http://www.icar.org.uk/?lid=6840
"British Home Office officials who’ve been asked by the incoming Immigration Minister to prepare a report on a possible immigration amnesty have no shortage of foreign precedents to call on." [Links to several articles/reports]
Friday, June 30, 2006
Like a London bus... / ICAR Blog, 21 June 2006
http://www.icar.org.uk/?lid=6866
You wait months for a media monitoring report then three arrive all at once. But unlike the buses they don’t all look the same. I’ve already noted differences in research findings about the London and Scottish press , and apparent contradictions between the Scottish media research and an ippr investigation into Scottish public attitudes to asylum.
Here’s another: ICAR’s “Reflecting Asylum” report about London newspaper coverage of refugees and asylum, based on research conducted early in 2005 found that London’s papers overall showed ‘accurate, balanced and community sensitive reporting’. This was in contrast to the results of a survey in 2004 Media Image Community Impact which found the asylum coverage of the national press frequently unbalanced and inaccurate. But it’s also at odds with the UNHCR "Refugees" magazine report mentioned in an earlier posting , highlighting the ‘unremitting nature of the anti-asylum war-drums’ in tabloid coverage of asylum.
You could say the ICAR report focused on local papers, which are known to cover more human interest stories. But it also included the Evening Standard which comes from the same (Northcliffe Newspapers) stable as the Daily Mail, one of the tabloids included in the “Refugees” survey. And the "Refugees" report only picked out tabloids which are by nature sensationalist, and from them only those not known for their sympathy with asylum seekers."
You wait months for a media monitoring report then three arrive all at once. But unlike the buses they don’t all look the same. I’ve already noted differences in research findings about the London and Scottish press , and apparent contradictions between the Scottish media research and an ippr investigation into Scottish public attitudes to asylum.
Here’s another: ICAR’s “Reflecting Asylum” report about London newspaper coverage of refugees and asylum, based on research conducted early in 2005 found that London’s papers overall showed ‘accurate, balanced and community sensitive reporting’. This was in contrast to the results of a survey in 2004 Media Image Community Impact which found the asylum coverage of the national press frequently unbalanced and inaccurate. But it’s also at odds with the UNHCR "Refugees" magazine report mentioned in an earlier posting , highlighting the ‘unremitting nature of the anti-asylum war-drums’ in tabloid coverage of asylum.
You could say the ICAR report focused on local papers, which are known to cover more human interest stories. But it also included the Evening Standard which comes from the same (Northcliffe Newspapers) stable as the Daily Mail, one of the tabloids included in the “Refugees” survey. And the "Refugees" report only picked out tabloids which are by nature sensationalist, and from them only those not known for their sympathy with asylum seekers."
First do no harm: denying healthcare to people whose asylum claims have failed / Refugee Council, June 2006
PDF - http://digbig.com/4krdj
When the NHS was founded, universal access to free treatment was seen as the only way to make sure that the poor and disenfranchised got the care they needed. Today, we are turning away some of the most vulnerable and impoverished people in the UK to suffer and in some cases to die. We are violating that “basic human right” and we are excluding people because of their inability to pay. This report looks at the impact that the NHS Charging for Overseas Visitors Regulations has on failed asylum seekers who need hospital care."
When the NHS was founded, universal access to free treatment was seen as the only way to make sure that the poor and disenfranchised got the care they needed. Today, we are turning away some of the most vulnerable and impoverished people in the UK to suffer and in some cases to die. We are violating that “basic human right” and we are excluding people because of their inability to pay. This report looks at the impact that the NHS Charging for Overseas Visitors Regulations has on failed asylum seekers who need hospital care."
[Australia] Managing Sick Leave in NSW Police and the Department of Corrective Services : Follow-up of 2002 Performance Audit / AO, June 2006
PDF - http://digbig.com/4krdf
"The NSW police force is sick. An auditor-general’s report into the extent of sick leave being taken by NSW police officers has found the rate of sickies jumped 12 per cent in four years. But it could be even worse than that, with the inquiry discovering that records are not being properly kept. And all that raises questions about how bad is morale within the force?"
"The NSW police force is sick. An auditor-general’s report into the extent of sick leave being taken by NSW police officers has found the rate of sickies jumped 12 per cent in four years. But it could be even worse than that, with the inquiry discovering that records are not being properly kept. And all that raises questions about how bad is morale within the force?"
Analysis: Prison report hits home / BBC, 30 June 2006
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/5130368.stm
Dominic Casciani
"The murder of Zahid Mubarek "shocked and dismayed" the inquiry
In the months before the publication of the Zahid Mubarek inquiry, a question loomed over the entire proceedings. With so much time having passed since the teenager's death in March 2000, would it actually achieve anything or be a lame duck, giving comfort to the family and little else?"
Dominic Casciani
"The murder of Zahid Mubarek "shocked and dismayed" the inquiry
In the months before the publication of the Zahid Mubarek inquiry, a question loomed over the entire proceedings. With so much time having passed since the teenager's death in March 2000, would it actually achieve anything or be a lame duck, giving comfort to the family and little else?"
[USA] Study: Youth prisons don't deter crime / Record , 29 June 2006
http://digbig.com/4krda
SCOTT SMITH
"Locking up juveniles and adults in state prisons doesn't necessarily make California communities safer, according to researchers who released a study Wednesday that debunks the common thought driving criminal justice policy."
SCOTT SMITH
"Locking up juveniles and adults in state prisons doesn't necessarily make California communities safer, according to researchers who released a study Wednesday that debunks the common thought driving criminal justice policy."
Stereotyping terrorists: The usual suspects / The New York Times, 27 June 2006
http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/06/27/opinion/edervin.php
Clark Kent Ervin,
"To understand why reflexively associating terrorism with Arabs is ill advised, consider the arrests in Miami last week of seven men allegedly plotting to blow up the FBI headquarters there and the Sears Tower in Chicago. It may turn out, as the men's families and friends maintain, that they were merely harmless oddballs. But, if the government's allegations prove true, these men were Qaeda loyalists intent on waging a "ground war" against the United States in order to "kill as many devils" as possible."
Clark Kent Ervin,
"To understand why reflexively associating terrorism with Arabs is ill advised, consider the arrests in Miami last week of seven men allegedly plotting to blow up the FBI headquarters there and the Sears Tower in Chicago. It may turn out, as the men's families and friends maintain, that they were merely harmless oddballs. But, if the government's allegations prove true, these men were Qaeda loyalists intent on waging a "ground war" against the United States in order to "kill as many devils" as possible."
[Switzerland] Xenophobic Swiss want more integration / Swissinfo, 28 June 2006
http://digbig.com/4krcy
"More than half of the Swiss population are xenophobic, according to a survey designed to allow the country to compare itself with the rest of Europe. The study, which measures the development of xenophobic attitudes and rightwing extremism, also revealed that 77 per cent of those tested want foreigners to be better integrated."
"More than half of the Swiss population are xenophobic, according to a survey designed to allow the country to compare itself with the rest of Europe. The study, which measures the development of xenophobic attitudes and rightwing extremism, also revealed that 77 per cent of those tested want foreigners to be better integrated."
Shaming destitution : NASS section 4 support for failed asylum seekers who are temporarily unable to leave the UK / Citizens Advice, June 2006
http://www.ncadc.org.uk/newszine71/cab.html
Richard Dunstan
"Since 2003 there has been a 15-fold increase in the number of failed asylum seekers in receipt of so-called section 4 support, on the basis that they are temporarily unable to leave the UK for reasons beyond their control. The Home Office's National Asylum Support Service (NASS) failed to respond adequately to this increase and, during 2005, delay and error in the processing of applications and the delivery of support became commonplace. This resulted innumerous cases of avoidable and shaming destitution."
Richard Dunstan
"Since 2003 there has been a 15-fold increase in the number of failed asylum seekers in receipt of so-called section 4 support, on the basis that they are temporarily unable to leave the UK for reasons beyond their control. The Home Office's National Asylum Support Service (NASS) failed to respond adequately to this increase and, during 2005, delay and error in the processing of applications and the delivery of support became commonplace. This resulted innumerous cases of avoidable and shaming destitution."
Universal Jurisdiction: The State of the Art / Human rights Watch, June 2006
http://hrw.org/reports/2006/ij0606/
"looks beyond shrill debates about the concept and examines how it is working in practice. Based on interviews with judges, investigators, lawyers and officials in eight European countries, the report describes how some governments, including Britain, Denmark, Norway and the Netherlands, have created special war crimes units to conduct investigations across the globe."
PDF - http://hrw.org/reports/2006/ij0606/ij0606webwcover.pdf
"looks beyond shrill debates about the concept and examines how it is working in practice. Based on interviews with judges, investigators, lawyers and officials in eight European countries, the report describes how some governments, including Britain, Denmark, Norway and the Netherlands, have created special war crimes units to conduct investigations across the globe."
PDF - http://hrw.org/reports/2006/ij0606/ij0606webwcover.pdf
The Relative Effectiveness of 10 Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment Programs in the United States / Rand, June 2006
PDF - http://www.rand.org/pubs/technical_reports/2006/RAND_TR346.pdf
Andrew R. Morral, Daniel F. McCaffrey, Greg Ridgeway, Arnab Mukherji, Christopher Beighley
Andrew R. Morral, Daniel F. McCaffrey, Greg Ridgeway, Arnab Mukherji, Christopher Beighley
EU high court says states can limit family reunification for immigrants / Jurist PaperChase, 28 June 2006
http://digbig.com/4krct
Joshua Pantesco
" European Union nations may create additional requirements to family reunification where a child is older than 12 years old and arrives in the member nation as an immigrant before the rest of the family without violating fundamental family rights. The ECJ dismissed an action [PDF press release; full text opinion] filed by the European Parliament challenging an EU Council Directive [2003/86/EC text] that allows member states to apply national legislation to family reunification. [..] The ruling is seen as a victory for EU member nations who wish to have more control over immigration, an increasingly controversial subject in France, the Netherlands, and other states. The ruling permits countries to consider their capacity to accept more immigrants as one factor in whether a family should be allowed to reunite with a child already present in the country. Reuters has more"
Joshua Pantesco
" European Union nations may create additional requirements to family reunification where a child is older than 12 years old and arrives in the member nation as an immigrant before the rest of the family without violating fundamental family rights. The ECJ dismissed an action [PDF press release; full text opinion] filed by the European Parliament challenging an EU Council Directive [2003/86/EC text] that allows member states to apply national legislation to family reunification. [..] The ruling is seen as a victory for EU member nations who wish to have more control over immigration, an increasingly controversial subject in France, the Netherlands, and other states. The ruling permits countries to consider their capacity to accept more immigrants as one factor in whether a family should be allowed to reunite with a child already present in the country. Reuters has more"
Increasing Organized Crime Involvement Means More Targeted Attacks / Forrester®,
http://www.csoonline.com/analyst/report3896.html
Paul Stamp with Jonathan Penn, Merv Adrian and Benjamin Gray
"An increase of targeted cybercrime leads to organized gangs who are using more sophisticated methods. Attacks on computer security infrastructure used to be little more than indiscriminate acts of vandalism perpetrated by hackers who desired bragging rights more than anything. But the perpetrators of attacks and their motivations have changed. Security intelligence experts have detected the tell-tale signs of organized crime gangs and government espionage in attacks, and a hacker community much more motivated by financial gain than personal or political fulfillment. The resulting increase in attack sophistication means that companies must adopt a more vigilant and correspondingly sophisticated approach to defending their environments."
Paul Stamp with Jonathan Penn, Merv Adrian and Benjamin Gray
"An increase of targeted cybercrime leads to organized gangs who are using more sophisticated methods. Attacks on computer security infrastructure used to be little more than indiscriminate acts of vandalism perpetrated by hackers who desired bragging rights more than anything. But the perpetrators of attacks and their motivations have changed. Security intelligence experts have detected the tell-tale signs of organized crime gangs and government espionage in attacks, and a hacker community much more motivated by financial gain than personal or political fulfillment. The resulting increase in attack sophistication means that companies must adopt a more vigilant and correspondingly sophisticated approach to defending their environments."
FBI probes Toronto tie to foreign terror cells / Globe & Mail, 24 June 2006
http://digbig.com/4krcq
PAUL KORING , COLIN FREEZE and AND DOUG SAUNDERS
"Counterterrorism agents are probing links between the foiled plot in Toronto and Islamic extremists in other countries. "We are investigating possible ties between the Toronto suspects and terrorist cells around the world," Mr. Mueller said in a speech in Cleveland, Ohio, that gave the most explicit confirmation to date of international co-operation surrounding the Toronto cell.
The thwarting of an alleged terrorist plot to detonate truck bombs in downtown Toronto came after "high-level co-ordination, co-ordination between international law enforcement and intelligence agencies in Canada, here in the United States, Denmark, Britain, Bosnia, Bangladesh, and in other countries," Mr. Mueller said."
PAUL KORING , COLIN FREEZE and AND DOUG SAUNDERS
"Counterterrorism agents are probing links between the foiled plot in Toronto and Islamic extremists in other countries. "We are investigating possible ties between the Toronto suspects and terrorist cells around the world," Mr. Mueller said in a speech in Cleveland, Ohio, that gave the most explicit confirmation to date of international co-operation surrounding the Toronto cell.
The thwarting of an alleged terrorist plot to detonate truck bombs in downtown Toronto came after "high-level co-ordination, co-ordination between international law enforcement and intelligence agencies in Canada, here in the United States, Denmark, Britain, Bosnia, Bangladesh, and in other countries," Mr. Mueller said."
MUSLIM ADVISORY BOARD ON IMAMS TO TACKLE EXTREMISM / Adnkronos International, 28 June 2006
http://digbig.com/4krcn
"Four major Muslim groups in Britain have moved to support the government's efforts to tackle Islamic extremism, by setting up the Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board (MINAB). The new body seeks to ensure mosque personnel have a better understanding of British Muslims' needs and address their concerns more effectively. "As a secondary effect, MINAB will also reassure Britons that British Muslims are loyal to the UK principles and do not represent a danger," said Nadeem Kazmi, a senior advisor for one of the four groups, the al-Khoei Foundation."
"Four major Muslim groups in Britain have moved to support the government's efforts to tackle Islamic extremism, by setting up the Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board (MINAB). The new body seeks to ensure mosque personnel have a better understanding of British Muslims' needs and address their concerns more effectively. "As a secondary effect, MINAB will also reassure Britons that British Muslims are loyal to the UK principles and do not represent a danger," said Nadeem Kazmi, a senior advisor for one of the four groups, the al-Khoei Foundation."
MP's call for 'honest sentencing' / BBC Wales, 28 June 2006
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/5119288.stm
"David Davies said he wants a four-year term to mean four yearsA call for "honesty in sentencing" at the courts has been made by MP David Davies who wants to see an end to all forms of early prison release. The Tory MP for Monmouthshire also wants to stop the tagging and licensing of criminals."
"David Davies said he wants a four-year term to mean four yearsA call for "honesty in sentencing" at the courts has been made by MP David Davies who wants to see an end to all forms of early prison release. The Tory MP for Monmouthshire also wants to stop the tagging and licensing of criminals."
Ex-minister's immigration warning / BBC, 28 June 2006
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/5119892.stm
Brian Wheeler
"Mr Field urges a proper debate on the issue before the BNP exploits itUK politicians are "living on borrowed time" on immigration, a former Labour minister has said. Frank Field questioned whether current record levels of migration into Britain were "sustainable". And he told the BBC News website the UK was in danger of becoming a "global traffic station" for migrant workers."
Brian Wheeler
"Mr Field urges a proper debate on the issue before the BNP exploits itUK politicians are "living on borrowed time" on immigration, a former Labour minister has said. Frank Field questioned whether current record levels of migration into Britain were "sustainable". And he told the BBC News website the UK was in danger of becoming a "global traffic station" for migrant workers."
Almost half of Scots prisoners reoffend / Herald, 29 June 2006
http://www.theherald.co.uk/politics/64992.html
TOM GORDON
"Reoffending rates by criminals released from Scottish jails remain stubbornly high, with almost half of prisoners back behind bars within two years, according to new figures."
