scholarly journals Torture, Mistreatment, and Forced Confessions in Mexico’s Accusatorial Criminal Justice System

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 3
Author(s):  
Rita E. Kuckertz

This article examines the impact of Mexico’s 2008 criminal justice reform on the practice of utilizing torture and mistreatment to extract criminal confessions. Complaint data submitted to the National Commission on Human Rights (Comisión Nacional de Derecho Humanos, CNDH) and detainee survey data compiled by the National Institute for Statistics and Geography (Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía, INEGI) were employed to assess if the use of torture and mistreatment by judicial sector operators had decreased (1) in states with advanced levels of reform implementation and (2) in judicial districts that had already implemented the reform. The author also examined the incidence of forced confessions before and after the reform’s implementation at the judicial district level. The author hypothesized that decreases in torture, mistreatment, and forced confessions would be observed in each of these cases. Basic correlation and regression tests were employed to assess the geographic hypothesis, while two chi-square tests for independence were used for judicial district data. The results of these analyses demonstrate evidence rejecting the null hypothesis in each instance, suggesting that the reform can indeed be credited for small but meaningful reductions in torture, mistreatment, and forced confessions in Mexico. The author argues that reforms must be accompanied by further action to address the pervasive use of torture and mistreatment in Mexico.

2021 ◽  
Vol 108 (1) ◽  
pp. 8-26
Author(s):  
Synøve N. Andersen ◽  
Morten Holmboe ◽  
Torbjørn Skardhamar

AbstractOn June 25, 2010, sentencing for certain violent crimes should have increased substantially in Norway due to changes in the Criminal Act and the explicit intention of lawmakers. But did this actually happen? In this paper, we compare sentencing practices before and after the penal reform using administrative registry data from all Norwegian courts on persons convicted for bodily harm and/or assault. Results from regression discontinuity analyses show that despite clear incentives to increase sentences for violent offences, there were no statistically significant changes in the length of sentences imposed following the penal reform. This highlights the importance of conducting empirical assessments of the impact of penal changes on judicial behaviour and other aspects of the criminal justice system.


2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 549-572 ◽  
Author(s):  
David O’Mahony

This article examines the incorporation of restorative principles and practices within reforms of Northern Ireland’s youth justice system, adopted following the peace process. It considers whether restorative justice principles can be successfully incorporated into criminal justice reform as part of a process of transitional justice. The article argues that restorative justice principles, when brought within criminal justice, can contribute to the broader process of transitional justice and peace building, particularly in societies where the police and criminal justice system have been entwined in the conflict. In these contexts restorative justice within criminal justice can help civil society to take a stake in the administration and delivery of criminal justice, it can help break down hostility and animosity towards criminal justice and contribute to the development of social justice and civic agency, so enabling civil society to move forward in a transitional environment.


Stroke ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 52 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cindy Nederveld ◽  
Vivian Thompson ◽  
Jacqueline Murray ◽  
Jennifer L Armstrong ◽  
Megan Barry ◽  
...  

Background: The Colorado Pediatric Stroke Program provides comprehensive, multidisciplinary care for pediatric stroke patients and their families. The team, which includes dedicated inpatient and outpatient nurse coordinators, instituted a plan to support the transition from the inpatient to outpatient setting. Purpose: A survey was used to determine family preparedness for clinic and ease of scheduling their appointment. The data were collected before and after enacting remote scheduling and telehealth visits due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Our team provided educational materials and an outpatient appointment time to families at time of discharge starting in 2019. In January 2020, the stroke clinic staff surveyed parents and guardians about their preparedness for clinic. Telehealth encounters were initiated due to COVID-19 in March 2020, with staff conducting RedCAP surveys by telephone. The survey measured several components of visit preparedness and satisfaction including: understanding of diagnosis, reason for referral prior to clinic visit, familiarity with the stroke team prior to clinic visit, and ease in appointment scheduling. We compared results before and after March 2020 via two-tailed chi-square analysis or two-tailed Fischer’s test. Results: Prior to telehealth, families favorably reported responses with 92% (47/52) knowing the reason for referral, 86% (42/49) receiving educational material prior to clinic, and 84% (42/50) reporting familiarity with our team. All patients (50/50) reported that scheduling was easy. Only scheduling ease had a significant change during the pandemic, with 11% (2/11) of patients reporting difficulties with scheduling after starting telehealth ( P=0.03 ). Conclusion: Childhood stroke is a disease with significant morbidity and mortality, requiring close follow-up care. Families report robust preparedness for clinic after the implementation of a comprehensive discharge plan. Although small numbers, remote scheduling and telehealth transition may present previously unseen barriers to scheduling during the pandemic. During abrupt changes in clinical operations additional scheduling resources may be needed to ensure continuity of care.


Author(s):  
Gianni Ribeiro ◽  
Emma Antrobus

Public confidence in the criminal justice system is critical for the system to function effectively. Two studies investigated the impact of jury sentencing recommendations on public confidence using procedural justice theory. The first study (N = 80) manipulated the presence of jury involvement in sentencing (voice present versus voice absent) and the punitiveness of the minimum non-parole period (more punitive versus less punitive) to examine whether giving juries a “voice”—a key element of procedural justice—would increase public confidence in the courts, as well as perceptions of fairness and legitimacy. Contrary to predictions, results revealed that a more punitive sentence led to increased perceptions of legitimacy, which was associated with higher confidence. The second study (N = 60) examined whether manipulating the Judge’s agreement with the jury’s recommendation—as well as the Judge’s reason for disagreement—would elicit the “frustration effect,” leading to a decrease in confidence and perceptions of fairness and legitimacy. There was no evidence to suggest that the frustration effect was present. Results of both studies could suggest that jury sentencing recommendations may not effectively increase public confidence and perceptions of fairness and legitimacy in the courts, however alternate explanations are discussed.


