Global state of crime and justice
“Regular monitoring and analysis of crime trends and the operation of criminal justice system is important for measuring progress in strengthening the rule of law and advancing towards sustainable development.”
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The opening paragraph of this article is the conclusion of the 2015 United Nations Secretary General’s Report on the State of Crime and Criminal Justice released before the 13th UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice scheduled for April 12 to 19, 2015 in Doha, Qatar.
The report, which covers a broad survey of the state of crime and criminal justice worldwide, provides additional proof that crime and criminal justice are strongly related to development.
According to the report, corruption, especially, “has a negative effect on development through misuse of public funds, unfair competition and additional costs on service users, reduction in public trust and weakening of rule of law”.
Some violent crimes, such as homicide, robbery and rape have been stable or were on the decline globally across regions of the world.
The differences are reflected from one region to another and levels of economic development.
The report found that crimes connected to property theft has decreased. Motor vehicle stealing has gone down by almost half and burglary, by more than one-quarter.
On offences linked to drug trafficking, the report states that drug trafficking remained stable relatively but offences related to drug possession have increased considerably since 2003.
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According to the report, corruption was on the increase in low-income countries than in the developed parts of the world.
From 2003 to 2013, there has been a remarkable decline in various forms of crime in Europe but drug-related offences and drug possession have increased there.
Drug offences, such as drug trafficking have also increased in Asia and Oceania.
On intentional homicide, the report stated that the highest rates occurred in the Americas and the lowest in Europe, Asia and Oceania.
According to UN Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) estimates – about 437,000 people have been victims of intentional homicide in 2012.
The figure represents a global rate of 6.2 per 100,000 persons -- which shows a reduction of 1.4, from 7.6 per 100,000 persons.
The report regards inequality, poverty and weak rule of law, among others as factors that contribute to conflict and non-conflict violence.
It states that homicide in high-income countries has come down in recent times, while it has increased in low and lower-income countries.
On gender-related murders, the report found that men have been the highest among victims of murder worldwide.
However, in Asia, women were almost one-third of murder victims. Europe and Oceania recorded low rates of murders.
UNODC estimates indicate that “honour-killings” of women, and dowry-related murders, made up to 47 per cent of women killed worldwide in 2012.
Some 43,000 women were murdered by their husbands or lovers or family members in 2012.
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On prison population, the report noted that there were 148 prisoners to 100,000 persons between 2011 and 2013.
The number of persons in prison declined in Africa, North America and West and Eastern Europe but was on the increase in Central and South America and the Caribbean, South Eastern and Western Asia and in North and Southern Europe.
On Juveniles in prison, the report notes: “The number of children in detention is one measure of fairness in criminal justice.”
“In line with international standards, children should be arrested and imprisoned as a last resort and for the shortest period of time,” the report adds.
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The number of children in prison, according to the report, decreased between 2004 and 2006 and 2011 and 2013, from 12 to 13 per 100,000 children.
On pre-trial detention and prison overcrowding, the report indicated that more than a quarter of persons in prison globally had not been sentenced or were awaiting trial.
The highest number of pre-trial and pre-sentence detained persons occurred in Africa and Asia. Between 2011 and 2013, 40 per cent of such prisoners were in Asia and 35 per cent, in Africa.
Referring to the UN Standard Minimum Rules for Non-Custodian Measures, the report stated that all efforts should be made to reduce to the minimum the length of stay of people awaiting trial, while alternatives to pre-trial detention should be found as early as possible.
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“Pre-trial detention contributes to prison overcrowding which is challenging in most regions of the world. Overcrowding seriously affects prison conditions, limiting the possibility for prisoners to have basic services including healthcare and for rehabilitation,” the report adds.
There are 45 prison structures in Ghana which include l2 major prisons for males.
Ghana’s prisons held between 11,000 and 14,000 inmates in 2014. Only two per cent of the total were females.
It is unfortunate that Ghana’s prisons are notoriously overcrowded, poorly ventilated and according to a UN report, unfit for human occupation.
In a 2013 report, the UN special rapporteur on torture, Juan Mendez, said after a six-day visit to Ghana’s prisons that the squalid conditions in the prisons amounted to “cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment”.
The Argentinian human rights lawyer blamed the country for what he described as forced confinement in harsh conditions.
He added, “If there is inadequate food; if there is inadequate medical treatment; if there are insanitary conditions, these are, by definition, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment which violates the UN Convention Against Torture of which Ghana is a signatory.”
(therson.cofie@yahoo.com)