Deaths While under Probation Supervision: What Role for Human Rights Legislation?

Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) states that ‘everyone has the right to life’. This right is contained in all human rights treaties that developed from the UDHR, including the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). Yet, as we argue, the UK government is failing to protect this right when it comes to certain groups of people under probation supervision. To date, human rights legislation has failed adequately to protect these vulnerable individuals and to hold the state to account. This article explores the greater potential for using human rights legislation to ensure better accountability in this area.     

未成年限制民事行为能力人相关法律制度的思考

近年来,随着我国生活水平的提高,义务教育的普及,未成年人也频繁地参与民事活动日益。我国现行的民事行为能力制度中没有完善的规定,由此民事纠纷而引发的民事案件日益增多。建议根据我国的实际情况降低限制民事行为能力人的年龄线为7岁,细化规定行为能力范围,增加有关欺诈手段订立合同的条款,赋予追认权。     

非严重性侵犯音像制品著作权犯罪之刑罚适用——以对20个判例的实证分析为视角

我国当前对非严重性侵犯音像制品著作权犯罪案件的刑罚适用存在着适用短期自由刑过多、单处罚金刑适用较少的情况,而且缓刑适用率也相对较低,罚金刑数额的确定也比较随意。对这类案件适用刑罚时应慎用短期自由刑,注重缓刑的适用,扩大单处罚金刑的适用率。     

Index of Reviewers for 2005

Drawing upon literature from developmental criminology and place‐based policing, the Redlands, California Police Department developed the Risk‐Focused Policing at Places (RFPP) approach to preventing and reducing juvenile delinquency. The RFPP program is a community‐oriented policing and problem‐solving strategy that targets risk and protective factors related to delinquency and problem behaviors of youths living in census block group areas. We used a matched block randomized experimental design to evaluate the effects of the program on youths living in 26 census block groups in Redlands. We find that the RFPP program did not influence self‐reported delinquency, or perceptions of risk and protective factors and police legitimacy. We argue that the primary explanation for the absence of a program effect centers on the unit of analysis used for the program. The census block group is too large a geographic unit of analysis to achieve the kind of targeted and focused interventions that lead to positive crime‐prevention outcomes.     

Assessing the Impact of the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI): Predictors of Secure Detention and Length of Stay Before and After JDAI

The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI) seeks to reduce the reliance on pre-dispositional detention. While anecdotal evidence indicates that the program has enjoyed some success in reducing detention populations, no controlled study has assessed the efficacy of the program. The current study investigated the impact of JDAI following its adoption in one Virginia juvenile court. Specifically, using data on all juveniles referred to intake over a seven-year period, the research analyzed predictors of detention and length of stay before and after JDAI. Results indicate that after the implementation of JDAI, greater emphasis was placed on legal factors including offense seriousness and prior record, though the increased emphasis was greater for non-whites than for white youth. Additionally, results suggest that after JDAI’s adoption, older non-white youth were more likely to receive secure detention while non-white females received some degree of leniency compared to non-white males.     

The Impact of a Risk Assessment Instrument on Juvenile Detention Decision-making: A Check on “Perceptual Shorthand” and “Going Rates”?

This study assesses the impact of a juvenile detention risk assessment instrument (RAI) on decision-making in five New Jersey counties. It uses a pretest–posttest design, drawing on a sample of decisions matched across time periods using propensity scores (N = 1,432). It suggests that the RAI, supported by other reforms, lowers overall rates of detention. Though evidence is not strong, findings suggest the RAI may have reduced reliance on “perceptual shorthand” variables reflected in the juvenile’s age and the time of day of the decision. There is stronger evidence that the RAI increased reliance on the specific factors contained within its risk score. There is also evidence that RAI reduced disparities in detention rates across counties, perhaps by diminishing the importance of “going rates” for detention, rooted in local courtroom workgroups.     

论我国未成年犯社区矫正中的问题及完善

目前,全国各地普遍依托社区矫正工作的整体框架,在未成年犯社区矫正方面进行了积极探索,但无论是在制度层面还是在实践层面都存在着诸多不足。针对我国未成年犯社区矫正中存在的问题,在借鉴发达国家和地区先进经验的基础上,对未成年犯社区矫正的法律体系、矫正项目、适用比例及适用范围等内容进行完善,以期降低未成年犯的再犯罪率,实现法律效果和社会效果的统一。     

未成年人社会调查制度若干问题研究

新刑诉法确立了未成年人社会调查制度。但过于原则化的规定使该制度的理解和运用存在诸多问题,相关司法解释和行政解释也未能发挥进一步细化的作用。应当在现行法律规定的制度范围内,对社会调查制度的具体措施的相关规定进行解释,明确社会调查报告的性质,社会调查主体,以及社会调查人员的选任等问题。     

法定代理人到场的利弊及司法应对

2012年修订的《刑事诉讼法》明确规定对于未成年人犯罪案件在讯问和审判时,应当通知犯罪嫌疑人、被告人的法定代理人到场。此项制度的设计有效保障了未成年犯罪嫌疑人和被告人的诉讼权利与合法权益,但司法实践中也存在法定代理人干扰诉讼的违法现象。文章对法定代理人到场的利弊进行了分析,并立足实践提出了应对建议。     

我国未成年人刑事侦查程序的完善--以国际标准为参照

刑事侦查中处于被追诉地位的未成年人正当权利极易被忽视或受侵害,为有效实施少年利益最大化保护的原则,国际公约除了规定未成年嫌疑人享有辩护权、不得自证其罪等一般性诉权外,还制定了侦查组织和人员的专业化、犯罪背景调查、特别援助、隐私权特别保护、限制羁押等刑事侦查国际标准。我国已加入相关公约,立法上也在逐渐与国际标准接轨,但案件侦查过程中仍存在着专业化实质缺乏、审前羁押率较高、特别援助不到位、案件处理不及时、程序不够简约等差距,需进一步加强与完善,以体现对被追诉未成年人的司法和人文关怀。