Meeting the Offender Re-integration Challenge

In this article the author – member of the European Offender Employment Forum – gives his view on the problems of re-integrating ex-offenders. He describes the pan-European growth of the prison population, the vocational training offered in prisons and the demands of the labour market. He also discusses promising programmes and initiatives to counter the problems faced by ex-offenders. The 'solution' should be multi-dimensional, provide for continuity between pre-release and after-care and counter problems like employment, housing and finances. Governments must make it their business to ensure that the programmes they support are meeting the range of offenders' needs, are linking properly with the labour market and are providing continuity from sentence to community.     

Effective Detention: The Development of a Policy

The Dutch Prison Service developed a new policy on indoor employment programmes. The development of this policy, the definition of these programmes and the chosen methodology of Individual Employment Counselling is described. Also some examples of good practice are given. We learned a great deal from good practice, from external advisors, from co-operation with partners like employers, probation services, local authorities and from comparable programmes in other European countries. The development of these programmes was supported by changes in the prison service, economic growth in the Netherlands, a new employment policy initiated by the Dutch government, and by sub-financing of the European Social Fund. Future challenges are: better matching of prisoners (their motivations, their capacities and handicaps) with the programmes, further development of co-operation with partners and the implementation of a good monitoring system.     

Cautioning jurors regarding co-witness discussion: the impact of judicial warnings

Abstract

The research seeks to identify the most common problem areas and associated treatment needs of incarcerated and recently released offenders, to determine the importance of prison-based treatment and to assess the motivation of offenders towards treatment. Interviews were scheduled with representatives of three participant categories: drug-involved incarcerated offenders (n=18), recently released prisoners (n=15) and treatment staff members (n=18), resulting in 1971 statements. Using the qualitative software package WinMAX98, these expressions were categorized in a tree structure, after a codification process of the raw material. The results suggest that there is a difference in opinion between offenders and service providers with regard to the most important problems related to incarceration and re-entry. The findings further indicate that released offenders struggle more often than incarcerated offenders with problems concerning their psychological status. Therefore, the need for continuous through-care and aftercare is apparent, as is the necessity to assess the participants’ support expectancies and their individual needs. Motivating offenders to take part in (prison-based) treatment initiatives and aftercare is a major challenge, which can be accomplished by cooperation and partnerships between the criminal justice system and community-based treatment providers.     

The moving targets of penal abolitionism: ICOPA,past, present and future

The history of the International Conference on Penal Abolition (ICOPA) is explored, assessing major trends shaping the current growth of carceral practices and offering suggestions for the future of the conference movement. The goal here is to facilitate the expansion of abolitionism by describing the changing nature of what is to be abolished. A discussion of the emergence of prison abolitionism and of the ICOPA is presented, describing the shift in focus from prison to penal abolition. Taking these developments and character into account, an abolitionist gaze must be expanded to reflect a carceral abolition project, encompassing contemporary penal abolitionism while acknowledging the proliferation of carceral practices and spaces outside the traditional penal system.     

Crime,cash, and limited options: Explaining the prison boom*

Research Summary An analysis of a state panel of prison populations from 1977 to 2005 shows that the best predictors of prison populations are crime, sentencing policy, prison crowding, and state spending. Prison populations grew at roughly the same rate and during the same periods as spending on education, welfare, health and hospitals, highways, parks, and natural resources. Current and lagged values of state spending on prison construction also accounted for a substantial amount of variation in subsequent prison populations. Public opinion, partisan politics, the electoral cycle, and social threats seem to have had little effect on the number of prisoners. Policy Implications The availability of publicly acceptable alternatives to incarceration may not be sufficient to reverse course. Federal funding of alternatives—but not prisons—would provide states with the financial incentive to reduce prison populations.     

