The EU‐SA free trade arrangements

The rehabilitation of the DRC's economy in general, and logging in particular, will require the full collaboration of the state, the private sector and the people. But is this possible, given the significant challenges that pose a threat to such collaboration? The article looks at the issues with regard to the forestry sector.     

Wrongfully Convicted: How the Dutch Deal with the Revision of Their “Miscarriages of Justice”

During most of the twentieth century the very existence of judicial errors was considered an awkward subject in the Dutch legal system. This article considers the change of attitude in recent years. In previous years there was a remarkable self-confidence within the criminal justice system (and in most of the scholarly writings) in doing things the ‘right way.’ After a few warnings from (only partly legally trained) scholars, who became interested in the functioning of the system, and moreover, after a few clear and undeniable cases of judicial error, there was a volte-face in the general feeling amongst both the public and the profession. It is the opinion of the authors that this shift in opinion is historically important. This article therefore intends to draw a picture of the current state of affairs in The Netherlands.     

In vivo facial tissue depth study of Chinese-American adults in New York City

This study examines facial tissue depth in adult Chinese-Americans. Using ultrasound, measurements were taken at 19 landmarks across the faces of 101 individuals aged from 18 to 87 years. Summary statistics are reported for a sample of 67 individuals of normal weight (as determined by a body mass index [BMI] of 19-25). Statistical analyses were used to assess relationships between tissue thickness, age, and BMI. Results indicate that no significant relationship exists between tissue thickness and age for males, and for only 3/19 points in females. Also, only four points showed significant relationships between tissue thickness and sex. However, significant relationships exist between BMI and tissue thickness at multiple points for both males and females. Compared to other American and Asian populations in the literature, Chinese-Americans generally had thinner facial tissue; though, this difference was not assessed statistically. Finally, data generated in this study will add to the body of knowledge concerning facial tissue depth variation in modern humans.     

The impact of judge–defendant communication on mental health court outcomes

Previous research has shown that mental health courts have been successful in reducing the rates of recidivism among mentally ill offenders. However, none of these studies, to date, have examined exactly what aspects of the courts reduce these rates of recidivism and what makes them successful. The current study utilized a sample of 291 mentally ill criminal offenders participating in a mental health court to examine whether those participants who were addressed by and communicated with the judge had a reduction in recidivism rates and the severity of new charges in comparison to those who did not. The hypotheses regarding greater judge–defendant communication and recidivism were not supported. This suggests that communication in and of itself is not sufficient to reduce recidivism. Future research of a qualitative nature is essential to identify if the frequency, tone, and valence of the communication results in improved outcomes. In addition, these results may indicate a necessity for more stringent training and guidelines for the maintenance of Mental Health Courts. Results of the current study suggested differences between genders, such that females were spoken to by the judge more frequently than were men.     

Victims' evaluation oof police performace

The findings of a study aimed at measuring citizen satisfaction with police performance in victimization situations and analyzing the variation in this performance indicator are reported here. Evaluation of the police from this perspective is recognized as being important as an indication of responsiveness to citizens' needs and desires, in part because improved police effectiveness will require citizen cooperation and participation.The analysis used data on members of victimized households drawn from a community survey in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The line of questioning on victimization incidents moved from perceptions of response time and investigations to whether a suspect was arrested or convicted, with respondents also being asked about their satisfaction at various stages in this process as well as their satisfaction with overall police performance. The analysis indicates (1) that overall satisfaction varies with type of crime and response time more than with socioeconomic characteristics, (2) that follow-up investigations and arrests influence overall satisfaction beyond satisfaction with the initial investigation, (3) that satisfaction with the police decreases at later stages of the process, and (4) that for those cases involving a follow-up investigation, overall satisfaction is more closely tied to satisfaction with the way in which the follow-up was conducted than to satisfaction with response time or the initial investigation.