TOM GORDON
"Reoffending rates by criminals released from Scottish jails remain stubbornly high, with almost half of prisoners back behind bars within two years, according to new figures."
Canada's multiculturalism a threat or grace? / Aljazeera, 27 June 2006
http://digbig.com/4krck
Joshua Hergesheimer
It has been almost a month since the Canadian city of Toronto woke up to the news that 17 suspects had been arrested in an anti-terror operation. The suspects had been caught in a police sting after they tried to buy a suspiciously large quantity of fertiliser that could be used for bomb-making. Canada, the country north of America considered synonymous with the word peaceful by some or boring by others, suddenly hummed with debate on issues such as multiculturalism, the radicalisation of young people, and most importantly, the effects that global politics and world events have on Canadian society."
Joshua Hergesheimer
It has been almost a month since the Canadian city of Toronto woke up to the news that 17 suspects had been arrested in an anti-terror operation. The suspects had been caught in a police sting after they tried to buy a suspiciously large quantity of fertiliser that could be used for bomb-making. Canada, the country north of America considered synonymous with the word peaceful by some or boring by others, suddenly hummed with debate on issues such as multiculturalism, the radicalisation of young people, and most importantly, the effects that global politics and world events have on Canadian society."
Matching Fingerprints by ’Minutiae’ Can Be Accurate / Agoravox, 27 June 2006
http://www.agoravox.com/article.php3?id_article=4913
Ruth Schaffer
Computerized systems that match fingerprints using interoperable minutiae templates or mathematical representations of a fingerprint image can be highly accurate as an alternative to the full fingerprint image according to a study conducted by the National Institute of Standards (NIST). Minutiae templates are a fraction of the size of fingerprint images, require less storage memory and can be transmitted electronically faster than images. However, the techniques used by vendors to convert fingerprint images to minutiae are generally proprietary and their systems do not work with each other. Law enforcement agencies have long used automated fingerprint matching devices, mostly smart cards which include biometric information such as fingerprints. However the increased use and need for less storage space is driving the use of minutiae rather than full images. [Sub Required]
Ruth Schaffer
Computerized systems that match fingerprints using interoperable minutiae templates or mathematical representations of a fingerprint image can be highly accurate as an alternative to the full fingerprint image according to a study conducted by the National Institute of Standards (NIST). Minutiae templates are a fraction of the size of fingerprint images, require less storage memory and can be transmitted electronically faster than images. However, the techniques used by vendors to convert fingerprint images to minutiae are generally proprietary and their systems do not work with each other. Law enforcement agencies have long used automated fingerprint matching devices, mostly smart cards which include biometric information such as fingerprints. However the increased use and need for less storage space is driving the use of minutiae rather than full images. [Sub Required]
‘You can control crime’ / Spectator, 24 June 2006
Allister Heath
"‘You can do something about crime. You can control it,’ Bratton said. ‘The American experience has clearly proven that. In the 1990s we finally got it right. It’s like a doctor dealing with a patient. If you find the right medicines, you can take even the most severely ill patients and make them well. And you’re probably one of the most severely ill patients of the Western world. You need political will. You need smart policing, intelligence-led policing, you need resources. This is not rocket science. Fighting crime is not the most difficult thing in the world.’" [Sub Required]
"‘You can do something about crime. You can control it,’ Bratton said. ‘The American experience has clearly proven that. In the 1990s we finally got it right. It’s like a doctor dealing with a patient. If you find the right medicines, you can take even the most severely ill patients and make them well. And you’re probably one of the most severely ill patients of the Western world. You need political will. You need smart policing, intelligence-led policing, you need resources. This is not rocket science. Fighting crime is not the most difficult thing in the world.’" [Sub Required]
New York: Visible Policing Does Work / The Observer, 24 June 2006
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/politics/story/0,,1805556,00.html
"But only once have I witnessed the total turnround on the streets and that took place not in Britain but in Manhattan where I was living in 1993 and 1994. At the weekend, the place was a farmers' market for drugs, with dealers coming from all of the five boroughs and beyond to sell their produce. The park at night was a no-go area and on the streets leading to it, I would be stopped every 20 yards or so by men selling crystals or 'smoke'. Between the two sets of doors to my apartment building, I often came across people sheltering from the exceptionally harsh winter and smoking crack. The situation changed when William Bratton was made police chief and introduced zero tolerance policing by moving officers on to the streets. The park was reclaimed within a week and the dealers who used to station themselves outside my ground-floor window were replaced by two of New York's finest."
"But only once have I witnessed the total turnround on the streets and that took place not in Britain but in Manhattan where I was living in 1993 and 1994. At the weekend, the place was a farmers' market for drugs, with dealers coming from all of the five boroughs and beyond to sell their produce. The park at night was a no-go area and on the streets leading to it, I would be stopped every 20 yards or so by men selling crystals or 'smoke'. Between the two sets of doors to my apartment building, I often came across people sheltering from the exceptionally harsh winter and smoking crack. The situation changed when William Bratton was made police chief and introduced zero tolerance policing by moving officers on to the streets. The park was reclaimed within a week and the dealers who used to station themselves outside my ground-floor window were replaced by two of New York's finest."
Ethnic profiling fails Europe / International Herald Tribune, 29 June 2006
http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/06/29/opinion/edgoldston.php
James A. Goldston and Rachel Neild
"Six months after the deaths of two Muslim youths fleeing police sparked riots across France, many European leaders continue to equate security with tough policing of minority communities. Simply cracking down in Muslim neighborhoods won't work, however, whether the aim is to combat ordinary street crime or to halt terrorist violence. Indeed, the implicit premise that race or religion is an accurate predictor of criminality is a recipe for disaster."
James A. Goldston and Rachel Neild
"Six months after the deaths of two Muslim youths fleeing police sparked riots across France, many European leaders continue to equate security with tough policing of minority communities. Simply cracking down in Muslim neighborhoods won't work, however, whether the aim is to combat ordinary street crime or to halt terrorist violence. Indeed, the implicit premise that race or religion is an accurate predictor of criminality is a recipe for disaster."
Al-Zarqawi Post Mortem: How He Lost His Sunni Allies Prior to His Killing / MEMRI, 30 June 2006
http://www.memri.org/bin/opener_latest.cgi?ID=IA28406
D. Hazan
"Though Abu-Mus'ab Al-Zarqawi is no longer a player in the Iraqi arena, it is important to review and analyze the military and political circumstances in Iraq surrounding his killing. This report presents the deterioration, prior to Al-Zarqawi's death, of his relations with his Sunni allies, which had reached the point of violent clashes and mutual killings. This violence emanated from the increased political participation by Sunni organizations and parties in the elections and, subsequently, in the establishment of a new democratic government in Iraq - and from Al-Zarqawi's opposition to these developments. "
D. Hazan
"Though Abu-Mus'ab Al-Zarqawi is no longer a player in the Iraqi arena, it is important to review and analyze the military and political circumstances in Iraq surrounding his killing. This report presents the deterioration, prior to Al-Zarqawi's death, of his relations with his Sunni allies, which had reached the point of violent clashes and mutual killings. This violence emanated from the increased political participation by Sunni organizations and parties in the elections and, subsequently, in the establishment of a new democratic government in Iraq - and from Al-Zarqawi's opposition to these developments. "
Walker's World: British politics and sexBy Martin Walker / World Peace Herald, 29 June 2006
http://digbig.com/4krcg
"Something very odd has happened to British political discourse, and to what we might call standards in the British media. Last week, David Cameron, the new leader of the Conservative party, was asked by an interviewer on BBC-TV, whether he had ever masturbated to sexual fantasies about Margaret Thatcher. This week, Margaret Beckett, the new foreign secretary, revealed to an interviewer from The Times, that when she was offered the job last month by the prime minister, her response was to utter "a four-letter word beginning with F."
"Something very odd has happened to British political discourse, and to what we might call standards in the British media. Last week, David Cameron, the new leader of the Conservative party, was asked by an interviewer on BBC-TV, whether he had ever masturbated to sexual fantasies about Margaret Thatcher. This week, Margaret Beckett, the new foreign secretary, revealed to an interviewer from The Times, that when she was offered the job last month by the prime minister, her response was to utter "a four-letter word beginning with F."
Three out of four Swiss prisoners are foreign / Swissinfo, 30 June 2006
http://www.nzz.ch/2006/06/30/eng/article6859225.html
"Around 70 per cent of prisoners in Switzerland are not Swiss but not because foreigners commit more crimes according to a recent study. Researchers at Bern University concluded that foreigners are seen as "flight risks" by authorities and are therefore more likely to be sent to prison than local criminals. The report came as annual figures from the Federal Police Office showed the number of crimes, including those committed by foreigners, dropped in 2005 for the first time in five years."
"Around 70 per cent of prisoners in Switzerland are not Swiss but not because foreigners commit more crimes according to a recent study. Researchers at Bern University concluded that foreigners are seen as "flight risks" by authorities and are therefore more likely to be sent to prison than local criminals. The report came as annual figures from the Federal Police Office showed the number of crimes, including those committed by foreigners, dropped in 2005 for the first time in five years."
Terrorism Focus, Volume 3, Issue 25 (June 27, 2006)
http://www.jamestown.org/terrorism/news/article.php?articleid=2370040
BRIEFS
Arrest of American Islamist Highlights Homegrown Terrorist Threat
Pakistan Holds Secret Talks with Local Taliban
Surge of Bombings Rock Thailand's Troubled South
Pakistan Launches New Offensive in Balochistan
Syria's Abu al-Qaqa: Authentic Jihadist or Imposter?
BRIEFS
Arrest of American Islamist Highlights Homegrown Terrorist Threat
Pakistan Holds Secret Talks with Local Taliban
Surge of Bombings Rock Thailand's Troubled South
Pakistan Launches New Offensive in Balochistan
Syria's Abu al-Qaqa: Authentic Jihadist or Imposter?
Labour and Muslims: crack down and co-opt / Socialist Worker, 1 July 2006
http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/article.php?article_id=9139
Esme Choonara
"The government is pursuing a “carrot and stick” approach towards British Muslims. The “stick” has been very much in evidence in recent weeks. The police raid on two homes in Forest Gate, east London, on 2 June, in which an innocent man was shot, followed consultation with both prime minister Tony Blair and home secretary John Reid."
Esme Choonara
"The government is pursuing a “carrot and stick” approach towards British Muslims. The “stick” has been very much in evidence in recent weeks. The police raid on two homes in Forest Gate, east London, on 2 June, in which an innocent man was shot, followed consultation with both prime minister Tony Blair and home secretary John Reid."
The changing of the guard / Open Democracy, 27 June 2006
http://digbig.com/4krcd
William Davies
"A transforming political climate in Britain is shifting power in all directions. The momentous result for national politics may be that the home office becomes the principal department of government."
William Davies
"A transforming political climate in Britain is shifting power in all directions. The momentous result for national politics may be that the home office becomes the principal department of government."
What Am I Living For : A Report on Destitute Asylum Seekers and Refugees - Living on the Streets of Leicester / Board of social Resposibility
Anglican Diocese of Leicester, June 2006
PDF - http://www.leicester.anglican.org/bsr/pdf/Destitution_Report.pdf
Revd Gill Jackson ; Research by Dan Dube
PDF - http://www.leicester.anglican.org/bsr/pdf/Destitution_Report.pdf
Revd Gill Jackson ; Research by Dan Dube
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Fear in America / The Economist, 23 June 2006
http://digbig.com/4kqdw
"IT WAS a classic sting. Narseal Batiste, the alleged leader of a group of disaffected Muslim radicals in Miami, met a man purporting to be an emissary from al-Qaeda. Mr Batiste told the al-Qaeda representative that he wanted to wage a full ground war against the United States to kill all the devils we can.…"
"IT WAS a classic sting. Narseal Batiste, the alleged leader of a group of disaffected Muslim radicals in Miami, met a man purporting to be an emissary from al-Qaeda. Mr Batiste told the al-Qaeda representative that he wanted to wage a full ground war against the United States to kill all the devils we can.…"
Muslim futures / The Economist, 20 June 2006
http://digbig.com/4kqdt
"FEW questions are more important to Europe’s future than the integration of the continent’s 20m-odd Muslims. Non-Muslim politicians and officials tend to debate the how of integration. Muslims tend to debate the whether.…"
"FEW questions are more important to Europe’s future than the integration of the continent’s 20m-odd Muslims. Non-Muslim politicians and officials tend to debate the how of integration. Muslims tend to debate the whether.…"
[Somalia] Seeking calm amid the violence / The Economist, 27 June 2006
http://digbig.com/4kqdp
"SEVERAL hundred youths rioted on the outskirts of Mogadishu, Somalia’s war-ravaged capital, on Sunday June 25th. Throwing up barricades and hurling stones, they chanted slogans against the Islamic courts that recently took control of the city and swathes of southern Somalia. Others in the region, and beyond, are worried about the political and military implications of the rise of Islamists in the country.…" [Sub Required]
"SEVERAL hundred youths rioted on the outskirts of Mogadishu, Somalia’s war-ravaged capital, on Sunday June 25th. Throwing up barricades and hurling stones, they chanted slogans against the Islamic courts that recently took control of the city and swathes of southern Somalia. Others in the region, and beyond, are worried about the political and military implications of the rise of Islamists in the country.…" [Sub Required]
[Turkey] Backstory: A child's refuge in a migration maze / The Christian Science Monitor, 26 July 2006
http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0626/p20s01-woeu.html
Nancy Knudsen
"Strategically vital to the international community, Turkey has a bright future: a surging economy, a rising standard of living and a progressive if conservative government. Still it has its problems - the wide gap between rich and poor, inept and corrupt bureaucratic structures, weak social welfare systems, and widespread difficulties for women. And now, the European Union is exerting complex and contradictory pressures on Turkey as requisites to EU entry. On the one hand, Europe is pressing Turkey to improve its human rights record and act humanely to asylum seekers. On the other hand, it insists that Turkey prevent the illegal flow of refugees into Europe."
Nancy Knudsen
"Strategically vital to the international community, Turkey has a bright future: a surging economy, a rising standard of living and a progressive if conservative government. Still it has its problems - the wide gap between rich and poor, inept and corrupt bureaucratic structures, weak social welfare systems, and widespread difficulties for women. And now, the European Union is exerting complex and contradictory pressures on Turkey as requisites to EU entry. On the one hand, Europe is pressing Turkey to improve its human rights record and act humanely to asylum seekers. On the other hand, it insists that Turkey prevent the illegal flow of refugees into Europe."
[USA] Supreme Court's tough line on deportees / The Christian Science Monitor, 23 June 2006
http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0623/p02s01-usju.html
Warren Richey
"A ruling, expelling a man deported two decades ago, could penalize thousands of illegal immigrants. In a case with implications for tens of thousands of illegal immigrants and their families, the US Supreme Court ruled that a strict immigration measure requiring prior deportees to be automatically expelled from the country applies to any illegal immigrant who reentered the US, regardless of when. The ruling comes in the case of Humberto Fernandez-Vargas, a Mexican truck driver who was deported from the US several times in the 1970s and 1980s. In 1982, he returned and spent the next 19 years living and working illegally in Utah. He started a trucking company, raised a son, and got married. But when he applied to become a permanent resident, immigration officials had him detained under a 1996 law that requires anyone previously deported from the US be immediately expelled."
Warren Richey
"A ruling, expelling a man deported two decades ago, could penalize thousands of illegal immigrants. In a case with implications for tens of thousands of illegal immigrants and their families, the US Supreme Court ruled that a strict immigration measure requiring prior deportees to be automatically expelled from the country applies to any illegal immigrant who reentered the US, regardless of when. The ruling comes in the case of Humberto Fernandez-Vargas, a Mexican truck driver who was deported from the US several times in the 1970s and 1980s. In 1982, he returned and spent the next 19 years living and working illegally in Utah. He started a trucking company, raised a son, and got married. But when he applied to become a permanent resident, immigration officials had him detained under a 1996 law that requires anyone previously deported from the US be immediately expelled."
