YOUTH CRIME AND YOUTH GANGS

 

Comparative Approaches to Urban Crime Prevention Focusing on Youth - presented by Margaret Shaw, Director of Analysis & Exchange, International Centre for the Prevention of Crime (ICPC), Canada.  PowerPoint (NOTE: This PowerPoint has several pictures so the download can take a long time).

 

The presentation gave an overview of some of the crime prevention problems confronting urban areas. Cities in all regions are experiencing rapid population growth, which places great strains on infrastructure, and on social and economic development. Young people form a major part of these urban populations, and are at great risk of exploitation, crime and victimization. They are often seen as the problem of order in urban areas, and a source of insecurity. Building on the Workshop on urban crime prevention and youth at risk at the 11^th UN Congress in Bangkok, the presentation discussed current concerns about urban youth crime including violence and gang activity, and the implications of the control and use of public space. It reviewed some recent experience and evidence-based interventions from the North and the South, including current ICPC work on urban youth crime and public space which places a strong emphasis on local government strategies and police and community action.

 

Successful Crime Reduction and Prevention Strategies in the Urban Context - presented by Sonia Stefanizzi, Professor of Methodology of Social Research, University of Milan-Bicocca and Officer-in-Charge of research activities of the Centro Nazionale di Prevenzione e Difesa Sociale and the International Scientific and Professional Council of the United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Programme (ISPAC), Italy. Paper

 

During the last two decades, the issue of urban safety - or, rather, of urban "unsafety" - has become a major concern for politicians and has attracted increasing attention from the public.  In the 1990s, this problem was the subject of numerous public awareness campaigns, organized by citizens' groups in many European urban areas, against the "degradation of urban neighbourhoods", the "spread of small-scale criminality" as well as against the presence of social "outcasts" (homeless, illegal immigrants, drug addicts, prostitutes, etc.) perceived as a threat to the safety of the inhabitants of urban areas.

In this context of "unsafety", marked by feelings of apprehension and social malaise, phenomena such as that of youth gangs can emerge and flourish. It is well%20known that the problem of youth gangs has been studied extensively and that many criminological and sociological theories exist as to the dynamics behind aggregation and the reasons that push young people towards deviant behaviour. The presentation ISPAC made during the PNI Workshop drew on a recent empirical study it conducted on the problem of urban safety in certain urban areas in Italy. It focused upon the distinction between "group delinquency" and "gang delinquency" and analysed the various typologies, motives and aggregation patterns of youth gangs in the Italian context (short-term associations versus more complex and structured associations, characterized by the presence of a leader and a shared set of rules).

 

Effective Crime Prevention, Including Youth Crime, in the Urban Context Based Upon Community Involvement - An Asian Perspective - Presented by Keiichi Aizawa, Director, United Nations Asia & Far East Institute for the Prevention of Crime and Treatment of Offenders (UNAFEI), Japan. Paper - PowerPoint

 

This presentation addressed the 'integrated approach' to the prevention of crime carried out by agencies and organizations concerned and people in the community closely cooperating and collaborating, in addition to the traditional repressive approaches. Particularly, the presentation emphasized the role of the community in the prevention of crime, the reintegration of offenders and the education of delinquent youth. In this context, the presentation introduced the activities of volunteer probation officers in Japan. It also outlined the measures that can be taken by the police and prosecution to prevent crime associated with urbanization such as community policing and community prosecution, and mapping analysis of reported crimes conducted by the police. Furthermore, as the representative of UNAFEI, an Asian-based United Nations affiliated institute, the speaker shared with the audience other Asian countries' practices in this field by highlighting community involvement in the respective countries.

 

SAFE & SUCCESSFUL OFFENDER REINTEGRATION STRATEGIS

 

Prisoner Reintegration Post-Release - Presented by Toni Makkai, Ph.D., Director, Australian Institute of Criminology, Australia. Paper - PowerPoint

 

The number of prisoners, the rate of imprisonment and therefore the costs of offender management are increasing the world over. Very few people currently imprisoned will spend all their lives incarcerated and a majority will go on to re-offend after they are released. The challenge to correctional authorities is to minimize re-offending while maximizing the gain from every correctional dollar spent.

On average, prison populations are characterized by a range of social, personal and physical disadvantage that can marginalize prisoners from mainstream society. The prison experience itself may further compound disadvantage and marginalization. Assisting prisoners to challenge disadvantage before, during and after their release may reduce the likelihood that they will go on to re-offend and may assist them to go on to become independent and productive community members.

