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Vera Institute of Justice: A Brochure About Vera
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 PDF: 856 KB/6 pages
published: September 2007
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The Vera Institute of Justice combines expertise in research, demonstration projects, and technical assistance to help leaders in government and civil society improve the systems people rely on for justice and safety. |
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Supporting Security, Justice, and Development: Lessons for a New Era
Christopher Stone, Joel Miller, Monica Thornton, and Jennifer Trone
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PDF: 248 KB/34 pages
published: June 2005
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In developing countries, insecurity and poverty are increasingly linked, leading to a growing global interest in the allocation of transitional assistance and international aid assistance. An expanding focus of national and multinational assistance involves criminal justice reform in policing, victim's rights, and judicial systems—as part of both development assistance and post-conflict assistance. For a larger study commissioned by the UK government to review existing work in the areas of safety and justice, this paper draws together lessons from the experiences of recent UK-funded policing and justice programs in seven countries: Afghanistan, India, Jamaica, Malawi, Nepal, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone.
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Analizando la Reforma a la Justicia Criminal en Chile: Un Estudio Empírico Entre el Nuevo y el Antiguo Sistema Penal
Antonio Marangunic y Todd Foglesong
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PDF: 623 KB/20 pages
published: December 2004
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En diciembre de 2000, Chile inició un ambicioso proceso de reforma a su sistema de justicia criminal. Este proceso ha significado la instauración de un nuevo código de procedimiento penal, nuevas instituciones como la Ficalia Nacional y la Oficina del Defensor Público, asi como nuevos edificios, nuevos funcionarios, nuevas prácticas y perspectivas. En coordinación con la Fiscalía Nacional o Ministerio Público, El Instituto Vera realizó una descripción de estos cambios. En este reporte se presentan las diferencias más importantes entre el antiguo sistema de justicia (que aún funciona en el área Metroplitana de Santiago) y el nuevo sistema, gradualmente implementado en todas las regiones del país.
Esta publicación está también disponible en inglés.
This publication is also available in English.
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Charting Justice Reform in Chile: A Comparison of the Old and New Systems of Criminal Procedure
Antonio Marangunic and Todd Foglesong
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PDF: 492 KB/21 pages
published: December 2004
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Beginning in 2000, Chile launched an ambitious effort to remake its entire system of criminal justice. These reforms involve a new code of criminal procedure, new public institutions such as the National Prosecution Service and office of National Public Defender, as well as new people, new buildings, new views, and new practices. Together with the National Prosecution Service, or Ministerio Público, the Vera Institute has charted these changes, and here reports on some of the important differences between the old system of justice, still functioning in Metropolitan Santiago, and the new system of justice that has gradually taken roots in the rest of the country.
This publication is also available in Spanish.
Esta publicación está también disponible en español.
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Thuthuzela Care Centres: Has Treatment of Rape Survivors Improved Since 2000?
Alethea Percival and Michelle India Baird
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PDF: 680 KB/11 pages
published: November 2004
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In April 2004, the South African Bureau of Justice Assistance interviewed 27 rape survivors at the three police stations that formed part of the Thuthuzela pilot—Guguletu, Khayelitsha, and Manenberg—to see if the experiences of survivors at these stations had improved. The staff also interviewed 27 other survivors at three stations in close proximity to Thuthuzela—Mitchell’s Plain, Kuils River, and Nyanga—to see if Thuthuzela had any spill-over effect on these stations and to compare their treatment with treatment at the Thuthuzela stations. This study concludes that the care and treatment of rape survivors who reported to Thuthuzela police stations dramatically improved since the first study. The study also found that although the initial treatment and medical examination of survivors who reported to non-Thuthuzela stations has improved, there are still serious problems with the investigation and prosecution of these cases. |
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Public-Private Partnerships for Police Reform
Chitra Bhanu and Christopher Stone
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PDF: 68 K/9 pages
published: June 2004
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A growing number of police jurisdictions see the private business community as a dynamic source of external support for police reform. Yet, partnerships with private businesses, if poorly structured, can erode the professionalism and legitimacy of police organizations. In 2003, Vera and the Ford Foundation gathered an international group of police and private sector representatives in Nanyuki, Kenya, to explore the motives that may lead police and business leaders to expand their range of collaborations, as well as the early results from such partnerships. This account of that meeting addresses questions such as how can the dangers of police collusion with business leaders be avoided while encouraging constructive and principled public-private partnerships? |
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Democratic Policing Exchange: Volume 2, No. 3
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PDF: 46 KB/6 pages
published: March 2004
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Democratic Policing Exchange, a semi-annual newsletter on public safety and police accountability, is produced by the Vera Institute of Justice for the Ford Foundation.