从形式价值的角度看审判的合理性

西方学者威廉姆.露西教授认为:作为作出判决过程的审判首先应当是一个“合理的过程,”即审判应具有合理性、满足合理性条件。同时,审判作为能够引发国家强制力释放的行为必然应具有合法性。审判是法的实现的一个环节和独立的过程的前提,审判的作出具有理由;理由的归类即具有“真理由;”通过理由的衡量找出“不容辩驳”的理由。作为“合理的过程”的审判之“合理”体现在简单案件和复杂案件的审判中。     

Battered Women and the Criminal Justice System: The Service Providers' Perspective

This article reports on a study of the service providers' perspective on what battered women face when entering the criminal justice system. Victim non-co-operation with the system can manifest itself in various ways and at several points in the process. The article begins with a review of the available literature on the criminal justice system's responses to women battering. Then the experiences and perceptions of service providers in Ohio concerning these responses are described, and, consequently, the findings according to factors which may affect service providers responses are analyzed. The article concludes with an assessment of the policy implications of the system's response to women battering.     

和谐视域下法律价值体系的重构

和谐文化意味着一种权利配置适当、协调有序的社会状态。在当代中国社会,“和谐文化”作为法律价值体系的一个组成部分进入人们的视野,其精神旨趣在于改变以往偏重效率、弱化公平的法律价值论思想,坚守以人为本的法律价值理念,同时改变传统的人类中心主义发展观,并以此为契机重组我国法律价值体系的构成要素,实现我国法学理论研究中法律价值体系某种程度的更新与演进。     

Managing Prisoners as Problem Populations and the Evolving Nature of Imprisonment: A Convict Perspective

This article employs a convict perspective toexamine the evolving nature of imprisonment inthe United States. Drawing from the prisonliterature, and placed within the politicaleconomy of the wider society, it utilizespersonal accounts of the author (an ex-convict)and his interactions with prisoners to providea critical look at the changing structures,inequities, and hierarchical social relationsof the prison system and their effect on thelives of people behind bars.     

劳动力价值视野下的死亡赔偿金

劳动者的生命能力丧失,其劳动能力必然丧失,而劳动能力是劳动者的财产,当劳动能力投入到劳动之中后,就会创造价值,劳动者以工资形式从其创造的价值中,分配到相当于劳动力成本部分的价值。这种价值为劳动者自身生存和发展所必须外,另外部分用于扶养家庭成员,或有剩余时以遗产的形式归继承人依法继承。当劳动者的生命被非法剥夺时,其利益关系人从劳动者可以获得利益的期望就会落空,因此,其就享有向侵权人主张这种逸失利益的请求权。这种逸失利益总和,不惟扶养利益,也不惟继承利益,应当是劳动者在余命年劳动力价值的总和,减去劳动者自身生存和发展所必须的费用。综合考量经常居住地、教育程度和年龄因素确定最终的死亡赔偿金。     

从危害国家安全罪看俄罗斯的刑事政策

俄罗斯联邦刑事政策指导刑事立法,反映国家的犯罪态势和预防犯罪的对策。随着经济全球化,刑事立法也被置于国际大背景中。侵害宪法制度基本原则和国家安全的犯罪较为典型地诠释了俄罗斯当前人道主义导向的刑事政策和刑法保护价值观的调整,突出了俄联邦刑事立法上法网严密、刑罚宽缓的特点,符合国际上预防犯罪和改造罪犯的目的。刑事政策是社会历史发展的产物,是社会政策的一部分,其新旧更迭变化和发展也必然符合历史规律和社会进步的需要。     

社区戒毒模式研究——基于多元整合视角的实证分析

吸毒人群的戒毒问题是一个世界性难题，是一个多元干预手段环环相扣的综合性问题，因此，对吸毒人群戒毒的干预、康复和矫治工作，关键是将关沙酮社区维持治疗（生理）、人格重塑、提升吸毒人群拒绝毒品的自我效能感（心理）、家庭治疗（家庭支持）和社区戒毒、帮教（禁毒社会工作者帮扶）相结合，使每个环节无缝连接，才有可能从根本上帮助吸毒人群戒除毒瘾。因此，本研究就是要对“生理——心理——社会”的综合性干预模式的可行性、有效性进行评估。本研究基于笔者在南京市关沙酮维持治疗中心完成的300份问卷调查和南京市秦淮区187位社区戒毒人员的问卷调查；基于对14位秦淮区禁毒社工，10位戒毒人员家属的个案访谈而开展。     