New profile of the home-grown terrorist emerges / The Christian Science Monitor, 26 June 2006
http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0626/p01s01-ussc.html
Patrik Jonsson
"Armed with few means but plenty of ideological fervor, an emerging corps of wannabe terrorists is scoping out skyscrapers, conducting terror-training camps, and, in one case, even attacking Americans by using a Jeep. The June 22 arrests of six men in Miami and one in Atlanta for plotting to destroy Chicago's Sears Tower and public buildings elsewhere provide the latest case in point. The band of alleged terrorists - which the government says pledged fealty to Al Qaeda but had no actual contact with it - has been characterized as "homegrown" because five of the suspects are US citizens."
Patrik Jonsson
"Armed with few means but plenty of ideological fervor, an emerging corps of wannabe terrorists is scoping out skyscrapers, conducting terror-training camps, and, in one case, even attacking Americans by using a Jeep. The June 22 arrests of six men in Miami and one in Atlanta for plotting to destroy Chicago's Sears Tower and public buildings elsewhere provide the latest case in point. The band of alleged terrorists - which the government says pledged fealty to Al Qaeda but had no actual contact with it - has been characterized as "homegrown" because five of the suspects are US citizens."
Sexual violence against women and girls in Jamaica / Amnesty,
http://www.amnestyusa.org/news/document.do?id=ENGAMR380022006
"Violence against women in Jamaica persists because the state is failing to tackle discrimination against women, allowing social and cultural attitudes which encourage discrimination and violence.T his violates the government’s most basic treaty obligations under the UN Convention for the Elimination of Violence against Women (CEDAW), among others. Shortcomings in national legislation do not deal adequately with marital rape, incest or sexual harassment, thereby encouraging impunity and leaving women without the protection of the law. Discrimination is entrenched and often exacerbated in the police and criminal justice system. Women and adolescent girls are rarely believed by the police, so have little confidence in reporting crimes against them. Evidence is often not sought effectively or professionally, and witnesses are rarely protected. In court, women’s testimony is explicitly given less weight than men’s, thereby depriving women of the right to equality before the law."
"Violence against women in Jamaica persists because the state is failing to tackle discrimination against women, allowing social and cultural attitudes which encourage discrimination and violence.T his violates the government’s most basic treaty obligations under the UN Convention for the Elimination of Violence against Women (CEDAW), among others. Shortcomings in national legislation do not deal adequately with marital rape, incest or sexual harassment, thereby encouraging impunity and leaving women without the protection of the law. Discrimination is entrenched and often exacerbated in the police and criminal justice system. Women and adolescent girls are rarely believed by the police, so have little confidence in reporting crimes against them. Evidence is often not sought effectively or professionally, and witnesses are rarely protected. In court, women’s testimony is explicitly given less weight than men’s, thereby depriving women of the right to equality before the law."
PORTABLE DNA PROFILER COULD REVOLUTIONISE CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATIONS / This is Hull, 27 June 2006
http://digbig.com/4kqcx
"Scientists in Hull are pioneering a device that is set to speed up criminal investigations. Today, Allison Coggan examines the project to create a portable DNA profilerIt Has become a vital forensic weapon in the fight against crime DNA profiling, also known as genetic fingerprinting, has solved serious crimes from terrorism to rapes and murders since it was first pioneered almost 20 years ago.Now, scientists from the University of Hull are leading research that could revolutionise crime-fighting.Their research could lead to portable DNA profilers, providing investigators with results at a crime scene within 30 minutes."
"Scientists in Hull are pioneering a device that is set to speed up criminal investigations. Today, Allison Coggan examines the project to create a portable DNA profilerIt Has become a vital forensic weapon in the fight against crime DNA profiling, also known as genetic fingerprinting, has solved serious crimes from terrorism to rapes and murders since it was first pioneered almost 20 years ago.Now, scientists from the University of Hull are leading research that could revolutionise crime-fighting.Their research could lead to portable DNA profilers, providing investigators with results at a crime scene within 30 minutes."
Public confidence in justice system 'undermined' / 24Dash, 27 June 2006
http://www.24dash.com/news/7/7391/index.htm
Keith Hall
"The most senior judge in England and Wales believes public confidence in the justice system is being undermined by incorrect media reporting about sentencing."
Keith Hall
"The most senior judge in England and Wales believes public confidence in the justice system is being undermined by incorrect media reporting about sentencing."
Respect agenda dissolves in self-parody / Neighbourhoods Blog, 26 June 2006
http://digbig.com/4kqct
"I don't know where to start with this. 'Respect Squad to troubleshoot inaction on Anti-Social Behaviour' screams Home Office press release. If you go to the HO website, it says: 'Home Secretary hits the streets for Respect.' More here. All of a sudden I've run out of derision.
The Home Secretary has marshalled ten experienced professionals to form the 'Squad,' 'a team of troubleshooters who can be called in to help local agencies tackle anti-social behaviour incidents causing misery to local communities up and down the country.'"
"I don't know where to start with this. 'Respect Squad to troubleshoot inaction on Anti-Social Behaviour' screams Home Office press release. If you go to the HO website, it says: 'Home Secretary hits the streets for Respect.' More here. All of a sudden I've run out of derision.
The Home Secretary has marshalled ten experienced professionals to form the 'Squad,' 'a team of troubleshooters who can be called in to help local agencies tackle anti-social behaviour incidents causing misery to local communities up and down the country.'"
[Ghana] Fake birth/death certificates at Passport Office / Accra Mail, 20 June 2006
http://www.accra-mail.com/mailnews.asp?id=17013
"Mr. Kingsley Asare Addo, a Senior Assistant Registrar of the Births and Deaths Registry has reported that three hundred and seven fraudulent birth certificates have been uncovered by officials of the registry posted to the Passport Office. He said, the fake certificates were uncovered following a new measure adopted by the registry last week to clamp down on the use of fraudulent birth certificates for the acquisition of Ghanaian passports."
"Mr. Kingsley Asare Addo, a Senior Assistant Registrar of the Births and Deaths Registry has reported that three hundred and seven fraudulent birth certificates have been uncovered by officials of the registry posted to the Passport Office. He said, the fake certificates were uncovered following a new measure adopted by the registry last week to clamp down on the use of fraudulent birth certificates for the acquisition of Ghanaian passports."
Ghana: Redeeming the Image of Ghanaian Passports / Ghanaian Chronicle (Accra), 21 June 2006
http://allafrica.com/stories/200606210136.html
Linda Akrasi
"Members of Parliament called for a way of redeeming the image, credibility and respect of the Ghanaian passport, which has been downgraded in recent times. This, they say, is because it is easier for people to acquire more than one passport."
Linda Akrasi
"Members of Parliament called for a way of redeeming the image, credibility and respect of the Ghanaian passport, which has been downgraded in recent times. This, they say, is because it is easier for people to acquire more than one passport."
Police fear terror cells may use outdoor groups / Herald, 21 June 2006
http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/64414.html
Lucy Adams
"CHIEF police officers are contacting outdoor activity groups following concerns they could be used by those organising terrorist training camps."
Lucy Adams
"CHIEF police officers are contacting outdoor activity groups following concerns they could be used by those organising terrorist training camps."
UK public slammed for 'shameful' attitude to anti-terror policing / 24Dash,
http://digbig.com/4kqcn
"A US police chief laid into the British public today for failing to sufficiently support efforts by police in this country to tackle terrorism. Bill Bratton, who now heads the Los Angeles force after a successful spell in charge in New York in the 1990s, said he was "shocked" at the attitudes he had found."
"A US police chief laid into the British public today for failing to sufficiently support efforts by police in this country to tackle terrorism. Bill Bratton, who now heads the Los Angeles force after a successful spell in charge in New York in the 1990s, said he was "shocked" at the attitudes he had found."
Child porn convictions to be reported to banks : Data protection amendment / The Register, 27 June 2006
http://digbig.com/4kqcm
"Police will be able to pass details of child pornography offenders on to banks so that offenders' credit cards can be revoked. The Home Secretary has issued an order for the amendment of the Data Protection Act which will be read in both houses of Parliament."
"Police will be able to pass details of child pornography offenders on to banks so that offenders' credit cards can be revoked. The Home Secretary has issued an order for the amendment of the Data Protection Act which will be read in both houses of Parliament."
Tube bombing victim's battle to recover / Ham & High Express, 23 June 2006
http://digbig.com/4kqcf
"JULY 7 terror victim David Gardner has spoken for the first time of being caught in the bombing and dealing with his injury. In an interview with the Ham&High at his Well Walk home, he revealed the full horror of his experiences a year ago."
"JULY 7 terror victim David Gardner has spoken for the first time of being caught in the bombing and dealing with his injury. In an interview with the Ham&High at his Well Walk home, he revealed the full horror of his experiences a year ago."
Monday, June 26, 2006
Feds turning to DNA testing in some immigration cases / Associated Press, 26 June 2006
http://digbig.com/4kpws
"Federal authorities are increasingly using DNA tests to confirm the identities of certain would-be immigrants, according to companies that perform the tests. Testing is done in cases where U.S. citizens or green card holders sponsor people they claim are close relatives to immigrate legally. In some instances, documents such as birth, marriage, school or medical certificates are missing or are not enough to convince authorities that the process is free of fraud."
"Federal authorities are increasingly using DNA tests to confirm the identities of certain would-be immigrants, according to companies that perform the tests. Testing is done in cases where U.S. citizens or green card holders sponsor people they claim are close relatives to immigrate legally. In some instances, documents such as birth, marriage, school or medical certificates are missing or are not enough to convince authorities that the process is free of fraud."
Right from the Start / FIRST, May 2006
PDF - http://www.focus-first.co.uk/first/pdfs/first-report6.pdf
Jane Lane
"Paper on the importance of tackling racism in early years education provision. In this paper, Jane underlines the importance of addressing racist attitudes and behaviours from an early age. Describing the barriers that presently prevent effective action against racism, she clearly sets out the steps that need to be taken both within early years practice and at local, ministerial and government levels and the positive impact such measures would have on racism in society as a whole." [Free registration required]
Jane Lane
"Paper on the importance of tackling racism in early years education provision. In this paper, Jane underlines the importance of addressing racist attitudes and behaviours from an early age. Describing the barriers that presently prevent effective action against racism, she clearly sets out the steps that need to be taken both within early years practice and at local, ministerial and government levels and the positive impact such measures would have on racism in society as a whole." [Free registration required]
Police requirements for digital CCTV Systems are largely being overlooked / CCTV News Portal, 26 June 2006
http://www.cctvnewsportal.com/cctv_news.asp?articleid=25520
"Thousands of companies across the UK could find themselves unable to prosecute thieves, vandals and intruders - despite having CCTV footage of break-ins.This is because UK police requirements for digital CCTV Systems published by the Home Office last year are largely being overlooked. And without the high quality footage needed to pursue a criminal investigation, UK businesses could be losing millions of pounds by unwittingly increasing their security risks and even invalidating insurance cover."
"Thousands of companies across the UK could find themselves unable to prosecute thieves, vandals and intruders - despite having CCTV footage of break-ins.This is because UK police requirements for digital CCTV Systems published by the Home Office last year are largely being overlooked. And without the high quality footage needed to pursue a criminal investigation, UK businesses could be losing millions of pounds by unwittingly increasing their security risks and even invalidating insurance cover."
Call for more out of court justice / Manchester Evening News, 25 June 2006
http://digbig.com/4kpwj
"ATTORNEY General Lord Goldsmith today gave his backing to the increased use of summary justice to deal with minor crime. The increased use of instant punishments such as fixed-penalty fines and anti-social behaviour orders was held up by Prime Minister Tony Blair in a high-profile speech as one of the keys to making the criminal justice system fit for the problems of the 21st century. He called for a change in the mindset of the legal establishment to accept that not all offences need to be the subject of often lengthy court cases."
"ATTORNEY General Lord Goldsmith today gave his backing to the increased use of summary justice to deal with minor crime. The increased use of instant punishments such as fixed-penalty fines and anti-social behaviour orders was held up by Prime Minister Tony Blair in a high-profile speech as one of the keys to making the criminal justice system fit for the problems of the 21st century. He called for a change in the mindset of the legal establishment to accept that not all offences need to be the subject of often lengthy court cases."
Vicious Circle / Magistrate's Blog, 22 June 2006
http://digbig.com/4kpwg
"There is nothing that the system has to offer this man, and his future seems destined to be exactly the same as his recent past: a cycle of prison and drunken vagrancy. I am satisfied that he is being dealt with as the law requires, but I beg leave to wonder what is the point of it all."
"There is nothing that the system has to offer this man, and his future seems destined to be exactly the same as his recent past: a cycle of prison and drunken vagrancy. I am satisfied that he is being dealt with as the law requires, but I beg leave to wonder what is the point of it all."
How to Build a Low-Cost, Extended-Range RFID Skimmer / Tel Aviv University, 8 May 2006
http://www.eng.tau.ac.il/~yash/kw-usenix06/index.html
Ilan Kirschenbaum ; Avishai Woo
"Radio-Frequency Identifier (RFID) technology, using the ISO-14443 standard, is becoming increasingly popular, with applications like credit-cards, national-ID cards, E-passports, and physical access control. The security of such applications is clearly critical. A key feature of RFID-based systems is their very short range: Typical systems are designed to operate at a range of 5-10cm. Despite this very short nominal range, Kfir and Wool predicted that a rogue device can communicate with an ISO-14443 RFID tag from a distance of 40-50cm, based on modeling and simulations. Moreover, they claimed that such a device can be made portable, with low power requirements, and can be built very cheaply. Such a device can be used as a stand-alone RFID skimmer, to surreptitiously read the contents of simple RFID tags. The same device can be as the ``leech'' part of a relay-attack system, by which an attacker can make purchases using a victim's RFID-enhanced credit card--despite any cryptographic protocols that may be used. "
Ilan Kirschenbaum ; Avishai Woo
"Radio-Frequency Identifier (RFID) technology, using the ISO-14443 standard, is becoming increasingly popular, with applications like credit-cards, national-ID cards, E-passports, and physical access control. The security of such applications is clearly critical. A key feature of RFID-based systems is their very short range: Typical systems are designed to operate at a range of 5-10cm. Despite this very short nominal range, Kfir and Wool predicted that a rogue device can communicate with an ISO-14443 RFID tag from a distance of 40-50cm, based on modeling and simulations. Moreover, they claimed that such a device can be made portable, with low power requirements, and can be built very cheaply. Such a device can be used as a stand-alone RFID skimmer, to surreptitiously read the contents of simple RFID tags. The same device can be as the ``leech'' part of a relay-attack system, by which an attacker can make purchases using a victim's RFID-enhanced credit card--despite any cryptographic protocols that may be used. "
Blundell’s Law says that results equal the opposite of intentions / The Business, 25 June 2006
http://digbig.com/4kpwf
John Blundell
"WHAT should we learn from the cocktail of comedy and farce that the Assets Recovery Agency (ARA) is costing four times more to run than it harvests? It comes as little surpise that the ARA is yet another failing offspring of the Home Office. Does any bit of that bloated bureaucracy in its swank new Horseferry Road offices work? Its brief got Prime Minister Tony Blair quite excited and we could all applaud the intention – to retrieve from criminals the loot they had stolen. Or should that be swag?"
John Blundell
"WHAT should we learn from the cocktail of comedy and farce that the Assets Recovery Agency (ARA) is costing four times more to run than it harvests? It comes as little surpise that the ARA is yet another failing offspring of the Home Office. Does any bit of that bloated bureaucracy in its swank new Horseferry Road offices work? Its brief got Prime Minister Tony Blair quite excited and we could all applaud the intention – to retrieve from criminals the loot they had stolen. Or should that be swag?"
After Londonistan / New York Times Magazine, 25 June 2006
http://digbig.com/4kpwe
CHRISTOPHER CALDWELL
"How London is managing its Islamist problem. Basically there's a fight between doing good ole' police work like forensic science and surveillance and community policing. " [9 pages]
CHRISTOPHER CALDWELL
"How London is managing its Islamist problem. Basically there's a fight between doing good ole' police work like forensic science and surveillance and community policing. " [9 pages]
Agencies to join forces in war on drug and alcohol addiction / Evening News, 24 June 2006
http://news.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=924872006
Andrew Picken
"SUPPORT for people seeking help with drug and alcohol problems in Edinburgh is set to be transformed with a new approach to assessing what help they need. Around 3000 people across the Capital are currently receiving treatment for problems ranging from heroin addiction to alcoholism but often these people are seeing a number of different agencies without all the groups involved being aware of this.!"