IN THIS ISSUE
Researchers Gather in New Delhi to Chart a Future Course for Research on Community Policing
by Jennifer Trone
Rio Hosts Global Meeting on Women and Policing
by Francis James
For the Police, a Good First Impression Could be Crucial
by Jennifer Trone
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Measuring Progress toward Safety and Justice: A Global Guide to the Design of Performance Indicators across the Justice Sector
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PDF: 849 KB/76 pages
published: November 2003
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Produced by a team of researchers at the Vera Institute, this guide to the design of performance indicators is written for government officials and program managers around the world who want to improve the delivery of safety, security, and access to justice. In plain language, the Guide describes how to develop practical and effective indicators in both data-poor and data-rich environments, starting with the desired outcome. Specific chapters explore the role of indicators in measuring progress in the safety and justice sector as a whole, within specific state institutions ranging from law enforcement to prisons, and among the wide variety of non-state justice institutions. Each chapter:
- Describes traditional indicators used to measure performance across the justice sector or within a particular institution
- Provides examples of specific policy goals that require new indicators
- Suggests innovative indicators capable of reflecting progress towards those goals and possible sources of data
- Discusses the strengths and weaknesses of the suggested indicators
The Guide was produced with funding from the British Department for International Development (DFID) in partnership with staff of DFID's program on Safety, Security and Accessible Justice, which operates in countries as different and far flung as Bangladesh, Jordan, and Malawi. The reform of justice systems and objective indicators of that reform are essential to improving life for ordinary people, particularly the world's poorest citizens. Vera hopes the Guide will stimulate and aid that process.
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Common Ground and Crosscutting Themes on Funding Public Security Initiatives in Latin America
Emma Phillips and Todd Foglesong, Vera Institute of Justice
Cecilia Ales and Gustavo Palmieri, Centro de Estudios Legales y Sociales
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PDF: 117 KB/19 pages
published: July 2003
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Crime and the quality of policing have become matters of profound and immediate importance to international foundations working to build democratic capacity in developing countries. In September 2002, the Ford Foundation, the Centro de Estudios Legales y Sociales / CELS (Center for Legal and Social Studies), and Vera organized a meeting of donor organizations engaged in Latin America to begin a collective discussion of public security and police reform initiatives in the region. Drawing on that discussion and donor program materials, this report describes a range of approaches and strategies that donors and their grantees are deploying to reduce crime, improve public safety, and make policing more respectful and effective. It also explores how programs are developed and grantees selected, the common problems that donors face, and the opportunities for closer cooperation between donors. |
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Democratic Policing Exchange: Volume 2, No. 2
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PDF: 58 KB/8 pages
published: April 2003
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Democratic Policing Exchange, a semi-annual newsletter on public safety and police accountability, is produced by the Vera Institute of Justice for the Ford Foundation.
IN THIS ISSUE
Common Ground and Crosscutting Themes on Funding Public Security Initiatives in Latin America
by Todd Fogelsong and Emma Phillips
Stepping Backstage: Martín Abregú and George Vickers Talk About Going from Grantee to Donor
Set Up to Serve?: An International Group of Researchers Tests a Police Station Walkthrough and Visitor's Report
by Jennifer Trone
Recent Publications
Active Policing-Related Ford Grants
Grants in Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Nigeria, Russia, South Africa, and the United States.
Upcoming Meetings and Conferences
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Democratic Policing Exchange: Volume 2, No. 1
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PDF: 127 KB/8 pages
published: October 2002
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How can citizen surveys, computerized crime mapping, and civilian oversight mechanisms positively influence policing? These topics, which were the focus of the first three global meetings on policing in democratic societies, are featured in this new newsletter.
Democratic Policing Exchange, a semi-annual newsletter on public safety and police accountability, is produced by the Vera Institute of Justice for the Ford Foundation.
IN THIS ISSUE
In Russia, How Citizen Surveys Can Shape Policing
by Francis James
CRISP Director Reviews Global Meeting in Brazil on Crime Mapping
Claudio Beato interviewed by Chitra Bhanu
Police and Overseers Gather in Los Angeles
by Robin Campbell and Jennifer Trone
Active Policing-Related Ford Grants
Grants in Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Nigeria, Russia, South Africa, and the United States.