过错及因果关系推定与证明责任倒置——从事实到价值的思考

过错及因果关系推定是法律在前提事实(某种情境下的损害)获得证明的条件下,绕过了法官对基础事实问题的认定,而对法律事实中的法律问题(过错及因果关系有无)给出的暂时性结论。证明责任本质上是要件事实真伪不明时当事人承担的败诉风险,是对法律事实中事实问题的解决。因此在大陆法系,法定推定必然导致证明责任倒置。英美法系情形不同。过错及因果关系推定具有相同的正当性基础,它们在现行法中的体现尚未得到全面认识。     

D. Hovell,The Power of Process: The Value of Due Process in Security Council Decision-Making

Netherlands International Law Review -     

从文化价值观透视美国的对外政策传统

文化价值观作为观念性的东西 ,其深刻内涵主要反映在心理—价值层面。美国的文化价值观主要有上帝选择的“使命观”和美国心理的偏执狂心态。在此基础上形成了其孤立主义和扩张主义、理想主义和现实主义、反共主义等外交政策传统。美国对外政策的每一步变化均未摆脱其文化价值观的束缚和制约。全面和深刻地认识美国的文化价值观对研究其外交政策具有重要意义     

The reliability and validity of self,peer and staff reports of bullying and victimisation in correctional and care institutions

Abstract

Connell and Farrington (1997) carried out the first study of the reliability and validity of reports of bullying and victimisation in correctional institutions, using individual interviews. The present research describes the second study on this topic using questionnaire measures of self, peer and staff reports of bullying and victimisation in one Children's Home (N=16 residents, 15 peers, 6 staff, making up to 1440 comparisons) and one Correctional Home (N=19 residents, 18 peers, 6 staff, making up to 2052 comparisons) in Croatia. The present study improved on the Connell and Farrington study by examining the test–retest stability of the questionnaire and using relative improvement over chance coefficients in assessing inter-rater reliability. Unlike in the Connell and Farrington study, self-reports of bullying and victimisation were collected in small groups rather than in individual interviews. Generally, there was significant agreement between residents, peers and staff in identifying bullies and victims, and the test–retest stability of the questionnaire was high. In line with the findings of Connell and Farrington, it is concluded that self-reports provide the most reliable and valid data about bullying amongst institutionalised youth.     

司法听证:群众参与价值及其运作

保障人民群众参与司法是新时期全面法治的价值要求和新一司法改革的重要内容。司法听证将更多的主体引入司法活动中、将更多的意见导入司法裁决之中,有助于将司法与人民、法意与民意有机连接起来,从而成为推进人民群众有序参与司法的重要渠道。在价值取向上,司法听证制度能够推动群众参与、促成民意商谈、强化民意监督、保障群众参与权;在运作机制上,群众参与主要通过扩大了的司法听证组织和其中的人民听证员来扮演参与代表或代言人角色,通过规范化的听证评议活动及其结论来发挥民意载体作用。     

Expanding the Feminist Pathways Perspective beyond the United States: A Profile of Federal Women Prisoners in Argentina

A large body of knowledge within the criminological discipline has demonstrated that women and girls have distinct social and psychological risk factors that contribute to both their initial onset, and continued engagement, in offending behavior. However, most of this research has focused on U.S. samples of women offenders. Using mixed methods, the current research investigated the offense dynamics and possible risk factors for women’s imprisonment with incarcerated women (246 survey respondents; 12 interviewees) in the Argentine federal penitentiary system. We find that there are some similarities in the characteristics of women prisoners in Argentina and the characteristics of women prisoners in the United States, but also some distinctions, primarily in the prevalence of prior victimization. In addition, our results indicate that federal women prisoners in Argentina who reported serious prior abuse were more likely to have committed crimes against persons in comparison to women without abuse histories. Such a distinction supports the ongoing research investigating women offender profiles beyond U.S. samples.