Andrew Picken
"SUPPORT for people seeking help with drug and alcohol problems in Edinburgh is set to be transformed with a new approach to assessing what help they need. Around 3000 people across the Capital are currently receiving treatment for problems ranging from heroin addiction to alcoholism but often these people are seeing a number of different agencies without all the groups involved being aware of this.!"
Five steps to stem the crime wave / The Times, 25 June 2006
http://digbig.com/4kpwd
"One of the most fundamental duties of any government is to protect its citizens from violence. Violent crime has more than tripled since 1997, the year that Labour came to power. The number of homicides per year has increased from 705 in 1997 to 954 in 2005. The number of rapes reported to the police has doubled to more than 14,000. And those statistics do not capture the horrific amount of intimidating violence on the streets of our cities: the gangs of hooded young men swaggering threateningly through residential neighbourhoods, the drunken hordes that congregate around pubs on Friday and Saturday nights, the drug dealers who carry guns and use them to wipe out the competition - and often kill or wound wholly innocent bystanders in the process."
"One of the most fundamental duties of any government is to protect its citizens from violence. Violent crime has more than tripled since 1997, the year that Labour came to power. The number of homicides per year has increased from 705 in 1997 to 954 in 2005. The number of rapes reported to the police has doubled to more than 14,000. And those statistics do not capture the horrific amount of intimidating violence on the streets of our cities: the gangs of hooded young men swaggering threateningly through residential neighbourhoods, the drunken hordes that congregate around pubs on Friday and Saturday nights, the drug dealers who carry guns and use them to wipe out the competition - and often kill or wound wholly innocent bystanders in the process."
Prisons inspector wants national strategy / Financial Times, 24 June 2006
http://digbig.com/4kpwb
Jimmy Burns
"Prison should be reserved for serious and violent offenders and prison numbers brought down through investment in housing, education and drug programmes within the community, according to the chief inspector of prisons." [Sub Required]
Jimmy Burns
"Prison should be reserved for serious and violent offenders and prison numbers brought down through investment in housing, education and drug programmes within the community, according to the chief inspector of prisons." [Sub Required]
[Australia]Parole spies to watch ex-crims / The Sunday Mail (Qld), 25 June 2006
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,19580683-1248,00.html
Kay Dibben
"A SPY network of surveillance officers will monitor convicted criminals who have been released from jail on parole.The 16 surveillance officers will target high-risk offenders under a new plan by the State Government. Details show some released offenders could be monitored for up to 24 hours, seven days a week. All offenders on parole will face possible spot checks, surveillance and random drug tests by officers in a fleet of vans from August. The surveillance officers might keep watch from a car near a parolee's home or do random doorknocks to question parolees about their compliance with release conditions or curfews. A team of five Corrective Services intelligence officers will analyse the risks of parolees reoffending."
Kay Dibben
"A SPY network of surveillance officers will monitor convicted criminals who have been released from jail on parole.The 16 surveillance officers will target high-risk offenders under a new plan by the State Government. Details show some released offenders could be monitored for up to 24 hours, seven days a week. All offenders on parole will face possible spot checks, surveillance and random drug tests by officers in a fleet of vans from August. The surveillance officers might keep watch from a car near a parolee's home or do random doorknocks to question parolees about their compliance with release conditions or curfews. A team of five Corrective Services intelligence officers will analyse the risks of parolees reoffending."
Middle-class guilt means we are doomed to more crime / Telegraph, 26 June 2006
http://digbig.com/4kpwa
Janet Daley
"In New York, they started by arresting the guys who jumped over the turnstiles in the subway instead of paying, and ended up turning a murder capital into the safest big city in America.
So here is the real mystery. Why hasn't it happened here? Why do British police still act as if the "little" crimes and the epidemic of commonplace destructiveness in the streets are beneath their notice? Why do they not accept that imposing order, as Mr Bratton said again last week, is an essential step to preventing crime? And why do the courts not actively support that concept of policing?"
Janet Daley
"In New York, they started by arresting the guys who jumped over the turnstiles in the subway instead of paying, and ended up turning a murder capital into the safest big city in America.
So here is the real mystery. Why hasn't it happened here? Why do British police still act as if the "little" crimes and the epidemic of commonplace destructiveness in the streets are beneath their notice? Why do they not accept that imposing order, as Mr Bratton said again last week, is an essential step to preventing crime? And why do the courts not actively support that concept of policing?"
Terrorist Finance Tracking Program Disclosed / AccountingWEB.com, 26 June 2006
http://digbig.com/4kpty
"Treasury Secretary John Snow announced last week the existence of the Terrorist Finance Tracking Program, according to a prepared statement. Data-mining, statistical and financial analysis and link-analysis tools have been employed in this effort to “follow the flow of terrorist monies.”
"Treasury Secretary John Snow announced last week the existence of the Terrorist Finance Tracking Program, according to a prepared statement. Data-mining, statistical and financial analysis and link-analysis tools have been employed in this effort to “follow the flow of terrorist monies.”
Bungle exposes bank files / The Australian, 26 June 2006
http://digbig.com/4kptt
"The banking details of thousands of Australians have been revealed and an international police investigation jeopardised in a bungle by Australia's peak internet crime-fighting agency.The details of 3500 customers from 18 banks, including names and account numbers, were lost when a classified computer dossier on Russian mafia "phishing" scams was misplaced by the Australian High Tech Crime Centre in April last year. Inquiries by The Australian have revealed a police officer with the AHTCC lost a memory stick - containing the dossier, between Sydney and London."
"The banking details of thousands of Australians have been revealed and an international police investigation jeopardised in a bungle by Australia's peak internet crime-fighting agency.The details of 3500 customers from 18 banks, including names and account numbers, were lost when a classified computer dossier on Russian mafia "phishing" scams was misplaced by the Australian High Tech Crime Centre in April last year. Inquiries by The Australian have revealed a police officer with the AHTCC lost a memory stick - containing the dossier, between Sydney and London."
Drug Courts: The Second Decade / [USA] National Institute of JusticeJune 2006
http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles1/nij/211081.pdf
"Topics addressed include how target populations and participant attributes affect program outcomes, the judge's role in the success of drug court participants, treatment issues, drug court interventions for juveniles, and cost-benefit analyses of drug courts."
"Topics addressed include how target populations and participant attributes affect program outcomes, the judge's role in the success of drug court participants, treatment issues, drug court interventions for juveniles, and cost-benefit analyses of drug courts."
[Spain] Government moves to integrate immigrants / Typically Spanish, 26 June 2006
http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news/publish/article_5046.shtml
"The immigrant amnesty granted by the Socialist government in Spain last year has been part of the growth in the number of immigrants living in Spain.Not that long ago it would have been strange to see an immigrant on the streets, and polls at that time showed the Spanish to be some of the least racialist people in Europe. Now however, with immigrant levels growing dramatically, and many crimes being linked to the immigrant community, the generous nature of the Spanish people is being severely tested."
"The immigrant amnesty granted by the Socialist government in Spain last year has been part of the growth in the number of immigrants living in Spain.Not that long ago it would have been strange to see an immigrant on the streets, and polls at that time showed the Spanish to be some of the least racialist people in Europe. Now however, with immigrant levels growing dramatically, and many crimes being linked to the immigrant community, the generous nature of the Spanish people is being severely tested."
Pennsylvania needs 'Jessica's Law' / McCall, 26 June 2006
http://digbig.com/4kptg
"Not every criminal case benefits from a legislated, mandatory sentence, but when a person is convicted of sexually molesting a child, strong laws are needed. After the 1994 murder of 7-year-old Megan Kanka by a released sex offender in New Jersey, Congress and the states passed laws to inform the public of sexual predators in their communities. They were known as ''Megan's Law.'' It requires all sex offenders to be registered, and lists varying amounts of information on them. It is estimated that there are more than 566,700 registered sex offenders in the United States. How many can be tracked down at any time is another matter. Hopes were high that Megan's Law would be an effective way of keeping the community aware, but there have been grievous gaps in its protections. The next step is ''Jessica's Law,'' and Pennsylvania should pass its version of it."
"Not every criminal case benefits from a legislated, mandatory sentence, but when a person is convicted of sexually molesting a child, strong laws are needed. After the 1994 murder of 7-year-old Megan Kanka by a released sex offender in New Jersey, Congress and the states passed laws to inform the public of sexual predators in their communities. They were known as ''Megan's Law.'' It requires all sex offenders to be registered, and lists varying amounts of information on them. It is estimated that there are more than 566,700 registered sex offenders in the United States. How many can be tracked down at any time is another matter. Hopes were high that Megan's Law would be an effective way of keeping the community aware, but there have been grievous gaps in its protections. The next step is ''Jessica's Law,'' and Pennsylvania should pass its version of it."
A manifesto for radical law and order reform: how Britain can beat the menace of crime / Telegraph, 25 June 2006
http://digbig.com/4kptc
David Green
"Intellectuals who see themselves as the progressive elite claim that Britain is the jail capital of Europe with more prisoners per head of population than any other European Union member, something they attribute to judicial savagery and popular vindictiveness. Others complain about judicial leniency. The Government has been getting increasingly annoyed with the British public for having an "exaggerated fear" of crime. Others point to increasing violence and disorder. How much crime do we suffer, compared with other countries and with our own history? In 1950 there were over 461,000 crimes recorded by the police. In 2004/05 there were over 10 times more, at 5.6 million."
David Green
"Intellectuals who see themselves as the progressive elite claim that Britain is the jail capital of Europe with more prisoners per head of population than any other European Union member, something they attribute to judicial savagery and popular vindictiveness. Others complain about judicial leniency. The Government has been getting increasingly annoyed with the British public for having an "exaggerated fear" of crime. Others point to increasing violence and disorder. How much crime do we suffer, compared with other countries and with our own history? In 1950 there were over 461,000 crimes recorded by the police. In 2004/05 there were over 10 times more, at 5.6 million."
Brain Fingerprinting and Civil Liberties / Intrepid Liberal Journal, 23 May 2006
http://www.politicalcortex.com/story/2006/5/23/222135/163
"Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (FMRI) otherwise known, as brain fingerprinting will revolutionize how governments worldwide administer security and criminal justice. The potential repercussions for privacy rights are devastating. In years to come governments as well as corporations will possess the tools to examine an individual's brain waves and attempt to determine if they're lying."
"Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (FMRI) otherwise known, as brain fingerprinting will revolutionize how governments worldwide administer security and criminal justice. The potential repercussions for privacy rights are devastating. In years to come governments as well as corporations will possess the tools to examine an individual's brain waves and attempt to determine if they're lying."
Three Thais nabbed in major passport/visa raid / Reuters, 26 June 2006
http://digbig.com/4kpst
"Three Thais have been arrested with thousands of fake passport pages and visas for various countries. Police also found 600 fake Malaysian and Hong Kong identification cards and 100 fake plane tickets at the suspects' apartments in Bangkok, a major Asian center for fake documents. But police said they found no link between this gang and any international militant network. At their apartments, police found 100 fake passport books and more than 3,000 passport pages for Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore, China, Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, the Netherlands, France, Japan, Australia, Germany and the United States.
They also found about 1,500 visas for Australia, Malta, Moldova, European Union, United States, Canada, Japan and South Africa." [Brief]
"Three Thais have been arrested with thousands of fake passport pages and visas for various countries. Police also found 600 fake Malaysian and Hong Kong identification cards and 100 fake plane tickets at the suspects' apartments in Bangkok, a major Asian center for fake documents. But police said they found no link between this gang and any international militant network. At their apartments, police found 100 fake passport books and more than 3,000 passport pages for Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore, China, Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, the Netherlands, France, Japan, Australia, Germany and the United States.
They also found about 1,500 visas for Australia, Malta, Moldova, European Union, United States, Canada, Japan and South Africa." [Brief]
Call for terrorism court / The Australian, 20 June 2006
http://theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,19526368-601,00.html
Natalie O'Brien
"AUSTRALIA has been urged to establish an exclusive terrorism court similar to the Northern Ireland judicial system to avoid disclosing potentially sensitive security information to juries. As Sydney architect Faheem Lodhi yesterday became the first person to be convicted by a jury of planning a terrorist attack in Australia, one of the world's foremost counter-terrorism experts, John Stevens, called for terrorism cases to be heard by a judge alone. The former head of the London Metropolitan police has joined Australia's top policeman, Mick Keelty, in arguing for a change to the justice system."
Natalie O'Brien
"AUSTRALIA has been urged to establish an exclusive terrorism court similar to the Northern Ireland judicial system to avoid disclosing potentially sensitive security information to juries. As Sydney architect Faheem Lodhi yesterday became the first person to be convicted by a jury of planning a terrorist attack in Australia, one of the world's foremost counter-terrorism experts, John Stevens, called for terrorism cases to be heard by a judge alone. The former head of the London Metropolitan police has joined Australia's top policeman, Mick Keelty, in arguing for a change to the justice system."
[Australia] 13 'jihadists' refuse to give DNA / The Australian, 26 June 2006
http://theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,19588235-2702,00.html
Richard Kerbaj
"MELBOURNE'S accused Islamic jihadists have refused to give DNA samples voluntarily to officers investigating their alleged terror plots, two months after police requested them through the suspects' lawyers. The 13 suspects declined to co-operate with investigators on Thursday when each was asked to provide a DNA sample that would be used to compare with the genetic material police have obtained from evidence. The accused men are among 22 suspects who were arrested in the nation's biggest joint police and ASIO counter-terrorism raids in Melbourne and Sydney between November and April. All the men have been charged with terrorism-related offences, such as funding, and being members of, a terrorist organisation."
Richard Kerbaj
"MELBOURNE'S accused Islamic jihadists have refused to give DNA samples voluntarily to officers investigating their alleged terror plots, two months after police requested them through the suspects' lawyers. The 13 suspects declined to co-operate with investigators on Thursday when each was asked to provide a DNA sample that would be used to compare with the genetic material police have obtained from evidence. The accused men are among 22 suspects who were arrested in the nation's biggest joint police and ASIO counter-terrorism raids in Melbourne and Sydney between November and April. All the men have been charged with terrorism-related offences, such as funding, and being members of, a terrorist organisation."