Recent Publications
Upcoming Meetings and Conferences
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Civilian Oversight of Policing: Lessons from the Literature
Joel Miller, with assistance from Cybele Merrick
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PDF: 359 KB/23 pages
published: September 2002
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This paper reviews the English language literature on the civilian oversight of police. It was prepared for the third global meeting on Policing in Democratic Societies, which took place in Los Angeles in May 2002. |
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Civilian Oversight of the Police in Democratic Societies
Christopher Stone and Merrick Bobb
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PDF: 143 KB/6 pages
published: September 2002
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In democratic societies, the police are accountable for many things and to many different people. Most prominently, police are accountable for the effectiveness with which they deal with crime and disorder, as well as for the legality, professionalism, and respect with which they treat people. While authoritarian police are accountable only to their superiors, democratic police are accountable to a multiplicity of bodies. In addition to their superiors, democratic police are accountable to the legislature, to the courts, to members of the public who seek their assistance, and to society as a whole through the press and organizations of citizens. The creation of mechanisms for the routine oversight of police conduct on behalf of the public, mechanisms that curb or correct abuses of power, is a common project of democratic societies. Prepared for the third global meeting on Policing in Democratic Societies, this short framework paper reviews some of the common dilemmas that arise in the design of such police oversight authorities. |
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Building Public Confidence in Police Through Civilian Oversight
Emma Phillips and Jennifer Trone
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PDF: 186 KB/16 pages
published: September 2002
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In both new and more mature democratic societies, citizens are putting increased pressure on police not only to control crime but also to treat everyone they contact fairly and with respect. This paper explores the different ways that citizens can monitor and shape law enforcement practices, and the challenges of that work. It captures issues discussed at an international meeting on civilian oversight of police held in Los Angeles in May 2002. That meeting brought together police officials from Brazil, the Czech Republic, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Nigeria, Peru, Russia, South Africa, and the United States and those who oversee their work from elsewhere within government and from non-governmental organizations.
The paper begins with a look at why civilian oversight arises, moves on to consider some of the tensions and competing interests related to crafting an appropriate role for civilian overseers, and ends with discussions about how overseers can maintain independence and objectivity while collaborating with police and the need to hold themselves accountable.
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Prolonged Pretrial Detention in Haiti
Anne Fuller with Philippe Texier, Michel Brosseau, Dilia Lemaire, and Patrick Pierre-Louis
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PDF: 944 KB/55 pages
published: July 2002
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There are now twice as many inmates in Haiti's prisons than in 1995, and nearly eighty percent of them have not even been charged. With support from the Open Society Insitute and the United Nations Development Program, Vera assembled a team of researchers to revisit Haiti's often-studied but never-solved problem of prolonged pretrial detention and the related issue of poor prison conditions. This research shows that the situation is especially dire around the capital, Port-au-Prince, compared to provincial jurisdictions where limited training and procedural reforms have yielded some benefits. This report reviews the previous initiatives, identifies causes of persisitent problems, and recommends incremental reforms, immediate and long-range, for the Ministry of Justice and related government agencies.
This publication is also available in French.
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La Detention Preventive Prolongee En Haiti
Anne Fuller, Philippe Texier, Michel Brosseau, Dilia Lemaire, et Patrick Pierre-Louis
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PDF: 939 KB/58 pages
published: July 2002
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Il y a présentement deux fois plus de détenus dans des prisons de Haïti qu'en 1995 dont environ 80% attendent d'être jugés. Avec l'appui de la Open Society Institute et le Programme des Nations Unies pour le développement (PNUD), Vera a rassemblé une équipe de chercheurs afin de revoir le problème souvent étudié mais jamais résolu de la détention préventive prolongée et les problèmes des mauvaises conditions des prisons. Cette recherche montre que la situation est particulièrement grave à Port-au-Prince, capitale d'Haïti, comparé aux juridictions provinciales où la formation et des réformes procédurales ont donné quelques résultats. Ce rapport passe en revue les initiatives précédentes, identifie des causes des problèmes persistants, et recommande des réformes progressives, immédiates et à long-terme, pour le Ministère de la Justice et les organismes concernés de l'État.
This publication is a French translation of Prolonged Pretrial Detention in Haiti.
