LATIN AMERICAN REGIONAL PREPARATORY MEETING OF EXPERTS ON THE PREVENTION OF CRIME AND THE TREATMENT OF OFFENDERS A REPORT - 5TH UN CONGRESS ON THE PREVENTION OF CRIME AND THE TREATMENT OF OFFENDERS, TORONTO, CANADA, 1975

• NCJ Number: 65640
• Author(s): ANON
• Date Published: 1974
• Length: 28 pages
• Corporate Author: United Nations
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Survey (Cross-Cultural)
• Language: English
• Country: United Nations
• Note: NOTE BY THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

Annotation

THE REPORTED LATIN AMERICAN REGIONAL PREPARATORY MEETING OF EXPERTS ON THE PREVENTION OF CRIME AND THE TREATMENT OF OFFENDERS WAS HELD IN PREPARATION FOR THE FIFTH UNITED NATION (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 COMMUNTIY WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE STANDARD MINIMUM RULES FOR THE TREATMENT OF PRISONERS ADOPTED BY THE UN; AND (5) ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL CONSEQUENCES OF CRIME: NEW CHALLENGES AND RESEARCH PLANNING. THE MEETING AFFIRMED THE INTERNATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE OF ALL CRIME, AND RESERVED FOR SPECIAL DISCUSSION SUCH FORMS OF CRIMINAL ACTIVITY AS POLITICAL ASSASSINATIONS, AERIAL HIJACKING, KIDNAPPING, DRUG TRAFFIC, AND TRANSNATIONAL CRIME SYNDICATES, PARTICULARLY IN LATIN AMERICA. RECENT CRIME TRENDS IDENTIFIED MORE SOPHISTICATED MODUS OPERANDI OF WHITE-COLLAR CRIMES INVOLVING ELECTRONIC DEVICES AND COMPUTERIZED SYSTEMS, AND NEW FORMS OF CRIME SUCH AS BANK ROBBERIES, ORGANIZED WITH MILITARY EFFICIENCY. IN ADDITION, INSTITUTIONAL AND SOCIAL FACTORS, URBANIZATION, AND LEGAL CHANGES HAVE GIVEN RISE TO INCREASED CRIME. OTHER ITEMS INCLUDED THE EFFECT OF MASS MEDIA UPON CRIME, COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS STRATEGIES, THE CRIMINALIZATION OF POLLUTION PRACTICES, AND THE DECRIMINALATION OF CERTAIN MINOR OFFENSES. IN GENERAL, THE PUBLIC IN LATIN AMERICA VIEWS THE POLICE AS MAINTAINING THE CENTRAL ORDER RATHER THAN PROTECTING BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS. TO ASCERTAIN THE ACTUAL COSTS OF CRIME THROUGHOUT THE CONTINENT, COMPARATIVE STUDIES ON AN INTERREGIONAL LEVEL WERE RECOMMENDED, AS WELL AS RESEARCH ON VICTIMIZATION. A LIST OF PARTICIPANTS AND DOCUMENTS ARE APPENDED. (MRK)