Saturday, June 24, 2006
Circles of Support and Accountability in the Thames Valley : The First Three Years April 2002 to March 2005
/ Quaker Peace & Social Witness 2005
PDF - http://digbig.com/4kpmd
""Circles of Support and Accountability have their roots in restorative justice approaches to
meeting the needs of those who have offended, those who have been victims of crime, and
their communities of care. They provide an alternative and yet complementary approach to
the traditional justice processes. (Communities as represented by volunteers were not thought to have much place with sex offenders but our work has shown that to be effective that dimension is critical)"
PDF - http://digbig.com/4kpmd
""Circles of Support and Accountability have their roots in restorative justice approaches to
meeting the needs of those who have offended, those who have been victims of crime, and
their communities of care. They provide an alternative and yet complementary approach to
the traditional justice processes. (Communities as represented by volunteers were not thought to have much place with sex offenders but our work has shown that to be effective that dimension is critical)"
Circles of Support and Accountability in the Thames Valley : The First Three Years April 2002 to March 2005
/ Quaker Peace & Social Witness 2005
PDF - http://digbig.com/4kpmd
""Circles of Support and Accountability have their roots in restorative justice approaches to
meeting the needs of those who have offended, those who have been victims of crime, and
their communities of care. They provide an alternative and yet complementary approach to
the traditional justice processes. (Communities as represented by volunteers were not thought to have much place with sex offenders but our work has shown that to be effective that dimension is critical)"
PDF - http://digbig.com/4kpmd
""Circles of Support and Accountability have their roots in restorative justice approaches to
meeting the needs of those who have offended, those who have been victims of crime, and
their communities of care. They provide an alternative and yet complementary approach to
the traditional justice processes. (Communities as represented by volunteers were not thought to have much place with sex offenders but our work has shown that to be effective that dimension is critical)"
Winning back trust / Jane's Police Review, 24 June 2006
www.policereview.com
David Tucker
"Officers are unlikely to build trust with communities if their only response to receiving information revolves around enforcement. Sets out how forces can rebuild confidence with vulnerable communities following the counter-terrorism raid in East London. In the early hours of 2 June, Met officers launched a counter-terrorist raid at a house in Forest Gate, East London, after receiving intelligence that a chemical weapon was being stored in the house. Nothing was found and after the raid, some media commentators and community leaders called for communities to stop working with the police. However, the Forest Gate operation and events such as the terrorist attacks in London in July 2005 highlight the need for forces and communities to work together even more." [Sub required]
David Tucker
"Officers are unlikely to build trust with communities if their only response to receiving information revolves around enforcement. Sets out how forces can rebuild confidence with vulnerable communities following the counter-terrorism raid in East London. In the early hours of 2 June, Met officers launched a counter-terrorist raid at a house in Forest Gate, East London, after receiving intelligence that a chemical weapon was being stored in the house. Nothing was found and after the raid, some media commentators and community leaders called for communities to stop working with the police. However, the Forest Gate operation and events such as the terrorist attacks in London in July 2005 highlight the need for forces and communities to work together even more." [Sub required]
In with the new / Jane's Police Review, 24 June 2006
www.policereview.com
Andrew Kay and Jayne Cowell
"The Professionalising Investigation Programme will ensure consistent, rigorous investigations of everything from the theft of milk bottles to multiple murder inquiries. For the first time, British policing is to have consistent, rigorous investigative standards and the wherewithal to train top-class investigators. The system that is making this happen - the Professionalising Investigation Programme (PIP) - is focused on improving operational performance in the police service. As discussed in last week's Police Review (PR, 16 June), it is a national programme of reforms. It is designed to give police officers and staff the knowledge and skills they need to investigate crime professionally and effectively. It comprises a series of learning and development programmes that will standardise investigator training and investigative practices." [Sub Required]
Andrew Kay and Jayne Cowell
"The Professionalising Investigation Programme will ensure consistent, rigorous investigations of everything from the theft of milk bottles to multiple murder inquiries. For the first time, British policing is to have consistent, rigorous investigative standards and the wherewithal to train top-class investigators. The system that is making this happen - the Professionalising Investigation Programme (PIP) - is focused on improving operational performance in the police service. As discussed in last week's Police Review (PR, 16 June), it is a national programme of reforms. It is designed to give police officers and staff the knowledge and skills they need to investigate crime professionally and effectively. It comprises a series of learning and development programmes that will standardise investigator training and investigative practices." [Sub Required]
Jane's Police Review, 24 June 2006
www.policereview.com [Sub required]
Terrorism tactics 'need more scrutiny'
THE response to the Forest Gate counter-terrorism raid has shown that the service needs to 'take risks' to become more 'open and accountable', according to ...21-Jun-2006
Potential terrorists 'should be diverted and not criminalised'
POTENTIAL terrorists could be managed in the community in the same way as some sex offenders, a member of ACPO's National Community Tension Team said ...21-Jun-2006
Commissioner urges forces to embrace a 'culture of openness'
FORCES need to be more open about the way officers go about their jobs, the outgoing City of London Police commissioner has said. James Hart...21-Jun-2006
Cultural knowledge 'comes with the job'
COMMUNITY officers need to gain a greater understanding of faith issues to improve relations between communities and the police, according to the ACPO lead on ...21-Jun-2006
Authorities could overrule force mergersPOLICE authorities could have control over whether or not force mergers can go ahead, following a vote in the House of Lords this week. Conservative...21-Jun-2006
'Tolerance' is the key to winning trust
FRONTLINE officers need to be more tolerant of behaviour that could be perceived at first glance as unacceptable or they risk marginalising certain groups and ...21-Jun-2006
Service needs to do more to tackle fraud
THE service needs to become more sophisticated in the way it handles fraud intelligence, the ACPO lead on economic crime has urged. James Hart, who...21-Jun-2006
Kent CSOs to be issued with stab vestsA MOVE to issue every community support officer in Kent with a stab proof vest seems to have been made because they are being sent ...21-Jun-2006
Terrorism tactics 'need more scrutiny'
THE response to the Forest Gate counter-terrorism raid has shown that the service needs to 'take risks' to become more 'open and accountable', according to ...21-Jun-2006
Potential terrorists 'should be diverted and not criminalised'
POTENTIAL terrorists could be managed in the community in the same way as some sex offenders, a member of ACPO's National Community Tension Team said ...21-Jun-2006
Commissioner urges forces to embrace a 'culture of openness'
FORCES need to be more open about the way officers go about their jobs, the outgoing City of London Police commissioner has said. James Hart...21-Jun-2006
Cultural knowledge 'comes with the job'
COMMUNITY officers need to gain a greater understanding of faith issues to improve relations between communities and the police, according to the ACPO lead on ...21-Jun-2006
Authorities could overrule force mergersPOLICE authorities could have control over whether or not force mergers can go ahead, following a vote in the House of Lords this week. Conservative...21-Jun-2006
'Tolerance' is the key to winning trust
FRONTLINE officers need to be more tolerant of behaviour that could be perceived at first glance as unacceptable or they risk marginalising certain groups and ...21-Jun-2006
Service needs to do more to tackle fraud
THE service needs to become more sophisticated in the way it handles fraud intelligence, the ACPO lead on economic crime has urged. James Hart, who...21-Jun-2006
Kent CSOs to be issued with stab vestsA MOVE to issue every community support officer in Kent with a stab proof vest seems to have been made because they are being sent ...21-Jun-2006
Terrorism Focus, Volume 3, Issue 24 (June 20, 2006)
http://www.jamestown.org/terrorism/news/article.php?articleid=2370034
Who's Who in Ramadi Among the Insurgent Groups
Lydia Khalil
Crackdown Against Islamist Opposition in Morocco Intensifies
Chris Zambelis
A Profile of al-Qaeda's New Leader in Iraq: Abu Ayyub al-Masri
Abdul Hameed Bakier
Insurgents Switch Tactics in Waziristan
Sohail Abdul Nasir
New York Subway Plot and al-Qaeda's WMD Strategy
Michael Scheuer
Who's Who in Ramadi Among the Insurgent Groups
Lydia Khalil
Crackdown Against Islamist Opposition in Morocco Intensifies
Chris Zambelis
A Profile of al-Qaeda's New Leader in Iraq: Abu Ayyub al-Masri
Abdul Hameed Bakier
Insurgents Switch Tactics in Waziristan
Sohail Abdul Nasir
New York Subway Plot and al-Qaeda's WMD Strategy
Michael Scheuer
Why are only Muslims in Britain being accused of disloyalty, when the whole of British society has little trust in the authorities? / Khilafah, 23 Jun
http://digbig.com/4kpkw
"Muslims in Britain find themselves once again at the receiving end of police brutality, media demonisation and questions over their loyalty to the society they live in. After the botched 'terror raid' in Forest Gate where a young, innocent Muslim Mohammed Abdul-Kahar was shot by police in his home, attention focussed on relations between the Police and the Muslim community. Newly elected MCB President Muhammad Abdul Bari said, "The danger is the trust between the community and the police may be broken."
"Muslims in Britain find themselves once again at the receiving end of police brutality, media demonisation and questions over their loyalty to the society they live in. After the botched 'terror raid' in Forest Gate where a young, innocent Muslim Mohammed Abdul-Kahar was shot by police in his home, attention focussed on relations between the Police and the Muslim community. Newly elected MCB President Muhammad Abdul Bari said, "The danger is the trust between the community and the police may be broken."
Government Computing Expo 2006: nice conference, shame about the venue / Computing, 23 June 2006
http://digbig.com/4kpkt
James Murray - IT Week,
"Public sector IT has come a long way but systemic changes are still needed to gain the public's respect. Change the way the government predicts costs for large-scale IT projects. Thesituation remains unchallenged because the Treasury accepts that keeping the estimates for IT projects low, however spurious the numbers may be, makes it far easier to get ultimately beneficial systems approved by Parliament. Breaking this cycle of inaccuracy would allow the government to finally enforce the culture of accountability that is desperately needed to restore confidence in public sector IT projects. But where is the accountability when government IT failures occur? The minister in charge always takes a pounding as they trot out the same tired excuses; the IT providers usually get a lot of flak for being incompetent, money-grabbing racketeers; but the Teflon civil servants simply keep their heads down and move on to the next project."
James Murray - IT Week,
"Public sector IT has come a long way but systemic changes are still needed to gain the public's respect. Change the way the government predicts costs for large-scale IT projects. Thesituation remains unchallenged because the Treasury accepts that keeping the estimates for IT projects low, however spurious the numbers may be, makes it far easier to get ultimately beneficial systems approved by Parliament. Breaking this cycle of inaccuracy would allow the government to finally enforce the culture of accountability that is desperately needed to restore confidence in public sector IT projects. But where is the accountability when government IT failures occur? The minister in charge always takes a pounding as they trot out the same tired excuses; the IT providers usually get a lot of flak for being incompetent, money-grabbing racketeers; but the Teflon civil servants simply keep their heads down and move on to the next project."
Multiculturalism Could Be the Death of a Nation
The Social Contract (Spring 2006)
http://digbig.com/4kpks
James Pinkerton
"The lesson of the Muhammad cartoon controversy is Multiculturalism between nations is inevitable, but multiculturalism within nations is disastrous. Protests, many of them violent, have erupted across the world - including Europe, Australia, and New Zealand - after the appearance of cartoons depicting the Muslim prophet Muhammad in unflattering ways. It’s time for all of us to recognize that different cultures have different values. For the West, broadly speaking, the highest value is freedom, including freedom of religious expression. But for the Muslim world, the highest value seems to be Islamic piety. To draw such a distinction between West and East is not to endorse cultural relativism; it’s simply to take note of cultural reality."
http://digbig.com/4kpks
James Pinkerton
"The lesson of the Muhammad cartoon controversy is Multiculturalism between nations is inevitable, but multiculturalism within nations is disastrous. Protests, many of them violent, have erupted across the world - including Europe, Australia, and New Zealand - after the appearance of cartoons depicting the Muslim prophet Muhammad in unflattering ways. It’s time for all of us to recognize that different cultures have different values. For the West, broadly speaking, the highest value is freedom, including freedom of religious expression. But for the Muslim world, the highest value seems to be Islamic piety. To draw such a distinction between West and East is not to endorse cultural relativism; it’s simply to take note of cultural reality."
Are Sentences Too Lenient? / YouGov, 14 June 2006
http://digbig.com/4kpkr
JOHN HUMPHRYS
"How long should criminals spend in prison? It's a question that always raises the temperature not least when it's felt that many of them are getting off too leniently. "
JOHN HUMPHRYS
"How long should criminals spend in prison? It's a question that always raises the temperature not least when it's felt that many of them are getting off too leniently. "
The Economics of Immigration Enforcement : Assessing Costs and Benefits of Mass Deportation
The Social Contract (Spring 2006)
http://digbig.com/4kpkq
Edwin Rubenstein
[This essay contains several charts which can only be viewed in the pdf version.]
PDF - http://www.thesocialcontract.com/pdf/sixteen-three/xvi-3-194.pdf
http://digbig.com/4kpkq
Edwin Rubenstein
[This essay contains several charts which can only be viewed in the pdf version.]
PDF - http://www.thesocialcontract.com/pdf/sixteen-three/xvi-3-194.pdf
The Great Divide: How Westerners and Muslims View Each Other / Pew Research Centre, 22 June 2006
http://pewglobal.org/reports/display.php?ReportID=253
"Europe's Muslims More Moderate"
Introduction and Summary
I. Muslims and the West - How Each Sees The Other
II. The Rift Between Muslims and the West: Causes and Consequences
III. Islam, Modernity and TerrorismVoices from Countries
Methodological Appendix
Country Profiles
Questionnaire
"Europe's Muslims More Moderate"
Introduction and Summary
I. Muslims and the West - How Each Sees The Other
II. The Rift Between Muslims and the West: Causes and Consequences
III. Islam, Modernity and TerrorismVoices from Countries
Methodological Appendix
Country Profiles
Questionnaire
Official Confusion - website
http://officialconfusion.com/77/index.html
Over 300 hundred documents and media files relating to 7th July bombings.
Over 300 hundred documents and media files relating to 7th July bombings.
GIVE US OUR BOBBY BACK! / Grantham Today, 23 June 2006
http://digbig.com/4kpkp
"Disappointed pupils at the National Junior School have written to Tony Blair in protest over the withdrawal of a police officer and the possible loss of school nurse services. Year 6 pupils were upset when Pc Tom McGibbon was put back on the beat, which means he is unable to carry out the six-week citizenship course, help with drugs education or talk in assembly.Teacher and healthy schools coordinator Mari Mander said: "It was a bolt out of the blue to us. He's a brilliant policeman for schools. The children were so disappointed and upset."
"Disappointed pupils at the National Junior School have written to Tony Blair in protest over the withdrawal of a police officer and the possible loss of school nurse services. Year 6 pupils were upset when Pc Tom McGibbon was put back on the beat, which means he is unable to carry out the six-week citizenship course, help with drugs education or talk in assembly.Teacher and healthy schools coordinator Mari Mander said: "It was a bolt out of the blue to us. He's a brilliant policeman for schools. The children were so disappointed and upset."
Multiculturalism works fine / Ottawa Citizen, 23 June 2006
http://digbig.com/4kpkn
Peter Beyer
"The suggestion is that this a problem of the failed integration of newcomers into our society, and above all that these young people are typical of a portion of our population that is dangerously caught between two contradictory worlds. As Robert Sibley put it in this newspaper ("Rethinking multiculturalism," June 10): "Western-born Muslims straddle a fault line. Their parents and community leaders want them to act according to the traditions of an Islamic society in which they have never lived. At the same time, they confront a secular society replete with all the lures of a hedonistic ethos they have been taught to despise." While this kind of argument may seem plausible and probably does describe the situation of some Muslim youths in Canada, perhaps even one or two of those arrested, it is also seriously flawed if applied to Canada's Muslim youth in general, a group that now arguably numbers more than 300,000. There is no crisis among second-generation Muslim Canadians; even the very religious tend to be integrated into society"
Peter Beyer
"The suggestion is that this a problem of the failed integration of newcomers into our society, and above all that these young people are typical of a portion of our population that is dangerously caught between two contradictory worlds. As Robert Sibley put it in this newspaper ("Rethinking multiculturalism," June 10): "Western-born Muslims straddle a fault line. Their parents and community leaders want them to act according to the traditions of an Islamic society in which they have never lived. At the same time, they confront a secular society replete with all the lures of a hedonistic ethos they have been taught to despise." While this kind of argument may seem plausible and probably does describe the situation of some Muslim youths in Canada, perhaps even one or two of those arrested, it is also seriously flawed if applied to Canada's Muslim youth in general, a group that now arguably numbers more than 300,000. There is no crisis among second-generation Muslim Canadians; even the very religious tend to be integrated into society"
Paedophiles need support, not persecution : Why Megan's Law places children in danger / Independent, 20 June 2006
http://www.johannhari.com/archive/article.php?id=910
Johann Hari
"Now that John Reid is considering caving in to the News of the World’s incessant demand for the government to publish the name and address of every paedophile in the country, Britain’s conversion into a Murdochracy is almost complete. If they moved the Home Office to Wapping and turned every last Sun snarl into law, would anybody notice the difference now? Yet at first glance, this particular proposal might sound like common sense."
Johann Hari
"Now that John Reid is considering caving in to the News of the World’s incessant demand for the government to publish the name and address of every paedophile in the country, Britain’s conversion into a Murdochracy is almost complete. If they moved the Home Office to Wapping and turned every last Sun snarl into law, would anybody notice the difference now? Yet at first glance, this particular proposal might sound like common sense."
