NCJ Number
65639
Date Published
1974
Length
15 pages
Annotation
THE REPORTED EUROPEAN REGIONAL PREPARATORY MEETING OF EXPERTS ON THE PREVENTION OF CRIME AND THE TREATMENT OF OFFENDERS WAS HELD IN PREPARATION FOR THE FIFTH UNITED NATIONS (UN) CONGRESS ON THE SAME TOPIC IN 1975.
Abstract
AGENDA ITEMS DISCUSSED WERE: (1) CHANGES IN FORMS AND DIMENSIONS OF CRIMINALITY, TRANSNATIONAL AND NATIONAL; (2) CRIMINAL LEGISLATION, JUDICIAL PROCEDURES AND OTHER FORMS OF SOCIAL CONTROL IN THE PREVENTION OF CRIME; (3) THE EMERGING ROLE OF THE POLICE AND OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO CHANGING EXPECTATIONS AND MINIMUM STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE; (4) THE TREATMENT OF OFFENDERS IN CUSTODY OR IN THE COMMUNITY, WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE STANDARD MINIMUM RULES FOR THE TREATMENT OF PRISONERS ADOPTED BY THE UN; (5) ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL CONSEQUENCES OF CRIME: NEW CHALLENGES AND RESEARCH PLANNING. THE MEETING CONCENTRATED ON DEFINING 'TRANSNATIONAL' AS OPPOSED TO 'NATIONAL' CRIME, AND DISCUSSED THE CHANGING CONCEPTS OF DEVIANCY WITHIN DIFFERENT PATTERNS OF MODERN CULTURE. INCREASES IN VIOLENT CRIMES, BANK ROBBERIES AND WHITE-COLLAR CRIME, WERE NOTED IN THE NATIONAL CATEGORY. MASS TOURISM AND MIGRANT WORKERS FROM ABROAD WERE MENTIONED AS CONTRIBUTING TO SOME EUROPEAN CRIME PROBLEMS. THERE WAS AGREEMENT THAT ALTERNATIVES TO IMPRISONMENT SHOULD BE DEVELOPED BY ALL LEGAL SYSTEMS SO AS TO MAKE IMPRISONMENT THE LAST RESORT OF THE COURTS IN DEALING WITH CRIME. SPECIAL EMPHASIS WAS PLACED ON THE PREVENTIVE ASPECTS OF POLICE WORK, AND ON INVOLVING THE WHOLE SOCIETY IN DEALING WITH CRIMINAL PROBLEMS. THE MEETING AGREED ON A MORE ENLIGHTENED AND HUMANITARIAN APPROACH TO THE PROBLEM OF INSTITUTIONALIZED OFFENDERS, BASED ON INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS. CONDITIONAL SENTENCING PRACTICES WERE REPORTED FROM SEVERAL COUNTRIES, AS WELL AS 'OPEN SETTLEMENT' OF OFFENDERS IN COMMUNITIES. A LIST OF DOCUMENTS IS APPENDED. (MRK)