NCJ Number
165420
Date Published
1996
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This report provides an overview of the flow of information among the various institutions involved in the prevention and control of crime in Chile.
Abstract
The report describes the procedural events that follow when a criminal offense has been detected. It also describes and analyzes the statistical processes of the institutions involved in criminal case processing. When a crime is detected, it can produce a lawsuit in a criminal court. An offense may be detected by the Chilean Police, the Police of Investigation, or the courts. Once the case enters the court, the juridical procedure begins. It has two stages: summary and plenary. In the summary stage, the judge investigates the facts as presented to determine whether a crime has occurred, who participated in it, and to what degree. In the plenary stage, the judge disposes of the case by supersession or by judgment. Once the verdict is rendered, the parties involved can appeal to the Appeals Court and to the Supreme Court, whose justices confirm or revoke the judgments. In the summary stage, various justice agencies can provide information pertinent to the case. Every institution keeps records of case processing activities. The report concludes that the system of criminal justice statistics in Chile is not sufficient to allow a valid judgment on the magnitude or patterns of crime in Chile or to determine offender and victim characteristics. Statistics are distinctive for the institution that collects them, but they are useful only to that institution. The report concludes with a description of current efforts in Chile to create an integrated system of criminal justice statistics.