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Pardons and Amnesties in Russia: Clarifying the Differences
Todd Foglesong
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PDF: 159 KB/10 pages
published: May 2002
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A new system of pardons being implemented in Russia may not result in large numbers of prisoners being released. Mounting concern about crime and delinquency, the lack of funds for probation services, and greater public scrutiny of the pardon process are likely to make the newly created Regional Pardon Commissions move cautiously. |
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Access to Justice: A Study on Plea Bargain Practices at Two Justice Centres
Sharon Meadows
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PDF: 223 KB/19 pages
published: May 2002
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In February 2002, pursuant to an agreement between the Legal Aid Board and the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), the BJA began work on a project to examine the impact of recently passed plea bargaining legislation on the work of two Justice Centres: the rural Empangeni Justice Centre and the urban Port Elizabeth Justice Centre. Bureau staff conducted interviews with attorneys at both sites. In Empangeni, imprisoned clients were also interviewed. The study found that there was a general lack of awareness about the new act and a resistance among all role players to use the act on a day-to-day basis. |
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Crime Mapping and the Policing of Democratic Societies
John Markovic and Christopher Stone
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PDF: 1 MB/13 pages
published: March 2002
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In democratic societies, police are ultimately accountable to the citizens, usually through interaction with public-interest groups or through the media. Yet, police also must answer directly to an internal command structure and to governing officials. These multiple sources of accountability sometimes create differing expectations. Computerized crime mapping, when thoughtfully implemented, can help police balance these interests. It is a versatile tool that can simultaneously enhance police accountability to the public, foster organizational efficiency and promote public safety. Covering a range of technical and policy issues, this paper discusses the benefits and challenges associated with crime mapping in democratic societies.
This paper provided a framework for a global meeting on crime mapping and community policing, one of a series of meetings on democratic policing hosted by Vera and supported by the Ford Foundation. Abstracts [PDF: 11 pages/132 KB] of other papers presented at the meeting are also available. |
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Prosecution Task Force on Car-Hijacking: Final Evaluation Report
Virginia Francis
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PDF: 240 KB/42 pages
published: February 2002
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When a wave of violent car-hijackings in South Africa made headlines around the world several years ago, the nation's justice system was unable to adequately handle this new category of crime. Cases took seven to nine months to finalize, and the conviction rate in Johannesburg was under 10 percent. Then, in March 1999, the National Directorate of Public Prosecutions created the Prosecution Task Force on Car-Hijacking in collaboration with Vera's South African Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). The Task Force was designed to ensure speedier resolution of cases, more effective investigations and prosecutions, and better services for victims. As the BJA's recently completed final evaluation report shows, in its first year the Task Force shortened the average time it took to finalize cases to under five months and raised conviction rates to more than 40 percent. The Task Force model also proved extremely successful at reducing corruption and increasing accountability.
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The Public Accountability of Private Police: Lessons from New York, Johannesburg, and Mexico City
Vera Institute of Justice
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PDF: 190 KB/53 pages
published: August 2000
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This paper looks at how private police are actually held accountable through a set of three case studies drawn from different countries. The literature on private policing is remarkably uninformed by empirical data, although a few works have investigated the scope of private policing through interviews with people working in the industry. It is our hope that the case studies will help to fill this gap in the literature. |
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The Use of Citizens Surveys as a Tool for Police Reform
Robert C. Davis
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PDF: 76 KB/12 pages
published: July 2000
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Citizen surveys, long used by researchers to test hypotheses about police-citizen interactions, have recently be deployed as a tool for promoting police reform. This paper examines the citizen survey's potential role in creating more accountable and effective police forces, drawing on examples from Chicago, Illinois; Queens, New York; and St. Petersburg, Russia.
The study provided the framework for an international meeting on the use of citizen surveys as a tool for police reform, one of a series of meetings on democratic policing hosted by Vera and supported by the Ford Foundation. Abstracts [PDF: 11 pages/142 KB] of other papers presented at the meeting are also available. |
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Prosecution Task Force on Car-Hijacking: A Project of the South African National Director of Public Prosecutions
Virginia Francis and Michelle India Baird
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PDF: 172 KB/14 pages
published: April 2000
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In March 1999, South Africa's National Prosecuting Authority launched the Prosecution Task Force on Car-Hijacking, with the support of the Bureau of Justice Assistance. Based at the Johannesburg Magistrates court, and under the direction of Andre de Vries, the Task Force now handles all car- hijacking cases in Johannesburg, excluding Soweto. This paper provides an evaluation of the Prosecution Task Force, one year after its inception. |
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A Rape Investigation in the Western Cape: A Study of the Treatment of Rape Victims at Three Police Stations in the Cape Flats, South Africa
Virginia Francis and Michelle India Baird
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PDF: 121 KB/17 pages
published: March 2000
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This study tracks 15 rape survivors for a month following the day they reported the crime at the police station. The study provided the framework for the Thuthuzela Care Centre which was designed and first implemented in the Cape Flats in June 2000. |
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BJA Report 3: Process and Impact Assessment of the Pre-trial Services Project
Ron Paschke
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PDF: 2 MB/61 pages
published: March 1999
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In late 1996, the South African criminal justice system was struggling to find a way to balance the rights of accused persons to bail with the need for more informed decisions that protected the safety of crime victims. To address this problem, the late Dullah Omar, then Minister of Justice, asked the Bureau of Justice Assistance to create the first ever system for making bail decisions in line with the South African constitution. The Bureau published a series of reports before, during, and at the conclusion of the Pretrial Services project.
