NCJ Number
127696
Journal
Federal Probation Volume: 54 Issue: 4 Dated: (December 1990) Pages: 82-85
Date Published
1990
Length
4 pages
Annotation
The author went to the Soviet Union as U.S. citizen ambassador to share ideas and experiences with criminal justice counterparts.
Abstract
He found that crime rates in the Soviet Union are rising and that the criminal justice system is overloaded. The Kalinin District, for example, with a population of 530,000, is the largest in Leningrad. It is organized into 8 police stations, with 70 officers assigned to each station. Officials believe this staffing level is dangerously insufficient and that there should be at least 180 officers per 100,000 population. Reasons for inadequate personnel include low pay and complicated bureaucratic procedures for handling even the most minor violation of the law. In the Moscow District, murder and burglary have increased. A suspect can be kept in custody for as long as 18 months before filing charges. There are no jury trials, defense attorneys, or plea bargaining. Rather, trial courts are presided over by a professional judge with two lay assistant judges. The prosecutor submits a report of his or her investigation to the court, and judges conduct their own interrogation of the accused and witnesses. Guilt and sentencing are decided by a majority vote and may be appealed by either side to a higher court. For juvenile offenders under 18 years of age, a special judge is assigned to consider all possibilities for rehabilitation. The author found that Communist doctrine no longer disguises the realities of crime and criminal justice, but whether the government can cope with these realities remains to be seen. 3 notes