorative Justice Policy Within The United Nations

Abstract: Restorative justice and its related terms moved from the background of ancillary sessions to the floor of the United Nations Congress. This article documents and discusses the transfer of local policy to the international arena using the UN forum and restorative justice as a case study. First, a historical timeline traces the three influential forces, (1) the United Nations forum, (2) the non-governmental organization (NGO) activities, and (3) the individual Member States’ activities, behind the restorative justice movement onto the UN agenda. An integrated modification of Blumer’s process of collective problem definition is used as a framework to analyze the policy formation. Finally, the context of how future researchers may make use of the process is analyzed by comparing the traditional research development framework to Blumer’s policy framework. A need for wide spread implementation and outcome evaluations are needed as the policy is implemented is among the key findings.