Presumably, one of the purposes of prison is to change or ‘rehabilitate’ inmates so that they do not reoffend – to reduce recidivism, in policy language. The reality is, many formerly incarcerated people do reoffend and many return to prison. Recidivism rates, therefore, are an important set of data for criminal justice policymakers. What’s more, internationally-funded projects … [Read more...] about Measuring recidivism is hard but we must get it right
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Yes, Caribbean men are dying from violence. But what about women?
By Heather Sutton As we near the International day to End Violence Against Women, it is important to recognize how little is actually known about the issue in the Caribbean. The impact of violence on different gender groups (men, women, boy and girls) is still understudied particularly where high levels of urban violence have led to understandable focus on the number of … [Read more...] about Yes, Caribbean men are dying from violence. But what about women?
Some key good and bad takeaways from a citizen security mapping tool for Latin America
By Nathalie Alvarado, Robert Muggah and Katherine Aguirre Latin American and Caribbean countries exhibit the highest rates of violence in the world. The regional homicide rate is several times what qualifies as an epidemic, and in some places surpasses levels witnessed in war zones. There are multiple forms of violence across the region ranging from collective and … [Read more...] about Some key good and bad takeaways from a citizen security mapping tool for Latin America
And speaking of prisons, a move to reform in the Caribbean
Co-authors: Arnaldo Posadas, Robert Pantzer It was a first in US history: President Obama on July 16 visited the federal prison facility in El Reno, Oklahoma, a gesture that is sure to further fuel talk the debate over reforming the American justice system, especially for non-violent offenders facing long mandatory minimum sentences. This is a welcome development: the … [Read more...] about And speaking of prisons, a move to reform in the Caribbean
On scamming and marijuana: a ground-up view of a citizen security program in Jamaica
“The biggest headache is getting the men to walk away from certain things,” says Adenike Stephenson, when asked what gave her the most difficulties at her job as regional coordinator for the Citizen Security and Justice Program. Those things are actually two: stopping kids from smoking marijuana first thing in the morning, which makes them lethargic for the remainder of the … [Read more...] about On scamming and marijuana: a ground-up view of a citizen security program in Jamaica