Author(s):  
Tenzin Butsang ◽  
Flora Matheson ◽  
Jerry Flores ◽  
Angela Mashford-Pringle

Over the last decade, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of incarcerated Indigenous women within Canada’s federal prisons. More than half of these women also identify as single mothers of multiple children, extending the scope of incarceration’s impact across generations. While maternal incarceration has been shown to contribute to a myriad of issues in children, including mental illness and increased mortality, there are few qualitative studies where previously incarcerated Indigenous women have been asked directly about the impact of incarceration on their wellbeing and mothering. This project will utilize a community-based research methodology that centers the voices of previously incarcerated Indigenous mothers by examining the commonalities and distinctions in their lived experiences. We will (1) identify the mental, emotional, spiritual, physical, and relational implications of incarceration for Indigenous mothers, (2) explore Indigenous concepts of motherhood and kinship, (3) identify the unique needs of this population in the criminal justice system, and (4) inform new and existing programs and services directed towards Indigenous mothers involved in the criminal justice system. Semi-structured individual interviews with previously incarcerated Indigenous mothers and Sharing Circles (focus groups) with key stakeholders, including Elders, Healers, and community partners involved in the criminal justice field will form the core knowledge for the project. This project will address a critical gap in public health research concerning the wellbeing of marginalized and incarcerated individuals and contribute significantly to our understanding of the experiences of Indigenous women in the criminal justice system. Through a collaborative partnership with several key Indigenous-centred organizations, the knowledge generated will be used to inform and develop decarceration programming and supports for previously incarcerated Indigenous mothers, establishing concrete measures to reduce the overrepresentation of Indigenous women in the Canadian criminal justice system, now and into the future.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
David Tarh-Akong Eyongndi

SUMMARY Sections 34, 35 and 41 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999 CFRN) guarantee the rights to dignity of the person, personal liberty and freedom of movement. These rights connote that no one shall be arbitrarily arrested; anyone arrested shall be brought before a court of competent jurisdiction within a reasonable time, otherwise such detention is unlawful; where a person is lawfully detained, it shall be under humane conditions. Despite these constitutional safeguards, people continue to be detained in detention centres beyond the permissible periods without an order of court and in inhumane conditions. Thus, unlawful detention is one of the challenges confronting the administration of the criminal justice sector in Nigeria. In 2015 the National Assembly, in a bid to address the challenges in the sector, particularly unlawful and inhumane detention, enacted the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) which is generally perceived as revolutionary legislation owing to provisions such as sections 29, 33 and 34 thereof. These sections require the chief judges of the various High Courts to appoint a judge or magistrate to visit detention centres at least once in a month to review cases of unlawful detention and awaiting trial detainees. This article adopts a doctrinal research methodology in examining the impact of these provisions in overcoming the menace of unlawful detention in Nigeria. It examines the challenges that may confront the implementation of these sections of the Act, such as administrative bottlenecks and unscrupulous attitudes of the personnel of the various detention centres. The article makes vital recommendations on how to overcome the challenges of taming the negative tides of unlawful detention in Nigeria. Key words: Constitution; criminal justice system; detention centres; magistrate; Nigeria


INvoke ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 10-25
Author(s):  
SUSA Submissions ◽  
Alysa Holmes

This paper examines the contemporary issue of the overrepresentation of Aboriginal women in Canadian prisons and suggests that the systemic discrimination and myriad disadvantages that these women face, both within the context of the justice system and in society in general, results in an ongoing cycle of victimization and offending. Specifically, this paper addresses the historical and contemporary forms of violence and victimization that these women face, and examines the impact that this victimization has on offending behaviors. Finally, through an exploration of policing practices, and the complex issue of sentencing Aboriginal offenders, this paper concludes that Aboriginal women are severely disadvantaged at all stages of the criminal justice system, largely as a result of pervasive cultural stereotypes, resulting in worse outcomes for these offenders, and ultimately contributing to the issue of overrepresentation.


2019 ◽  
pp. 174889581986309
Author(s):  
Sarah-Jane Lilley Walker ◽  
Marianne Hester ◽  
Duncan McPhee ◽  
Demi Patsios ◽  
Anneleise Williams ◽  
...  

This article draws upon quantitative and content analysis of 585 reports of rape recorded within two police force areas in England in 2010 and in 2014 tracking individual incidents to eventual outcome to examine the impact, if any, of intersecting inequalities on trajectories of rape cases reported to police. The data were collected as part of the wider Economic and Social Research Council funded Justice, Inequality and Gender-Based Violence research project which examined victim-survivor experiences and perspectives on justice. Building on existing distinctions between types of rape case based on the relationship between victim-survivor and accused, the results suggest age and gender are significant factors in how sexual violence, and the criminal justice system, is experienced. While younger women and girls were disproportionately affected by certain types of sexual violence case and more likely to come into contact with the criminal justice system compared to men and older women, they were not necessarily more likely to achieve a conviction. The findings also confirm that some of the most vulnerable victims-survivors of sexual violence, especially those with poor mental health, are still not achieving criminal justice. Victims-survivors from Black and minority ethnic group or lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, queer groups are underrepresented within the criminal justice system, implying these groups are not seeking a criminal justice response in the same way as ‘white’ heterosexual victims-survivors.


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