NCJ Number
55949
Journal
LAE JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CRIMINAL JUSTICE ASSOCIATION Volume: 41 Issue: 2 Dated: (SUMMER 1978) Pages: 7-20
Date Published
1978
Length
14 pages
Annotation
THE UNITED NATIONS CRIME PREVENTION AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE BRANCH HAS SET GUIDELINES FOR THE WORLDWIDE PREVENTION OF CRIME AND THE TREATMENT OF OFFENDERS.
Abstract
THE VIEW OF WAR ON CRIME AS A DOMESTIC AFFAIR OF EACH STATE IS OBSOLETE. AN INTERNATIONALIZATION OF THE ADMINISTRATION OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE IS ONE OF THE OLDEST WEAPONS AGAINST CRIME. LITTLE CAN HAPPEN IN THE FIELD OF CRIME PREVENTION THAT DOES NOT HAVE IMMEDIATE INTERNATIONAL REPERCUSSIONS. A MAJOR CRIME ARISING ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD IS SOON DUPLICATED ELSEWHERE AND THE SPECTRE OF INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM IS ON THE RISE. THE MANDATE OF THE CRIME PREVENTION BRANCH OF THE UNITED NATIONS IS TO MONITOR WORLD CRIME TRENDS AND CRIME PREVENTION POLICIES. THE OBJECTIVE IS TO ASCERTAIN THE DIRECTION IN WHICH CRIME IS MOVING WITHIN THE 149 MEMBER NATIONS. BY THE MID 1970'S THE BRANCH HAD DEVELOPED A SYSTEM OF INTERNATIONAL COOMPARISON OF CRIME AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE DATA. WORLD DATA WERE PRESENTED IN TERMS OF DEVELOPED VERSUS DEVELOPING COUNTRIES AND GLOBAL REGIONS. ON A GLOBAL LEVEL CRIME RATES ARE INCREASING ALARMINGLY. OVER A 6 YEAR PERIOD INTENTIONAL HOMICIDE HAS INCREASED 20 PERCENT, THEFT 46 PERCENT, ROBBERY 179 PERCENT, AND DRUG ABUSE 114 PERCENT. SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES EXIST IN CRIME RATES BETWEEN THE DEVELOPED AND DEVELOPING COUNTRIES. IN DEVELOPED COUNTRIES MORE THAN TWICE AS MUCH CRIME IS REPORTED PER CAPITA AS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, WITH 1835.3 PER 100,000 POPULATION COUNTED FOR DEVELOPED COUNTRIES AND 787 PER 100,000 FOR DEVELOPING COUNTRIES. IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES CRIMES AGAINST THE PERSON (43 PERCENT) AND CRIMES AGAINST PROPERTY (49 PERCENT) ARE NEARLY EVEN; IN DEVELOPED COUNTRIES CRIME AGAINST PROPERTY (82 PERCENT) IS VASTLY GREATER THAN CRIMES AGAINST THE PERSON (10 PERCENT). THE WORLD CRIME SURVEY PERFORMED THE TASK OF FINDING OUT WHAT PROGRESS COUNTRIES ARE ACHIEVING IN CRIME PREVENTION. THE STANDARD OF MINIMUM RULES FOR THE TREATMENT OF PRISONERS WERE INTENDED TO STIMULATE NATIONS IN THEIR CORRECTIONAL ENDEAVORS, TO IMPROVE AND COORDINATE CRIME PREVENTION LAWS AND PROCEDURES AND TO PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE IN THE FIELD TO MEMBER NATIONS WHO REQUEST IT. HOWEVER, IMPLEMENTATION OF UN NORMS AND GUIDELINES IS DIFFICULT BECAUSE LIMITED JURISDICTION AND RESOURCES HAVE MADE IT DIFFICULT TO HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE WORLD'S CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEMS. COOPERATION AMONG NATIONS IS VITAL BECAUSE THE UN CAN ONLY BE AS STRONG AS THE NATIONS OF THE WORLD WANT IT TO BE. AN APPENDIX, REFERENCES AND FOOTNOTES ARE INCLUDED.