Administering a victim impact curriculum to inmates: a multi-site replication

While restorative justice has been the topic of much research, a specific type of program included in restorative justice, Impact of Crime (IOC) on Victims programs, has not been widely studied or assessed for effectiveness. This study examines IOC on Victims Curriculum Development Programs. Offenders from programs in California, Ohio, Tennessee, and Virginia were participants in this research. A four-state evaluation methodology was developed in order to assess the effectiveness of these programs in educating offenders about victims’ right and victim facts, as well as increasing their sensitivity to victims’ difficulties. The findings in this evaluation lend support to previous studies, indicating efficacy for IOC programs. Suggestions for future research are briefly discussed.     

从恢复性司法论我国“和解制度的刑事化”

“恢复性司法”是西方国家的一项刑事司法制度,它的价值在于通过犯罪人、被害人及其他主体之间积极主动的沟通和交流,让犯罪人有机会通过积极的、负责任的行为尽快改过自新、融入社会,同时使得被害人因犯罪所造成的物质、精神损失得到有效的补偿,使被害人受犯罪影响的生活能够尽快地恢复常态,最大限度地保护被害人的合法权益。我国应借鉴其合理之处,构建我国的刑事和解制度。     

论检察权的定位——兼论我国检察机构改革

作为国家权力体系中的一种过渡性权力,检察权兼具行政权与司法权的双重属性.与此相适应,检察权的运作也遵循着检察一体与检察独立的双重机制.检察一体,包括组织一体和心理一体两个层面;而检察独立,则包括组织独立与功能独立.检察权独立行使,是其承担法律监督功能的基础.为此,必须通过相关制度设置,从资源、身份、资质、权利等方面保障检察权的独立行使.在我国,虽然<宪法>规定检察机关依法独立行使职权,但是由于宪法和法律对保障检察机关组织独立的具体措施缺乏规定,致使检察机关独立行使职权面临着诸多障碍,其中主要是检察权地方化问题.因此,当前我国检察机构改革的方向应当是保障检察权的独立行使.     

论劳动教养立法的几个基础性问题——建立我国轻罪处罚制度的理论创新

轻罪处罚制度的不足是我国刑事立法和刑事司法制度中的一个板块性缺损。中国刑事立法犯罪概念的特点决定了中国刑法上的犯罪实际上是严重或较为严重的犯罪 ,而不包括轻罪 ,因此 ,应当以劳动教养立法为契机建立中国的轻罪处罚体系。轻罪处罚法律制度的建立和完善 ,在理论和实践两个方面都面临一系列必须回答的基本问题。这些问题的解决除了需要立法和司法等方面的客观条件外 ,还需要具有根本性意义的理论创新。这就需要从理论上形成和提出问题 ,并给予科学的说明 ,为轻罪处罚制度提供必需的理论支撑。     

被害人权利保护与恢复性司法

以恢复性司法为制度进路,追求刑事被害人权利保护这一事关实质正义实现的法治目标。对犯罪人的制裁更多地涉及法律的一般性与普遍性,因此偏重于追求形式正义;对被害人权利的弥补、修复、保护更多地涉及生活中实际、具体的事件之合理性与被害人个别处遇,因此偏重于追求实质正义。在传统刑事司法制度中,被害人的权利长期遭受不应有的忽视,而在欧美获得蓬勃发展的恢复性司法制度则针对不同案件、不同犯罪人和被害人开展了形式多样的恢复性司法计划,为我国惩治犯罪人、保护被害人与实现个案中的实质正义提供了良好的理论资源与制度进路。     

我国证券侵权民事责任归责分析——原则:立法与司法的冲突与协调

归责原则是各类证券民事责任主体承担民事责任的主要标准之一,不仅关系当事人的民事实体责任,还与诉讼程序中举证责任的分配等有着密切的关联性,因此,研究证券民事责任的归责原则具有重要的审判实践意义。最高人民法院对证券侵权民事责任主体的归责原则之规定,忽略了与现行立法之间的协调与衔接,有的与法理相悖,两者之间的冲突导致审判实践的困惑。实际上,我国证券侵权民事责任主体不同,且各自的法律义务和社会责任的差异,故其归责原则呈多元化的特点。     

舆论监督司法的有效模式

舆论监督司法是保障司法公正的重要手段,公开监督、全程监督和多维监督等是其有效模式。最大限度地发挥舆论监督的积极作用,可以促使司法权力沿着正确的轨道运行,保证社会正义的实现,加速公共权力的制度建设。     

恢复性司法理念对我国城市社区犯罪防控的启示

随着我国城市化进程的推进,大量人口涌入城市造成了城市资源紧张,各种矛盾突出,犯罪发生率居高不下,而传统的单纯依靠国家警察力量打击犯罪的一元化城市犯罪防控模式面对新的犯罪形势已捉襟现肘,也不能满足被犯罪侵害破坏的社会秩序恢复的基本要求。对此,文章在引入介绍国外恢复性司法理念的基础之上,发现恢复性司法理念对于我国城市犯罪防控的启示,进而提出构建基于社区的城市犯罪防控的若干具体设想。     

死刑案件被害人权利保护问题

在刑事司法领域,人权保障是一个内涵丰富且不断发展的制度体系。既要保障犯罪嫌疑人、被告人的合法权利,也要保障被害人的合法权利,同时注意二者平衡。1996年《刑事诉讼法》确认了被害人的诉讼主体地位,但由于缺少配套机制,导致实践中出现诸多问题。新《刑事诉讼法》在很大程度上完善了犯罪嫌疑人、被告人的诉讼权利及其保护,但较少涉及被害人的权利保护问题。与普通刑事案件相比,死刑案件给被害人造成的伤害尤为严重,应当给予特别保护。     

Family Group Conferencing and Re‐Offending Among First‐Time Juvenile Offenders: The Indianapolis Experiment

Restorative justice processes, and family group conferences in particular, have become increasingly common in justice system practices across the globe. There has also been significant scholarly interest. Yet, with several notable exceptions, much of the research has been characterized by relatively weak designs, and questions related to the impact of family group conferences on re‐offending remain unanswered. This research is intended to begin to address these issues. The study is based on an experiment conducted in Indianapolis, Indiana whereby young, first‐time‐offending youths were randomly assigned to either a family group conference or one of a number of court‐ordered diversion programs. Nearly 800 youths participated in the experiment, and the cases were tracked for 24 months following their initial arrest. Survival analysis techniques were used to compare prevalence patterns of re‐offending among the treatment and control groups. The results indicated a significant difference between the two groups with the control group experiencing higher rates of failure (re‐offending). The differences were most pronounced during the period of 3–8 months following the initial arrest. Incidence rates were also compared. Assignment to the treatment group was negatively related to incidence of offending. Given the consistent finding of victim benefits in restorative justice processes, the results suggest that conferences hold promise as an effective intervention, at least for young first‐time offenders, and warrant continued experimentation.