Restoring the confidence of victims / Comment is Free, Guardian, 23 June 2006
http://digbig.com/4kpkm
Erwin James
"If the government is serious about 'rebalancing' the criminal justice system it should look at what is going on in Northern Ireland. I'm suspicious of the government's call for the criminal justice system to be "rebalanced in favour of the victim". If it is serious then why has it made no mention of the success it has been having with the restorative justice programme it supports in Northern Ireland? Over there restorative justice is an integral part of the juvenile justice system. By statute all offenders aged 10 to 17 have to be referred to the Youth Justice Agency to be considered for participation in a "youth conference". Here young people who offend are brought face to face with their victims. "
Erwin James
"If the government is serious about 'rebalancing' the criminal justice system it should look at what is going on in Northern Ireland. I'm suspicious of the government's call for the criminal justice system to be "rebalanced in favour of the victim". If it is serious then why has it made no mention of the success it has been having with the restorative justice programme it supports in Northern Ireland? Over there restorative justice is an integral part of the juvenile justice system. By statute all offenders aged 10 to 17 have to be referred to the Youth Justice Agency to be considered for participation in a "youth conference". Here young people who offend are brought face to face with their victims. "
London Raiding / ZNet, 22 June 2006
http://digbig.com/4kpkk
Mike Marqusee
"At 4 AM on June 2nd, another grim episode in the war on terror was played out on a quiet residential street in east London. In what the media initially hailed as a major anti-terrorist triumph, 250 heavily armed police descended on a house where, it was alleged, Muslim terrorists were manufacturing chemical weapons to unleash on innocent Londoners. Given the feebleness of the intelligence, the scale and timing of the raid, the publicity that accompanied it, and the subsequent revelations, it's hard to avoid the conclusion that the government was over-eager to stage a high-profile action that would vindicate the war on terror, which can only be sustained if the fears of the public are regularly fanned."
Mike Marqusee
"At 4 AM on June 2nd, another grim episode in the war on terror was played out on a quiet residential street in east London. In what the media initially hailed as a major anti-terrorist triumph, 250 heavily armed police descended on a house where, it was alleged, Muslim terrorists were manufacturing chemical weapons to unleash on innocent Londoners. Given the feebleness of the intelligence, the scale and timing of the raid, the publicity that accompanied it, and the subsequent revelations, it's hard to avoid the conclusion that the government was over-eager to stage a high-profile action that would vindicate the war on terror, which can only be sustained if the fears of the public are regularly fanned."
[Switzerland] Tough prison rules cause legal headache / Swissinfo, 18 June 2006
http://digbig.com/4kpkh
"Lifelong detention is in breach of basic human rights. Parliament is to consider ways of implementing controversial regulations for the lifelong incarceration of dangerous criminals and sex offenders. Voters approved a people's initiative on locking up repeat violent offenders in a nationwide vote two years ago but the authorities have been struggling to present a viable solution."
"Lifelong detention is in breach of basic human rights. Parliament is to consider ways of implementing controversial regulations for the lifelong incarceration of dangerous criminals and sex offenders. Voters approved a people's initiative on locking up repeat violent offenders in a nationwide vote two years ago but the authorities have been struggling to present a viable solution."
The politics of a paedophile panic Why supporters and opponents of 'Sarah's Law' are as bad as one another / Spiked, 21 June 2006
http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php?/site/article/420/
Mick Hume
"It used to be said that patriotism was the last refuge of a scoundrel. In politics today, their last resort is more likely to be a paedophile panic. John Reid, the New Labour home secretary, has launched yet another ‘crackdown’ on child sex offenders – berating judges for handing down lenient sentences; ordering that such offenders be barred from hostels near schools after their release from prison; and indicating that the government might be willing to introduce a version of ‘Megan’s law’, the American legislation that is supposed to give the public access to information on the whereabouts of people on a sex offenders’ register."
Mick Hume
"It used to be said that patriotism was the last refuge of a scoundrel. In politics today, their last resort is more likely to be a paedophile panic. John Reid, the New Labour home secretary, has launched yet another ‘crackdown’ on child sex offenders – berating judges for handing down lenient sentences; ordering that such offenders be barred from hostels near schools after their release from prison; and indicating that the government might be willing to introduce a version of ‘Megan’s law’, the American legislation that is supposed to give the public access to information on the whereabouts of people on a sex offenders’ register."
Charities alarmed as autistic man is hit by Asbo / Yorkshire Post, 22 June 2006
http://digbig.com/4kpke
Andrew Robinson
"DISABILITY charities have expressed concerns after an autistic man from Yorkshire was handed a temporary antisocial behaviour order to curb his odd tendencies. The order against Mark Smith, who has Asperger syndrome, bans him from touching people and saying inappropriate things in public.The condition has been described as a type of autism which affects social and communication skills but IQ is often normal or high. Mr Smith, 32, has also been told he cannot stroke or sniff any part of a person or hang around a certain area when children are going to or from school.The interim order was granted by Bingley magistrates after an application by Bradford Council which said a previous Asbo against Mr Smith had been successful in limiting his obsessive behaviour."
Andrew Robinson
"DISABILITY charities have expressed concerns after an autistic man from Yorkshire was handed a temporary antisocial behaviour order to curb his odd tendencies. The order against Mark Smith, who has Asperger syndrome, bans him from touching people and saying inappropriate things in public.The condition has been described as a type of autism which affects social and communication skills but IQ is often normal or high. Mr Smith, 32, has also been told he cannot stroke or sniff any part of a person or hang around a certain area when children are going to or from school.The interim order was granted by Bingley magistrates after an application by Bradford Council which said a previous Asbo against Mr Smith had been successful in limiting his obsessive behaviour."
Police payout for widow of CS gas victim / Yorkshire Post, 22 June 2006
http://digbig.com/4kpkd
Emma Dunlop
"THE widow of a Leeds man who died three days after police officers sprayed him in the face with controversial CS gas has won nearly £18,000 in damages."
Emma Dunlop
"THE widow of a Leeds man who died three days after police officers sprayed him in the face with controversial CS gas has won nearly £18,000 in damages."
Behaviour lessons will help unruly youngsters / Sunderland Today, 21 June 2006
http://digbig.com/4kpkc
"EXCLUDING children from school shouldn't be used as a punishment, says a former head drafted in to tackle yob behaviour in Wearside schools. Funded by the Government, BIP – the Behaviour Improvement Programme – is running in four secondary schools and 19 primaries and is now set to be extended city-wide.Under the scheme, more Sunderland youngsters will be expected to work on their emotions in the classroom such as caring, self-confidence and responsibility, which in turn could boost their exam results.BIP manager and former headteacher Paul Threadgall, said: "Until we teach children to interact with each other, parents and members of the community, there will always be problems. "We will always be fire fighting unless we equip them with those skills and get them to understand how to take responsibility for themselves."
"EXCLUDING children from school shouldn't be used as a punishment, says a former head drafted in to tackle yob behaviour in Wearside schools. Funded by the Government, BIP – the Behaviour Improvement Programme – is running in four secondary schools and 19 primaries and is now set to be extended city-wide.Under the scheme, more Sunderland youngsters will be expected to work on their emotions in the classroom such as caring, self-confidence and responsibility, which in turn could boost their exam results.BIP manager and former headteacher Paul Threadgall, said: "Until we teach children to interact with each other, parents and members of the community, there will always be problems. "We will always be fire fighting unless we equip them with those skills and get them to understand how to take responsibility for themselves."
Warm Welcome : Understanding public attitudes to asylum seekers in Scotland / IPPR, 19 June 2006
PDF - http://www.ippr.org.uk/ecomm/files/warm_welcome.pdf
Miranda Lewis
"This reports looks at what people in Scotland think about asylum seekers and refugees. The findings show that, as is commonly assumed, there is greater tolerance to asylum seekers in Scotland than in England but that this largely positive picture hides a more worrying set of views. ippr conducted 13 focus groups for this report in Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow."
Miranda Lewis
"This reports looks at what people in Scotland think about asylum seekers and refugees. The findings show that, as is commonly assumed, there is greater tolerance to asylum seekers in Scotland than in England but that this largely positive picture hides a more worrying set of views. ippr conducted 13 focus groups for this report in Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow."
FOREST GATE: WHAT WENT WRONG? / Sunday Herald, 12 June 2006
http://www.sundayherald.com/56180
James Cusick
"A massive dawn raid amid talk of a chemical device ended with nobody charged and an apology. Examines how the Met got it wrong."
James Cusick
"A massive dawn raid amid talk of a chemical device ended with nobody charged and an apology. Examines how the Met got it wrong."
Language games / Propsect Magazine, July 2006
http://www.prospect-magazine.co.uk/article_details.php?id=7537
Bernard Crick
"The government talks about integration but is denying migrants free English lessons. In an overloaded institution like the home office, good initiatives sometimes get forgotten. An advisory group produced a report three years ago entitled "The New and the Old," which recommended new regulations for naturalisation and citizenship. Almost all were accepted and implemented—including citizenship ceremonies and language tests. The one recommendation not accepted was on the funding of language lessons." [Sub Required]
Bernard Crick
"The government talks about integration but is denying migrants free English lessons. In an overloaded institution like the home office, good initiatives sometimes get forgotten. An advisory group produced a report three years ago entitled "The New and the Old," which recommended new regulations for naturalisation and citizenship. Almost all were accepted and implemented—including citizenship ceremonies and language tests. The one recommendation not accepted was on the funding of language lessons." [Sub Required]
Mandarin intellectuals / Prospect Magazine, July 2006
http://www.prospect-magazine.co.uk/article_details.php?id=7539
Kamran Nazeer
"Stuffed full of Locke-quoting philosophers and particle physicists, the civil service elite is the last refuge of the British intellectual. But given recent examples of Whitehall maladministration, is this to be celebrated? The emphasis on the importance of delivery has been growing. Young civil servants, even those recruited from leading universities to the fast stream graduate entry scheme, are encouraged to take "front-line" roles and, in future, promotion for all civil servants will depend on having demonstrated aptitude in a range of roles, including those far removed from ministers' offices in Whitehall. There remains a lot of scepticism, however, as to whether this new emphasis will have lasting effects. Many young civil servants take these roles purely because they know that doing so is now important for career advancement. They don't spend enough time in them for the way they think or work to be changed. They fulfil the requirement, do their time, and return to policy work in Whitehall from the regional outpost, armed with anecdotes about how disorganised it all is and how distant. "
Kamran Nazeer
"Stuffed full of Locke-quoting philosophers and particle physicists, the civil service elite is the last refuge of the British intellectual. But given recent examples of Whitehall maladministration, is this to be celebrated? The emphasis on the importance of delivery has been growing. Young civil servants, even those recruited from leading universities to the fast stream graduate entry scheme, are encouraged to take "front-line" roles and, in future, promotion for all civil servants will depend on having demonstrated aptitude in a range of roles, including those far removed from ministers' offices in Whitehall. There remains a lot of scepticism, however, as to whether this new emphasis will have lasting effects. Many young civil servants take these roles purely because they know that doing so is now important for career advancement. They don't spend enough time in them for the way they think or work to be changed. They fulfil the requirement, do their time, and return to policy work in Whitehall from the regional outpost, armed with anecdotes about how disorganised it all is and how distant. "
Do yobs really rule our streets? / Newshopper, 22 June 2006
http://digbig.com/4kpkb
Glenn Ebrey
"Reports suggest Greenwich has been identified by the Government as a target area for its crackdown on anti-social behaviour. But is yob culture really taking over? Is the problem really worse than it used to be and how should it be dealt with?"
Glenn Ebrey
"Reports suggest Greenwich has been identified by the Government as a target area for its crackdown on anti-social behaviour. But is yob culture really taking over? Is the problem really worse than it used to be and how should it be dealt with?"
DNA profiling and the case that started it all / Times Online, 21 June 2006
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2236230,00.html
Adam Fresco
"Loks at the advances in DNA profiling. The first major DNA breakthrough came during a double murder investigation in a small Leicestershire town. The brand new profiling system netted not only its first British killer but also, for the first time anywhere in the world, exonerated the prime suspect."
Adam Fresco
"Loks at the advances in DNA profiling. The first major DNA breakthrough came during a double murder investigation in a small Leicestershire town. The brand new profiling system netted not only its first British killer but also, for the first time anywhere in the world, exonerated the prime suspect."
Islam's reformers / Prospect Magazine, July 2006
http://www.prospect-magazine.co.uk/article_details.php?id=7568
Ehsan Masood
"One year after the 7/7 attacks in London, a challenge to the traditionalist, literal reading of the Koran is gathering strength. A younger generation of Muslims is seeking a less insular and more western faith."
Ehsan Masood
"One year after the 7/7 attacks in London, a challenge to the traditionalist, literal reading of the Koran is gathering strength. A younger generation of Muslims is seeking a less insular and more western faith."
City's most perilous drug: Fentanyl / Philadelphia Inquirer, 20 June 2006
http://digbig.com/4kpka
KITTY CAPARELLA
"It's deadly. The push of a syringe is like pulling a trigger. Drug dealers are using the expression 'Wit' or wit'out,' to ask customers whether they want illicit heroin - or cocaine - with or without fentanyl, a synthetic opiate 40 to 100 times more powerful than morphine. 'It's deadly. The push of a syringe is like pulling a trigger,' said U.S. Attorney Patrick Meehan, of the fatal drug mixture that has led to as many as 70 deaths and up to 220 overdoses in the Philadelphia and South Jersey area since April."
KITTY CAPARELLA
"It's deadly. The push of a syringe is like pulling a trigger. Drug dealers are using the expression 'Wit' or wit'out,' to ask customers whether they want illicit heroin - or cocaine - with or without fentanyl, a synthetic opiate 40 to 100 times more powerful than morphine. 'It's deadly. The push of a syringe is like pulling a trigger,' said U.S. Attorney Patrick Meehan, of the fatal drug mixture that has led to as many as 70 deaths and up to 220 overdoses in the Philadelphia and South Jersey area since April."
Indonesia's fizzling terrorist threat / Asia Times, 22 June 2006
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/HF22Ae01.html
Bill Guerin
"Within hours of his release from prison, Abu Bakar Ba'asyir wasted no time reiterating his jihadi mission. The firebrand Islamic cleric, identified by the United States and Australia as one of Southeast Asia's most dangerous terrorists, urged Indonesian Muslims to "unite behind the Islamic goal and strengthen the Islamic brotherhood and work to establish sharia" (Islamic law). "
Bill Guerin
"Within hours of his release from prison, Abu Bakar Ba'asyir wasted no time reiterating his jihadi mission. The firebrand Islamic cleric, identified by the United States and Australia as one of Southeast Asia's most dangerous terrorists, urged Indonesian Muslims to "unite behind the Islamic goal and strengthen the Islamic brotherhood and work to establish sharia" (Islamic law). "
Indonesia's fizzling terrorist threat / Asia Times, 22 June 2006
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/HF22Ae01.html
Bill Guerin
"Within hours of his release from prison, Abu Bakar Ba'asyir wasted no time reiterating his jihadi mission. The firebrand Islamic cleric, identified by the United States and Australia as one of Southeast Asia's most dangerous terrorists, urged Indonesian Muslims to "unite behind the Islamic goal and strengthen the Islamic brotherhood and work to establish sharia" (Islamic law). "
Bill Guerin
"Within hours of his release from prison, Abu Bakar Ba'asyir wasted no time reiterating his jihadi mission. The firebrand Islamic cleric, identified by the United States and Australia as one of Southeast Asia's most dangerous terrorists, urged Indonesian Muslims to "unite behind the Islamic goal and strengthen the Islamic brotherhood and work to establish sharia" (Islamic law). "
Malawi passports highly abused-Britain / Nation Malawi, 24 June 2006
http://www.nationmalawi.com/articles.asp?articleID=17382
Joseph Langa
"The British Government says Malawi Passports were highly abused and its holders were breaking the British Immigration laws. That led to the introduction of visas for Malawian citizens entering the UK. [..] His comments come at a time when several Zimbabweans using Malawian passports are being deported to Malawi from the UK. Some of the deportees are destitute in Malawi. Malawi Watch Executive Director Billy Banda said over 30 Zimbabweans travelling on Malawi passports deported from the UK recently are missing while four are destitute in Lilongwe and Blantyre because they cannot go back to Zimbabwe."
