NCJ Number
228859
Date Published
March 2009
Length
21 pages
Annotation
This guide for discussions at the 18th session of the United Nations Economic and Social Council's Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice addresses issues related to economic fraud and identity-related crime as well as penal reform and the reduction of prison overcrowding.
Abstract
Discussion issues related to economic fraud and identity-related crimes pertain to domestic criminal justice responses to these types of crime, international cooperation in countering these crimes, preventive measures and cooperation between the public sector and the private sector, and capacity building and technical assistance for addressing these crimes. In addition to the outlining of discussion questions related to the aforementioned issues, background information is provided on the mandate and work of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in the field of economic fraud and identify-related crime. Additional background information covers the defining and criminalizing of identity-related crime and fraud in civil and common law systems; investigation, prosecution, and international cooperation in addressing these crimes; prevention and cooperation with the private sector; and international cooperation in the prevention of economic fraud and identity-related crime. Discussion questions posed on penal reform and the reduction of prison overcrowding, including the provision of legal aid in the criminal justice system, address respect for human rights in penal facilities; restorative justice and alternatives to incarceration, including avoiding imprisonment through social reintegration; and case management in penal establishments. Background information is presented on the world prison population and overcrowding, pretrial detention, the consequences of mass imprisonment and overcrowding, the increasing number of vulnerable prisoners, causes of overcrowding in prisons, and strategies and good practices in reducing prison overcrowding. Information on the latter topic covers diversion from the criminal justice system, reducing pretrial detention, noncustodial sanctions, postrelease alternatives, offenders with mental illness, and access to legal counsel.