Crime and Violence in Central America : A Development Challenge - Main Report
Crime and violence are now a key development issue for Central American countries. In three nations El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras crime rates are among the top five in Latin America. This report argues that successful strategies require acti...
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| Language: | English |
| Published: |
World Bank
2012
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| Online Access: | http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/main?menuPK=64187510&pagePK=64193027&piPK=64187937&theSitePK=523679&menuPK=64187510&searchMenuPK=64187283&siteName=WDS&entityID=000333038_20110419233141 http://hdl.handle.net/10986/2744 |
| Summary: | Crime and violence are now a key
development issue for Central American countries. In three
nations El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras crime rates are
among the top five in Latin America. This report argues that
successful strategies require actions along multiple fronts,
combining prevention and criminal justice reform, together
with regional approaches in the areas of drug trafficking
and firearms. It also argues that interventions should be
evidence based, starting with a clear understanding of the
risk factors involved and ending with a careful evaluation
of how any planned action might affect future options. In
addition, the design of national crime reduction plans and
the establishment of national cross-sectoral crime
commissions are important steps to coordinate the actions of
different government branches, ease cross-sectoral
collaboration and prioritize resource allocation. Of equal
importance is the fact that national plans offer a vehicle
for the involvement of civil society organizations, in which
much of the expertise in violence prevention and
rehabilitation resides. Prevention efforts need to be
complemented by effective law enforcement. The required
reforms are no longer primarily legislative in nature
because all six countries have advanced toward more
transparent adversarial criminal procedures. The
second-generation reforms should instead help deliver on the
promises of previous reforms by: (i) strengthening key
institutions and improving the quality and timeliness of the
services they provide to citizens; (ii) improving efficiency
and effectiveness while respecting due process and human
rights; (iii) ensuring accountability and addressing
corruption; (iv) increasing inter-agency collaboration; and
(v) improving access to justice, especially for poor and
disenfranchised groups. Specific interventions reviewed in
the report include: information systems and performance
indicators as a prerequisite to improve inter-institutional
coordination and information sharing mechanisms; an internal
overhaul of court administration and case management to
create rapid reaction, one-stop shops; the strengthening of
entities that provide legal counseling to the poor and to
women; and the promotion of alternative dispute-resolution
mechanisms and the implementation of community policing programs. |
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