This report evaluated the success of the Pre-trial Services project and determined that petty offenders who were interviewed by the project office in Mitchell's Plain were more likely to be released on warning or on more affordable bail than accused person who appeared in court prior to the launch of the project. This report recommended that the Pretrial Services project be rolled out across South Africa. |
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BJA Report 2: The Accused, Their Charges, and Bail Decisions: Baseline Information Prior to the Implementation of Pre-trial Services
Ron Paschke
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PDF: 3 MB/91 pages
published: November 1998
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In late 1996, the South African criminal justice system was struggling to find a way to balance the rights of accused persons to bail with the need for more informed decisions that protected the safety of crime victims. To address this problem, the late Dullah Omar, then Minister of Justice, asked the Bureau of Justice Assistance to create the first ever system for making bail decisions in line with the South African constitution. The Bureau published a series of reports before, during, and at the conclusion of the Pretrial Services project.
Bureau staff collected data on bail decisions at three courts--Mitchell's Plain, Johannesburg, and Durban--and used this infromation to fine tune the operations of the Pretrial Services demonstration. This was the first time information of this kind had been collected in South Africa. |
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BJA Report 1: Pollsmoor Awaiting Trial Population Profile: Preliminary Results and the Role of the Pre-trial Services Demonstration
Ron Paschke
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PDF: 926 KB/23 pages
published: November 1997
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In late 1996, the South African criminal justice system was struggling to find a way to balance the rights of accused persons to bail with the need for more informed decisions that protected the safety of crime victims. To address this problem, the late Dullah Omar, then Minister of Justice, asked the Bureau of Justice Assistance to create the first ever system for making bail decisions in line with the South African constitution. The Bureau published a series of reports before, during, and at the conclusion of the Pretrial Services project.
In this first report, the Bureau gathered data on bail decisions at Mitchell's Plain court and, over a three-month period, analysed the population in pretrial detention at Pollsmoore prison. It found that the majority of prisoners were unable to afford even very low amounts of bail and that very few prisoners were released on warning. As a result, the number of detained individuals awaiting trial was increasing, which caused serious overcrowding in the jail facilities. The BJA used this information to plan and design the first bail system in South Africa. Court clerks were trained to interview and screen detainees at their first court appearances on their family and employment history, as well as past criminal records. The prosecutors used this information to detain dangerous, repeat offenders and release minor, nonviolent offenders on bail or warning. The report also calls for the creation of secure waiting rooms for victims and witnesses as they wait for their court appearance.
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Justice Informed: The Pre-Sentence Report Pilot Trials in the Crown Court, Volume 1
James K. Bredar
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published: January 1992
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Published by Vera Institute of Justice, London Office
Reports on a series of pilot projects coordinated by Vera in five trial courts in England. The projects tested the practicality of requiring presentence investigation reports in most felonies. |
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Justice Informed: The Pre-Sentence Report Pilot Trials in the Crown Court, Volume 2
James K. Bredar
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published: January 1992
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Published by Vera Institute of Justice, London Office
Reports on a series of pilot projects coordinated by Vera in five trial courts in England. The projects tested the practicality of requiring presentence investigation reports in most felonies. |
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Day Fines: An Overview and Day Fines in New York: The Staten Island Economic Sanctions Project
Sally T. Hillsman
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PDF: 687/5 pages
published: September 1990
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Published in Crime and Justice: A Review of Research, Vol. 12, University of Chicago Press, Michael Tonry and Norval Morris (eds.)
This article traces the evolution of variable (rather than fixed) fines in Western Europe and explores the potential for their use in American courts. |
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Bail Information for the Crown Prosecution Service: Volume One of the Final Report on the Probation Initiative "Diversion from Custody and Prosecution"
Christopher Stone
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published: January 1988
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Evaluates the pilot schemes providing bail information to the newly formed Crown Prosecution Service in London -- including statistical monitoring, personal observations of each operation, interviews with prosecutors, and discussions with court and police officials. |
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