Joseph Langa
"The British Government says Malawi Passports were highly abused and its holders were breaking the British Immigration laws. That led to the introduction of visas for Malawian citizens entering the UK. [..] His comments come at a time when several Zimbabweans using Malawian passports are being deported to Malawi from the UK. Some of the deportees are destitute in Malawi. Malawi Watch Executive Director Billy Banda said over 30 Zimbabweans travelling on Malawi passports deported from the UK recently are missing while four are destitute in Lilongwe and Blantyre because they cannot go back to Zimbabwe."
[Netherlands] Crime levels down in 2005 / Expatica, 23 June 2006
http://digbig.com/4kpjr
"Crime in the Netherlands fell for the first time for years, the Public Prosecutor's Office (OM) has said in its report on 2005. The number of cases compared with 2004 fell by 3 percent to 264,200. Aside from the drop in the number of investigations, the number of reports of crime and surveys confirm crime is down."
"Crime in the Netherlands fell for the first time for years, the Public Prosecutor's Office (OM) has said in its report on 2005. The number of cases compared with 2004 fell by 3 percent to 264,200. Aside from the drop in the number of investigations, the number of reports of crime and surveys confirm crime is down."
Animal research: it’s time to open this can of worms / Spiked, 19 June 2006
http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php?/site/article/403
Mark Conlon [The author is writing under a pseudonym.]
"On the contentious issue of animal research, the matter of concern was not simply whether the university is misrepresented – it is whether it is represented at all. It was made clear to me that the university didn’t want any Tom, Dick or Harry manufacturing university statements on controversial matters. More interestingly, it seemed implicit in my warning that the university would rather steer clear of this particular can of worms altogether, and not bring the subject of animal research at the university to the forefront of the public mind. Universities should go public about their experiments on animals, and win society over."
Mark Conlon [The author is writing under a pseudonym.]
"On the contentious issue of animal research, the matter of concern was not simply whether the university is misrepresented – it is whether it is represented at all. It was made clear to me that the university didn’t want any Tom, Dick or Harry manufacturing university statements on controversial matters. More interestingly, it seemed implicit in my warning that the university would rather steer clear of this particular can of worms altogether, and not bring the subject of animal research at the university to the forefront of the public mind. Universities should go public about their experiments on animals, and win society over."
Expert papers to the PM on criminal justice / No 10, June 2006
http://www.number10.gov.uk/output/Page9700.asp
Ian Loader: Rebalancing the Criminal Justice System?
Professor Anthony Bottoms: Crime and Disorder Policy
Peter Neyroud: 21st Century justice?
John Denham: Balancing the Criminal Justice System
Julian Roberts: Crime and Justice in Britain
Greg Wilkinson: Ideas for criminal justice reform
Ian Loader: Rebalancing the Criminal Justice System?
Professor Anthony Bottoms: Crime and Disorder Policy
Peter Neyroud: 21st Century justice?
John Denham: Balancing the Criminal Justice System
Julian Roberts: Crime and Justice in Britain
Greg Wilkinson: Ideas for criminal justice reform
[USA] Terror suspects appear in court / News-Sentinel, 23 June 2006
http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/newssentinel/news/local/14880185.htm
LARRY LEBOWITZ, LESLEY CLARK AND MARTIN MERZER
"Five of the seven men arrested in an alleged terrorist plot to blow up the Sears Tower and other buildings appeared in federal court in Miami this afternoon, but said nothing substantive about the highly publicized case.
According to a federal indictment, all seven men believed they were conspiring with al Qaeda ''to levy war against the United States'' in attacks that would ``be just as good or greater than 9/11.''
Read the indictment
Attorney general speaks about threat
AP video Feds: Plot more 'aspirational' than 'operational'
AP video Full coverage
Suspect profiles
Rights groups wary of case
LARRY LEBOWITZ, LESLEY CLARK AND MARTIN MERZER
"Five of the seven men arrested in an alleged terrorist plot to blow up the Sears Tower and other buildings appeared in federal court in Miami this afternoon, but said nothing substantive about the highly publicized case.
According to a federal indictment, all seven men believed they were conspiring with al Qaeda ''to levy war against the United States'' in attacks that would ``be just as good or greater than 9/11.''
Read the indictment
Attorney general speaks about threat
AP video Feds: Plot more 'aspirational' than 'operational'
AP video Full coverage
Suspect profiles
Rights groups wary of case
US Terror Suspects Not Muslims: CAIR / IslamOnline, 24 June 2006
http://www.islam-online.net/English/News/2006-06/24/02.shtml
Mohammad Sabry
""We ask members of the media to refrain from calling them Muslims," said Bedier (L).
CAIRO — The Council on American-Islamic Relations, America's largest Islamic civil liberties group, has urged the media not to associate the seven suspects arrested on charges of plotting terrorist attacks in the US with the country's Muslim minority, insisting they were not Muslims.
"Given that the reported beliefs of this bizarre group have nothing to do with Islam, we ask members of the media to refrain from calling them Muslims," Ahmed Bedier, Director of CAIR Florida chapter, said in a statement e-mailed to IslamOnline.net."
Mohammad Sabry
""We ask members of the media to refrain from calling them Muslims," said Bedier (L).
CAIRO — The Council on American-Islamic Relations, America's largest Islamic civil liberties group, has urged the media not to associate the seven suspects arrested on charges of plotting terrorist attacks in the US with the country's Muslim minority, insisting they were not Muslims.
"Given that the reported beliefs of this bizarre group have nothing to do with Islam, we ask members of the media to refrain from calling them Muslims," Ahmed Bedier, Director of CAIR Florida chapter, said in a statement e-mailed to IslamOnline.net."
Multiculturalism Breeds Terrorismby / Capitalism Magazine, 24 June 2006
Glenn Woiceshyn
"On June 2, 2006, seventeen Muslims, including five juveniles, were arrested in Canada for planning major terrorist attacks on Canadian soil against innocent people. Because these were “homegrown” Islamic terrorists, blame was rightly directed towards Canada’s decades-old multiculturalism policies, which effectively encourages immigrants to stay frozen in the culture they came from instead of assimilating into Canadian society and Western values. Multiculturalism is an evil doctrine that must be thoroughly debunked and destroyed. The Western intellectuals who champion multiculturalism deserve to be publicly condemned and shunned. And conservatives should wake up to the evil motives of leftist intellectuals and stop whitewashing their destructive policies. "
"On June 2, 2006, seventeen Muslims, including five juveniles, were arrested in Canada for planning major terrorist attacks on Canadian soil against innocent people. Because these were “homegrown” Islamic terrorists, blame was rightly directed towards Canada’s decades-old multiculturalism policies, which effectively encourages immigrants to stay frozen in the culture they came from instead of assimilating into Canadian society and Western values. Multiculturalism is an evil doctrine that must be thoroughly debunked and destroyed. The Western intellectuals who champion multiculturalism deserve to be publicly condemned and shunned. And conservatives should wake up to the evil motives of leftist intellectuals and stop whitewashing their destructive policies. "
[Canada] Sharing a strong sense of belonging / Toronto Star, 24 June 2006
http://digbig.com/4kpjq
LAURIE MONSEBRAATEN
"The survey shows the depth of the attachment immigrants have to Canada."
LAURIE MONSEBRAATEN
"The survey shows the depth of the attachment immigrants have to Canada."
A vigilantes' charter? The bitter legacy of Megan's Law / Independent,
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article1096043.ece
Andrew Buncombe
"In the ten years since American states were forced to publish the whereabouts of convicted sex offenders, there have been a series of vigilante attacks. As John Reid considers a similar approach in Britain, reports on a law which has had unforeseen consequences."
Andrew Buncombe
"In the ten years since American states were forced to publish the whereabouts of convicted sex offenders, there have been a series of vigilante attacks. As John Reid considers a similar approach in Britain, reports on a law which has had unforeseen consequences."
Friday, June 23, 2006
The Customer Voice in Transforming Public Services
PDF - http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/publications/reports/chartermark/cm_review.pdf
The Independent Report from the Review of the Charter Mark Scheme and Measurement of Customer Satisfaction with Public Services – Bernard Herdan June 2006
The Independent Report from the Review of the Charter Mark Scheme and Measurement of Customer Satisfaction with Public Services – Bernard Herdan June 2006
Editorial: Should suspects keep their privacy? / The Local, 22 June 2006
http://www.thelocal.se/article.php?ID=4150&date=20060622
"The Swedish argument against naming the people charged is simple: they are innocent until proven guilty, and mud sticks. Is it in the interests of justice that someone perceived in the public eye to be guilty but found not guilty by the courts should have to live out their lives in fear of reprisals? A powerful argument, and one that cannot be refuted, except to say that the combined weight of the arguments in favour of naming might balance this out. "
"The Swedish argument against naming the people charged is simple: they are innocent until proven guilty, and mud sticks. Is it in the interests of justice that someone perceived in the public eye to be guilty but found not guilty by the courts should have to live out their lives in fear of reprisals? A powerful argument, and one that cannot be refuted, except to say that the combined weight of the arguments in favour of naming might balance this out. "
[Netherlands] Most Dutch say Islam incompatible with West / Jerusalem Post, 19 June 2006
http://digbig.com/4kpfa
GEORGE CONGER
"Islam is incompatible with modern Western society, according to a majority of those responding to a recent Dutch survey. Most of the people polled expressed a negative view of Islam and Muslims. The survey was released the same week that a Dutch Justice Ministry report said radical Islam had made significant inroads among the country's immigrants, posing a threat to the nation's security. Known for its laissez-faire social attitudes, the sharp turn in public opinion against Islam in the Netherlands has sparked a debate that has prompted criticism of Queen Beatrix and the government for allegedly abandoning Western values in the face of Muslim pressure."
GEORGE CONGER
"Islam is incompatible with modern Western society, according to a majority of those responding to a recent Dutch survey. Most of the people polled expressed a negative view of Islam and Muslims. The survey was released the same week that a Dutch Justice Ministry report said radical Islam had made significant inroads among the country's immigrants, posing a threat to the nation's security. Known for its laissez-faire social attitudes, the sharp turn in public opinion against Islam in the Netherlands has sparked a debate that has prompted criticism of Queen Beatrix and the government for allegedly abandoning Western values in the face of Muslim pressure."
Organized Crime: Cops & Prosecutors Frustrated Over Witness Intimidation / National Ledger, 20 June 2006
http://www.nationalledger.com/artman/publish/article_27266505.shtml
Jim KouriJun
Many police officers and prosecutors have become increasingly frustrated by their inability to investigate and prosecute cases successfully when key witnesses refuse to provide critical evidence or to testify because they fear retaliation by the defendant or his family and friends.
This problem is particularly acute, and apparently increasing, in gang-and drug-related criminal cases. Witnesses' refusal to cooperate with investigations and prosecutions should be a major concern: it adversely affects the justice system's functioning while simultaneously eroding public confidence in the government's ability to protect citizens.
Jim KouriJun
Many police officers and prosecutors have become increasingly frustrated by their inability to investigate and prosecute cases successfully when key witnesses refuse to provide critical evidence or to testify because they fear retaliation by the defendant or his family and friends.
This problem is particularly acute, and apparently increasing, in gang-and drug-related criminal cases. Witnesses' refusal to cooperate with investigations and prosecutions should be a major concern: it adversely affects the justice system's functioning while simultaneously eroding public confidence in the government's ability to protect citizens.
Reid sets out plans for Home Office / CIPFA, 23 June 2006
http://www.cipfa.org.uk/publicfinance/news_details.cfm?news_id=28030
More than 200 top officials at the Home Office were this week given the first glimpse of John Reid’s plans for the embattled department. Flanked by Sir David Normington, the permanent secretary, Reid outlined an ‘improvement to transformation’ strategy aimed at rebalancing the criminal justice system in favour of the victim and improving performance across the board.
But the home secretary told his staff that he was ‘under no illusions about the size of the task that faces us’ and warned that ‘the public has a right to more protection, more information, better delivery and more control of their public services’.
More than 200 top officials at the Home Office were this week given the first glimpse of John Reid’s plans for the embattled department. Flanked by Sir David Normington, the permanent secretary, Reid outlined an ‘improvement to transformation’ strategy aimed at rebalancing the criminal justice system in favour of the victim and improving performance across the board.
But the home secretary told his staff that he was ‘under no illusions about the size of the task that faces us’ and warned that ‘the public has a right to more protection, more information, better delivery and more control of their public services’.
Capability Reid / CIPFA, 23 June 2006
http://www.cipfa.org.uk/publicfinance/leader_details.cfm?news_id=28018
"The Home Office can’t seem to do much right. Whether it is misplacing foreign prisoners, performing a clumsy U-turn over police force mergers or the ongoing shambles in the asylum system, it has been open season on the department recently. There is more than a whiff of moral panic about some of the accusations being levelled at the residents of Marsham Street. The tabloids have dutifully worked themselves into a frenzy about the threat to children from ‘sex beasts’. And ministers have shown an apparent willingness to respond – witness this week’s hastily announced decision to send Home Office minister Gerry Sutcliffe to the US to research Megan’s Law. "
"The Home Office can’t seem to do much right. Whether it is misplacing foreign prisoners, performing a clumsy U-turn over police force mergers or the ongoing shambles in the asylum system, it has been open season on the department recently. There is more than a whiff of moral panic about some of the accusations being levelled at the residents of Marsham Street. The tabloids have dutifully worked themselves into a frenzy about the threat to children from ‘sex beasts’. And ministers have shown an apparent willingness to respond – witness this week’s hastily announced decision to send Home Office minister Gerry Sutcliffe to the US to research Megan’s Law. "
A game of two halves / CIPFA, 23 June 2006
http://www.cipfa.org.uk/publicfinance/features_details.cfm?news_id=27998
Philip Johnston
"The Home Office is in trouble but are its problems due to poor tactics or trying to defend two areas at the same time – justice and law and order? There was a time, just a year or so ago, when the Home Office had three permanent secretaries. It was the most heavily managed department in Whitehall. Other departments, such as the Treasury, sometimes have a second permanent secretary. But three? This surfeit of senior officials was less a reflection of the wide range of the Home Office’s responsibilities than of apparent ministerial unhappiness with the leadership the civil service was providing. It is tempting to argue that a department that requires three people of equal rank to run it is too big and should be broken up. When the home secretary calls it ‘dysfunctional’, as Charles Clarke did before he quit the Cabinet, or part of it is described as ‘not fit for purpose’, which was John Reid’s assessment of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate after just a few days in the post, you wonder why it has been left intact for so long."
Philip Johnston
"The Home Office is in trouble but are its problems due to poor tactics or trying to defend two areas at the same time – justice and law and order? There was a time, just a year or so ago, when the Home Office had three permanent secretaries. It was the most heavily managed department in Whitehall. Other departments, such as the Treasury, sometimes have a second permanent secretary. But three? This surfeit of senior officials was less a reflection of the wide range of the Home Office’s responsibilities than of apparent ministerial unhappiness with the leadership the civil service was providing. It is tempting to argue that a department that requires three people of equal rank to run it is too big and should be broken up. When the home secretary calls it ‘dysfunctional’, as Charles Clarke did before he quit the Cabinet, or part of it is described as ‘not fit for purpose’, which was John Reid’s assessment of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate after just a few days in the post, you wonder why it has been left intact for so long."
