NCJ Number
94569
Date Published
1983
Length
57 pages
Annotation
This booklet presents proceedings and papers from a meeting designed to identify existing sources of information on crime trends and criminal justice in the European region, determine the needs of official bodies and the research community for such information, and provide advice on how the Helsinki Institute for Crime Prevention and Control Affiliated with the United Nations (HEUNI) can best meet these needs.
Abstract
Existing information systems were found to cover a wide spectrum of items, such as statistical data, information on legislative reforms, and research results. The experts agreed that despite all the difficulties in collecting, evaluating, and disseminating information on crime trends and criminal justice, there is a need among official bodies and in the research community for statistics and other data on crime trends and criminal justice processes as well as data on successful and unsuccessful criminal policy and crime prevention innovations. It was emphasized that data are required not only on the substance of these innovations but on the social, economic, and cultural contexts in which they were introduced and implemented. Experts agreed that HEUNI could play an important role not only in identifying the sources of 'hard' and 'soft' data but also in disseminating pertinent information on these sources. In foreseeing the role of HEUNI in the collection, processing, and dissemination of information, the experts emphasized avoiding unrealistic objectives by engaging in a slow but steady expansion of services to cooperating countries. Documentation presented by the experts at the meeting is included.