Managed prisoner re-entry aims to cost-effectively enhance community safety through reduced recidivism but more broadly aims to reintegrate ex-offenders with mainstream society. The approach is gaining acceptance among correctional practitioners and researchers, who are now systematically exploring its merits and mechanisms. This paper draws on international literature to describe current theory and practice regarding prisoner reintegration. It includes a detailed description of the challenges confronting returning prisoners and provides a summary of key concepts related to prisoner re-entry and reintegration, with a specific focus on better re-entry practice.  

 

Private Industry Inside Prisons: More Than Re-Entry Preparedness - Presented by Cindy Smith, Chief, International Center, United States National Institute of Justice, United States of America. Paper - PowerPoint

 

More than 90 percent of the 1.4 million prisoners in US state and federal prisons will be released from prison and more than 40 percent will be released within one year.  This equates to more than 1,600 ex-offenders being released into the community each day.  Of these 1,600 ex-offenders, approximately 960 (60 percent) will be rearrested within 3 years and 400 (25 percent) will be re-incarcerated.  Re-entry - the process of preparing an inmate for release, transition planning and post-release - is the key to reducing this problem.  One of the programs that enjoy successful results in reducing recidivism is the Prison Industry Enhancement Certification Program (PIE).

PIE is a specialized program of private industry behind bars paying inmates as if they are free world workers.  The program has 9 specific criteria.  Research has found that the PIE participants - workers who earn the money and have a little savings upon release - have better outcomes as measured by finding employment upon release, staying employed longer before a break in service, and lower recidivism as measured by arrest, conviction, and incarceration.  This difference is approximately 5-10 lower recidivism and improved employment measures.  The program is implemented in diverse settings and across a wide array of inmates.  The results remain positive.  This indicates that it may be adapted to various cultures with positive results. 

 

Successful Strategies that Contribute to Safer Communities - Robert E. Brown, Director, Corrections Programme, International Centre for Criminal Law Reform and Criminal Justice Policy, Canada.  Paper - PowerPoint

 

The vast majority of offenders released from prison return to large, urban, metropolitan areas. Fundamental to the goals of both crime reduction and crime prevention would be to ensure that appropriate strategies are in place in the "urban context" to%20adequately address the significant number of offenders returning to the community.

The presentation highlighted several successful offender reintegration "strategies" that contribute to a safer community. Both process and program strategies were presented. Process strategies highlighted the benefits of enhanced inter-agency cooperation as evidenced by the English Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) model and the Canadian National Joint Committee (NJC) model. Program strategies presented included the Circles of Support and Accountability (CoSA) model that has been successfully implemented in both Canada and England.

 

Social Rehabilitation and Reintegration of Prisoners: A Perspective from Africa - Masamba Sita Ph.D., Director, United Nations African Institute for the Prevention of Crime  and the Treatment of Offenders (UNAFRI) Kampala, Uganda.  PowerPoint

 

The presentation focused on community based project "From Prison back Home: Social Rehabilitation and Reintegration of Prisoners".  It highlights the conditions for a successful approach to social rehabilitation and reintegration of prisoners in their communities of origin or choice. When successfully implemented, it contributes to a positive change of societal attitude and a reduction of recidivism - an effective and realistic crime prevention strategy in Africa. The project forms a vital best practice which is due for replication in other African countries.

 

RECOMMENDATIONS:

Comprehensive crime prevention strategies must include effective measures to prevent recidivism and to stop the cycle of failed adaptation by repeat offenders.

            The panel noted the absence of rigorous evaluations and the difficulty of identifying best practices n the area of offender reintegration.   It is still possible to identify some promising practices as well as the key features of effective interventions to reduce crime by facilitating the reintegration of offenders.

            Barriers to interagency cooperation continue to hinder the success of reintegration programs. Furthermore, it is becoming clear that intensive monitoring and surveillance alone have not produced demonstrable crime reduction benefits.  Research suggests that decreases in recidivism occur when an offender is subject to supervision control in combination with rehabilitative treatment in the community.   Finally research confirms what we already knew: the needs of he offenders are complex and they cannot be wholly addressed by already stretched correctional services.

            Offender reintegration programs must address the dynamic risk factors associated with recidivism.  Our experience to date suggests that the most effective programs are those which offer assistance in an integrated and comprehensive manner and address the many interrelated challenges faced by offenders (wrap around programs). They must be based on sound methods for assessing the needs and risk factors of offenders.  They also strike a balance between surveillance and control, on the one hand, and support and assistance on the other.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Gary Hill and Susannah Maio, Rapporteurs.

 

Summary and Comments by the Facilitator/Moderator