NCJ Number
72895
Journal
Police Studies Volume: 3 Issue: 2 Dated: (Summer 1980) Pages: 3-9
Date Published
1980
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This 1977 United Nations survey of criminal justice personnel, based on responses by 60 percent of member States, shows a higher proportion of police in developing nations but fewer resources committed to prisons and trial.
Abstract
The average numbers of law enforcement officers per 100,000 population were 302 in developed nations and 398 in developing nations. However, differences in such numbers among most countries were small. A high proportion of law enforcement officers correlated with high illiteracy rates, and high gross national product with lower numbers of police, notwithstanding higher rates of property crime in the wealthier countries. A greater proportion of police in developing nations was linked with a greater desire for social control in these new, undemocratic, strife-torn areas, or with possession of redundant police forces left over from colonial rule. Although information on prosecutors is limited, data indicates a wide variety of prosecutorial functions. Developing nations have an average of 11.3 judges and developing nations, 4.3 judges, per 100,000 population. Eastern European and other communist nations commit the greatest amount of resourses for trial and court facilities, although not significantly greater than Western countries. Moreover, the proportion of judges increases with literacy. Substantial differences are also noticed between developed and developing nations in proportions of corrections personnel, in that developed nations have 35 corrections personnel per 100,000 population and developing nations only 18. This seems to indicate a lower investment in corrections in countries where resources are scarcer, although little is known about prison policy in many countries. One reference is included.