The Privatisation of Prisoner Transfer Services in Western Australia. What Can we Learn from the Ward Case?

In 2008, Aboriginal elder Mr Ward died of heat stroke while being transported in the back of a prison van operated by private security company GSL (now G4S). This article will address the role accountability mechanisms can play in improving correctional and custodial services and whether existing oversight frameworks can provide a proper supervision and quality control of private security operators. It will focus on the key reports issued by Western Australia's Inspector of Custodial Services, the independent office to oversee the prisoner transfer system. Another central source of information will be an examination of the report and recommendations handed down by the Western Australian Coroner Alastair Hope in June 2009. The Hope Report details the numerous failings of the system which led to the Ward tragedy. Both GSL and the Western Australian state government had breached a duty of care to Mr Ward. Further, it remains highly problematical having a range of oversight bodies if elected government is able to simply ignore the subsequent advice. Parliament must therefore remain a central part of the system of political accountability.     

金融危机形势下美国青年志愿精神高涨之动因探析

志愿服务工作的发展是美国社会发展的重要驱动力。在金融危机形势下,美国民众尤其是美国青年投身志愿服务事业的热情不减反涨,志愿者创造的社会价值达到美国历史的最高峰。究其原因包括:美国政府的鼓励、美国企业的支持、大量非营利性组织的存在都为美国青年参与志愿服务提供了重要平台;此外,美国各高校也为多元化的志愿服务指导体系提供了切实保障;而有益的职业生涯发展更是美国青年积极投身志愿事业的内在动力和强烈意愿。     

关于增强监狱人民警察证据意识问题的探讨

监狱人民警察是否具有较强的证据意识,直接影响着能否正确、公正、公平地执行刑罚和教育改造罪犯的质量和效果.文章就如何增强监狱人民警察的证据意识问题从必要性和增强证据意识等方面进行了探讨.     

布什政府对东盟的政策及其对中国的影响

本文总结了布什执政以来美国对东盟的政策,探讨了影响美国政策的因素,分析了美国对东盟政策的调整将对中国—东盟关系产生的影响。文章认为,“9.11”事件以后,美国的反恐战争为其重返东南亚提供了契机。布什政府调整了对这一地区的政策,改善或提升了与东盟国家的关系。然而,把东盟作为一个地区机制,美国还没有完整的战略。美国主要推进的是双边关系,其中以军事关系为重。美国政策对中国的影响是复杂的,在中美关系稳定的情况下,其负面影响在短期内不会太大。     

美国外交关系委员会对美国外交的影响

美国外交关系委员会作为美国历史最悠久、最重要的外交思想库,其政策设想一贯秉持服务于美国政府、美国国家利益的目的,并与政府建立了长期合作关系。本文拟简要梳理美国外交关系委员会的历史流变,考察外交关系委员会影响美国外交的方式,探讨外交关系委员会对美国外交的影响。     

探索与求证——一本监狱学教科书的写作历程

良好的监狱学教科书是开展高质量的监狱学教学工作的必备要素。教科书《监狱学导论》是在监狱领域中进行20多年学习、思考、研究和积累的结果。在写作之前,开展了大量实地考察和调查研究工作,为本书的写作奠定了重要的实务基础。同时,对中国现代化文明监狱、监狱拥挤状况、监狱机构设置、罪犯改造理论、当代西方国家监狱状况等方面的专题研究,为本书的写作准备了重要的理论观点。     

美国的矫正评估

监狱行刑的效果如何,一直是监狱学界争议的问题。美国监狱行刑的效果评估最具代表性。在评估决策方面,矫正评估委员会独立运作。矫正协会设立的标准委员会负责提出标准,交由两个组织审评;评估证书由标准委员会授予;由矫正协会颁发。对监狱矫正评估的基本内容包括了警戒、安全、秩序、看护、活动(计划方案)、公正、生活状况和有效个人管理等因素。对罪犯的个案评估包括对个人或小组咨询、职业训练、工作释放、假释监督以及整容手术等。     

清末民初浙江监狱改良与日本

本文为中国近代转型时期以日本为媒介移植西方法律制度的个案事例研究。着重关注的是清末官绅对日考察,不同于已有较多成果的清末留日研究。据《申报》记载,包括浙江在内的十省于1906年联合派遣正佐官员五十名赴日考察监狱。该史料已为相关研究者所关注,但这些调查日本监狱员在日考察的实际状况和回国后的活动至今不为人知。在梳理浙江省派员名单,挖掘其在日活动史料基础上,进一步追踪其中三人回国后在浙江省监狱改良中作出的贡献。     

霸权护持与美国的代理人战略

霸权护持是霸权国在霸权周期内的主要战略目标。通过考察二战结束以来美国霸权护持的历史轨迹,可以看出,代理人战略是美国频频实践但仍缺乏深入研究的现象。代理人战略是一种国家不直接出面,而是借助安全与外交领域的代理人实现间接制衡目标的战略手段。明确对手且制定相应策略是美国大战略的重要特征,当前美国政府认定的霸权威胁来源包括战略竞争对手、地区反美国家及恐怖主义等。基于战略目标的不同,美国针对上述三种威胁所采取的代理人战略的类型亦存在差异,分别是国家代理人战略、复合代理人战略以及次国家代理人战略。美国寻找的代理人一般与目标对象存在重大冲突或战略矛盾,代理人具有消耗与削弱对手的能力,代理人战略的实施路径包括威胁共识搭建及借力打力实践两个阶段。对于冷战后美国代理人战略的实践进行考察,有助于我们深入把握这种战略形式的逻辑延展及未来走向。     

Activism and Radicalism in Prison: Measurement and Correlates in a Large Sample of Inmates in Texas

There is considerable speculation that prison plays a role in radicalization. Many individuals involved in acts of political extremism have spent time in prison, adding credibility to such claims. Despite these assertions, there is little empirical evidence regarding the prison-radicalization link because access to prisons is challenging and there are few valid scales of extremism. Studies that do examine a potential link have small sample sizes or select on extremist case studies. The current study draws on interviews conducted with 802 male prison inmates in Texas the week before their release to the community. Inmates were administered the Activism and Radicalism Intention Scale, one of the few validated scales in the extremism literature. A series of structural equation models revealed several important findings. First, we found that the psychometric properties of the modified two factor model of activism and radicalism intentions were largely acceptable among prison inmates, including subgroupings of Latino, white, black, and gang and non-gang-involved inmates. Second, our findings revealed that there was more activism than radicalism intentions among prison inmates, although levels of both were comparable to non-institutional populations. Activism and radicalism intentions were positively related, although this correlation was weaker than in prior studies. Activism should not be substituted for radicalism. Third, our exploratory analysis of concurrent validity identified few multivariate correlates. Group identification—namely, racial and religious groups—was related to both scales, but in opposite directions. Age was negatively, while street-to-prison gang importation was positively, related to radicalism intention. We outline the implications of these findings for research, policy, and practice on activism, radicalization, and prison.