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Publications in CEE/CIS
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THE DEVELOPMENT OF JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEMS IN EASTERN EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA
Lessons from Albania, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkey and Ukraine
This study based on in-depth assessment missions undertaken by an independent expert explore processes of juvenile justice reform, juvenile justice systems, UNICEF’s support to juvenile justice reforms and data collection and analysis in five countries.
The report finds important progress has been made in all five countries on developing aspects of juvenile justice, thereby protecting children’s rights: conditions of post-trial detention have improved; legal reform is underway in most countries; pilot alternatives to detention and specialization of some services are being developed, especially within judiciaries and police forces. Yet, effective measures such as mediation, probation, and attendance orders are only starting to be used by the judiciary. As for children committing offences who are too young to be prosecuted, the report shows they need fairer processes and positive, family-centered interventions. Sustainable progress will only be made when alternatives to custody, and adequate child and family support services are systematically and comprehensively made available by both government and non-governmental organizations.
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LOST IN THE JUSTICE SYSTEM
Children in conflict with the law in Eastern Europe and Central Asia
(May 2008, rev.ed.) This statistical analysis covering 20 countries reveals that the juvenile justice systems in many parts of Eastern Europe and Central Asia are not serving children or society well, and in many instances cannot fairly claim to be delivering justice. While reform is occurring and governments are working to align their systems with international standards, it is a slow process. Many children are simply dropping through the cracks, or disappearing into a ‘twilight zone’ of legal ambiguities and dire lack of hard data.
The importance of this report is that it provides up-to-date statistical information and documents the fact that justice systems in Eastern Europe and Central Asia are not ‘child friendly’ yet and that, in addition, many children are being deprived of their liberty , for “anti-social behavior” or for their own “protection” by administrative bodies that operate outside the justice system. |
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THEMATIC EVALUATION OF UNICEF’S CONTRIBUTION TO JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM REFORM
In Montenegro, Romania, Serbia and Tajikistan
(May 2007) This report describes and analyses UNICEF’s involvement and contributions to the juvenile justice reform in four countries over the period 2004-2006. General findings according to common evaluation criteria, human rights based and results based management approaches are described and mainly focus on the weaknesses that have been identified in UNICEF’s support to juvenile justice reform in the four countries. It is followed by a chapter on the positive lessons learned by those experiences, including an overview of the strengths of UNICEF’s programmes as well as its modus operandi and internal capacities. Opportunities that should be better exploited in order to become ‘factors of success’ are also presented, while a few ‘best investments’ (i.e. the activities that have had the best effects and impact) and key recommendations are identified for future interventions.
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REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL INDICATORS ON JUVENILE JUSTICE
Their applicability and relevance in selected countries of Eastern Europe and Central Asia
(2009) Data collection and management allow a good understanding of juvenile offending, prevention, law enforcement, administration of justice and correctional systems. Similarly, it allows monitoring of the implementation and impact of juvenile justice reforms. When data are not only collected and analyzed, but also published, they contribute to transparency and accountability of those responsible for developing and implementing humane and effective policies, as well as enhanced participation of civil society and academia.
Evidence confirms that progress is being made to centralize and share data from different parts of the juvenile justice system in five countries. Problems exist, however. Reluctance to publish information that may occasion criticism of public policies or agencies, while decreasing, continues to prevent the publication of certain data. The old habit of manipulating information to put the performance of an agency in a positive light – for example, by minimizing the gap between offences reported and offenders arrested – contributes to discrepancies between data reported by different parts of the system. Ideology still influences the indicators used, in particular indicators on the social background of offenders and the causes of offending, thus limiting the usefulness of data for the development of more effective approaches to prevention and rehabilitation. The improvement of data collection systems is not only a technical challenge; it also has social, political and cultural implications.
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