On The Sustainability of the UK State Pension System in the Light of Population Ageing and Declining Fertility
The Economic Journal, Vol. 116, No. 512, June 2006
David Blake and Les Mayhew
"As a result of population ageing and declining fertility, the UK state pension system is unlikely to continue to be able to deliver the current level of pensions without some combination of a higher state pension age and a steady inflow of young immigrant workers from abroad. However, with prudent economic management and continuing economic growth, the need for additional immigrants can be contained and modest real increases in pensions are also a possibility. Higher economic activity rates among older people, including deferred retirement, will to some extent compensate but not eliminate these pressures. If fertility picks up over the next few years, this will also help, but not until after 2030." [Sub Required]
David Blake and Les Mayhew
"As a result of population ageing and declining fertility, the UK state pension system is unlikely to continue to be able to deliver the current level of pensions without some combination of a higher state pension age and a steady inflow of young immigrant workers from abroad. However, with prudent economic management and continuing economic growth, the need for additional immigrants can be contained and modest real increases in pensions are also a possibility. Higher economic activity rates among older people, including deferred retirement, will to some extent compensate but not eliminate these pressures. If fertility picks up over the next few years, this will also help, but not until after 2030." [Sub Required]
Naturalisation and Socioeconomic Integration: The Case of the Netherlands / Institute for the Study of Labor, Discussion Paper 2153, June 2006
Pieter Bevelander, Justus Veenman
PDF - http://ftp.iza.org/dp2153.pdf
"This paper investigates Dutch immigrants’ naturalisation decision and how naturalisation affects their employment chances and wages in the Netherlands. The population under consideration consists mainly of refugees from Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Somalia and former Yugoslavia, and a minority of immigrants from Turkey and Morocco. The data used come from the Dutch survey ‘Social Position and Use of Public Utilities by Migrants’ for the years 2002 and 2003. A multivariate analysis shows that higher educational levels and having obtained an education in the Netherlands positively affects naturalisation. In turn naturalisation is positively related to the job chances among immigrants and refugees. It is also positively related to wages among refugees, but not among Mediterranean immigrants who came to the Netherlands for various reasons. "
PDF - http://ftp.iza.org/dp2153.pdf
"This paper investigates Dutch immigrants’ naturalisation decision and how naturalisation affects their employment chances and wages in the Netherlands. The population under consideration consists mainly of refugees from Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Somalia and former Yugoslavia, and a minority of immigrants from Turkey and Morocco. The data used come from the Dutch survey ‘Social Position and Use of Public Utilities by Migrants’ for the years 2002 and 2003. A multivariate analysis shows that higher educational levels and having obtained an education in the Netherlands positively affects naturalisation. In turn naturalisation is positively related to the job chances among immigrants and refugees. It is also positively related to wages among refugees, but not among Mediterranean immigrants who came to the Netherlands for various reasons. "
In America, the reality: conflict and confusion / Guardian, 22 June 2006
http://politics.guardian.co.uk/homeaffairs/story/0,,1803088,00.html
Audrey Gillan
"Megan's law has been in force in New Jersey since October 1994, three months after seven-year-old Megan Kanka was killed, less than a mile away from where Mr Farkas now lives.
It was rolled out across the rest of the 49 states in May 1996. But many in the US who work with sexual offenders and their victims say that in reality Megan's law does not work. They argue that it induces a false sense of security for parents and often drives the paedophile underground, that it places too much emphasis on "stranger danger" when almost 90% of victims under 16 know their attacker."
Audrey Gillan
"Megan's law has been in force in New Jersey since October 1994, three months after seven-year-old Megan Kanka was killed, less than a mile away from where Mr Farkas now lives.
It was rolled out across the rest of the 49 states in May 1996. But many in the US who work with sexual offenders and their victims say that in reality Megan's law does not work. They argue that it induces a false sense of security for parents and often drives the paedophile underground, that it places too much emphasis on "stranger danger" when almost 90% of victims under 16 know their attacker."
A toolkit of interventions to assist young people to negotiate transitional pathways / Australian National Drug Strategy, June 2006
PDF - http://www.nationaldrugstrategy.gov.au/pdf/toolkit_interventions.pdf
This report focuses not just on those interventions which are designed around drug use and prevention, but also considers the broad spectrum of interventions which address risk and protective factors for a range of negative life course outcomes for young people. The report organises programs within three categories:
projects with a major focus on learning or skill development such as school-based drug education or policing programs, parenting programs and programs focusing on young people at risk of early school leaving;
participation programs which include a focus on mentoring programs, sport, arts, leisure and wilderness activities; and
direct service and treatment programs which focus on multi-modal treatment and rehabilitation programs for those with a high level of need.
This publication will be a useful resource for policy makers, training organisations and for those who work with young people, to assist in setting up and/or evaluating programs that are most likely to have a positive effect on young people."
This report focuses not just on those interventions which are designed around drug use and prevention, but also considers the broad spectrum of interventions which address risk and protective factors for a range of negative life course outcomes for young people. The report organises programs within three categories:
projects with a major focus on learning or skill development such as school-based drug education or policing programs, parenting programs and programs focusing on young people at risk of early school leaving;
participation programs which include a focus on mentoring programs, sport, arts, leisure and wilderness activities; and
direct service and treatment programs which focus on multi-modal treatment and rehabilitation programs for those with a high level of need.
This publication will be a useful resource for policy makers, training organisations and for those who work with young people, to assist in setting up and/or evaluating programs that are most likely to have a positive effect on young people."
Myths about sex offenders make policy / Star-Telegram, 22 June 2006
http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/14875880.htm
O.K. Carter
"Sometimes, an urban myth becomes so pervasive that it is accepted as the unquestioned truth in every quarter -- from city hall to police headquarters to the media. The general wisdom is that sex offenders' condition is chronic, that they are unwilling or unable to change their behavior. In criminal justice, this is called recidivism. But is the myth of massive recidivism true? Fortunately for society, the available statistical evidence shows this conventional wisdom to be bogus."
O.K. Carter
"Sometimes, an urban myth becomes so pervasive that it is accepted as the unquestioned truth in every quarter -- from city hall to police headquarters to the media. The general wisdom is that sex offenders' condition is chronic, that they are unwilling or unable to change their behavior. In criminal justice, this is called recidivism. But is the myth of massive recidivism true? Fortunately for society, the available statistical evidence shows this conventional wisdom to be bogus."
The correct use of prison / Comment is Free, Guardian, 22 June 2006
http://digbig.com/4khnd
Juliet Lyon
"Our governments must like keeping us scared. Otherwise they would carry out some obvious reforms to the penal system. People might expect the Prison Reform Trust, a charity working to create an effective, humane prison system, to press for more prison places and more opportunities for rehabilitation in custody rather than for a reduction in prison numbers.
We don't because imprisonment is the most extreme form of punishment in our society. There is no point in building more prison places, at a cost of £100,000 each, when crime is falling overall and jails are full of large numbers of people who do not need to be held there. Prison needs to be reserved for serious and violent offenders. Only as a place of absolute last resort can prison be expected to work to prevent reoffending and protect the next victim of crime."
Juliet Lyon
"Our governments must like keeping us scared. Otherwise they would carry out some obvious reforms to the penal system. People might expect the Prison Reform Trust, a charity working to create an effective, humane prison system, to press for more prison places and more opportunities for rehabilitation in custody rather than for a reduction in prison numbers.
We don't because imprisonment is the most extreme form of punishment in our society. There is no point in building more prison places, at a cost of £100,000 each, when crime is falling overall and jails are full of large numbers of people who do not need to be held there. Prison needs to be reserved for serious and violent offenders. Only as a place of absolute last resort can prison be expected to work to prevent reoffending and protect the next victim of crime."
Eye in sky puts collar on parolees / Deseret News, 12 June 2006
http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,640186268,00.html
Lee Benson
"TrackerPal is a battery-powered ankle bracelet with pinpoint GPS positioning and a built-in cell phone that is in 24/7 contact with a monitoring center. If the battery is getting too low, the monitoring center will call with a reminder to either recharge it immediately or prepare to be visited by your case agent who by the way knows exactly where you are. If you try to shoot it off, saw it off, burn it off or cut it off, a 95-decibel alarm will sound about the same time you realize it's virtually impossible to penetrate the reinforced steel cable. If you try to turn off the cell phone, you can't, and it's a speaker phone, which means anyone in the vicinity will hear the agent when he announces, "you are a sex offender and need to leave the park immediately." TrackerPal is OnStar with a conscience. "It's Orwellian, it's a virtual prison," said Sibbett. "It's what the criminal justice system has been looking for for years — and it took a medical company to put it together."
Lee Benson
"TrackerPal is a battery-powered ankle bracelet with pinpoint GPS positioning and a built-in cell phone that is in 24/7 contact with a monitoring center. If the battery is getting too low, the monitoring center will call with a reminder to either recharge it immediately or prepare to be visited by your case agent who by the way knows exactly where you are. If you try to shoot it off, saw it off, burn it off or cut it off, a 95-decibel alarm will sound about the same time you realize it's virtually impossible to penetrate the reinforced steel cable. If you try to turn off the cell phone, you can't, and it's a speaker phone, which means anyone in the vicinity will hear the agent when he announces, "you are a sex offender and need to leave the park immediately." TrackerPal is OnStar with a conscience. "It's Orwellian, it's a virtual prison," said Sibbett. "It's what the criminal justice system has been looking for for years — and it took a medical company to put it together."
Police say voice analyzer is unreliable lie detector technology / Diamondback, 8 June 2006
http://digbig.com/4kped
Jeremy Arias
"Traditional polygraph favored by many professionals. The computerized voice stress analyzer is a method of lie-detecting used by a growing number of police departments around the nation, despite the lack of substantive research proving its effectiveness. But though many experts have questioned its reliability, University Police have been using it during the hiring process and in criminal investigations for the past three years. The voice stress analyzer detects inaudible changes in a person’s voice to identify whether they are lying. Though it is possible that a person’s voice changes when they lie, there is no substantive proof the machine can effectively monitor whether a person is telling the truth, two experts said."
Jeremy Arias
"Traditional polygraph favored by many professionals. The computerized voice stress analyzer is a method of lie-detecting used by a growing number of police departments around the nation, despite the lack of substantive research proving its effectiveness. But though many experts have questioned its reliability, University Police have been using it during the hiring process and in criminal investigations for the past three years. The voice stress analyzer detects inaudible changes in a person’s voice to identify whether they are lying. Though it is possible that a person’s voice changes when they lie, there is no substantive proof the machine can effectively monitor whether a person is telling the truth, two experts said."
Good Science or Just Bunk? / GovTech, 2 June 2006
http://www.govtech.net/magazine/story.php?id=99712
Jim McKay
"Law enforcement and corrections officers have long used the polygraph as a tool to confront a suspect or prisoner in an investigation. The polygraph is inadmissible in courts, but is widely used to exonerate innocent subjects and elicit confessions from others. A new voice-analyzing tool -- Layered Voice Analysis (LVA) -- is gaining popularity among law enforcement and corrections agencies.According to a segment on ABC's Primetime on March 31, 2006, at least 1,500 police or corrections agencies are using some type of voice-stress-analysis software when questioning subjects. The broadcast prompted the reaction of critics who say the technology doesn't work."
Jim McKay
"Law enforcement and corrections officers have long used the polygraph as a tool to confront a suspect or prisoner in an investigation. The polygraph is inadmissible in courts, but is widely used to exonerate innocent subjects and elicit confessions from others. A new voice-analyzing tool -- Layered Voice Analysis (LVA) -- is gaining popularity among law enforcement and corrections agencies.According to a segment on ABC's Primetime on March 31, 2006, at least 1,500 police or corrections agencies are using some type of voice-stress-analysis software when questioning subjects. The broadcast prompted the reaction of critics who say the technology doesn't work."
Report of the Race for Justice Taskforce / Attorney General - CJS, June 2006
PDF - http://www.cjsonline.gov.uk/downloads/application/pdf/Race_cjs.pdf
"The report of the Race for Justice Taskforce was commissioned by the Attorney General to look into how the Criminal Justice System deals with racist and religious crime. The Taskforce members were drawn from across the criminal justice agencies, including the judiciary, the courts, the police, prosecutors and the criminal justice inspectorates. The Government will be establishing a Delivery Board to drive forward the recommendations made by the Taskforce."
"The report of the Race for Justice Taskforce was commissioned by the Attorney General to look into how the Criminal Justice System deals with racist and religious crime. The Taskforce members were drawn from across the criminal justice agencies, including the judiciary, the courts, the police, prosecutors and the criminal justice inspectorates. The Government will be establishing a Delivery Board to drive forward the recommendations made by the Taskforce."
The clang of the gate / The Economist, 22 June 2006
http://www.economist.com/world/britain/displaystory.cfm?story_id=7087722
"The British government has been accused of both stuffing prisons and letting too many convicts out. Oddly, both accusations are true. Tiny cells, some of them 150 years old, have already been doubled up to house two inmates. Almost every day, governors are told to make space for a new batch of prisoners, who often arrive in the evening and may be moved again as soon as the following day. This coming and going, which governors call “churn”, is disruptive and disorientating. It can also be deadly. “If I can get through a week without somebody killing themselves, that's a pretty good week,” says one prison governor."
"The British government has been accused of both stuffing prisons and letting too many convicts out. Oddly, both accusations are true. Tiny cells, some of them 150 years old, have already been doubled up to house two inmates. Almost every day, governors are told to make space for a new batch of prisoners, who often arrive in the evening and may be moved again as soon as the following day. This coming and going, which governors call “churn”, is disruptive and disorientating. It can also be deadly. “If I can get through a week without somebody killing themselves, that's a pretty good week,” says one prison governor."
[USA] More sex offenders tracked by satellite / USA Today, 6 June 2006
http://digbig.com/4kpdr
Wendy Koch
"As of January, 13 states had laws requiring or allowing GPS tracking. Aside from Wisconsin, governors in at least six states (Arkansas, Georgia, Kansas, Virginia, Washington and Michigan) have signed such bills this year. New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch plans to do so soon. Similar bills are pending elsewhere. "It's the law you can't vote against," says Chapin. Several of the laws are named after Jessica Lunsford, a 9-year-old Florida girl who was kidnapped, raped and killed in February 2005. The man charged with killing her was a convicted sex offender who hadn't reported that he lived across the street from her family. After he fled, it took almost a month to find him. Even states without specific GPS laws, including Minnesota and Texas, are testing the technology and expanding its use."
Wendy Koch
"As of January, 13 states had laws requiring or allowing GPS tracking. Aside from Wisconsin, governors in at least six states (Arkansas, Georgia, Kansas, Virginia, Washington and Michigan) have signed such bills this year. New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch plans to do so soon. Similar bills are pending elsewhere. "It's the law you can't vote against," says Chapin. Several of the laws are named after Jessica Lunsford, a 9-year-old Florida girl who was kidnapped, raped and killed in February 2005. The man charged with killing her was a convicted sex offender who hadn't reported that he lived across the street from her family. After he fled, it took almost a month to find him. Even states without specific GPS laws, including Minnesota and Texas, are testing the technology and expanding its use."
More States Move to Use GPS Tracking of Sex Offenders / Fox News, 31 May 2006
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,196455,00.html
Hannah Sentenac
The crimes of convicted sex offenders are starting to haunt them … literally. Many states are initiating programs that track registered sex offenders using Global Positioning Satellites, or GPS, sometimes for life. GPS can track the exact location of the offenders at all times, making it easier for law enforcement to ensure that they're abiding with the terms of their release.
Hannah Sentenac
The crimes of convicted sex offenders are starting to haunt them … literally. Many states are initiating programs that track registered sex offenders using Global Positioning Satellites, or GPS, sometimes for life. GPS can track the exact location of the offenders at all times, making it easier for law enforcement to ensure that they're abiding with the terms of their release.
[USA] States get tougher with sex offenders / USA Today, 23 May 2006
http://digbig.com/4kpdp
Wendy Koch
"Lawmakers in at least 10 states have passed tough bills that await final approval. More bills are pending elsewhere, including one in South Carolina that would make some molesters eligible for the death penalty and another in Louisiana that would require them to get special orange driver's licenses stamped with the words "sex offender."
Wendy Koch
"Lawmakers in at least 10 states have passed tough bills that await final approval. More bills are pending elsewhere, including one in South Carolina that would make some molesters eligible for the death penalty and another in Louisiana that would require them to get special orange driver's licenses stamped with the words "sex offender."
Thursday, June 22, 2006
DESTITUTION AMONGST REFUGEES AND ASYLUM SEEKERS IN THE UK / ICAR, June 2006
PDF - http://www.icar.org.uk/download.php?id=274
"A compilation of research findings by voluntary organisations on the subject of destitution amongst refugees and asylum seekers in the UK. The briefing provides the reader with key statistics, offers a comprehensive list of resources and organisations working on the issue and highlights the main causes and effects of destitution identified by these agencies."
Summary - http://www.icar.org.uk/?lid=6575
"A compilation of research findings by voluntary organisations on the subject of destitution amongst refugees and asylum seekers in the UK. The briefing provides the reader with key statistics, offers a comprehensive list of resources and organisations working on the issue and highlights the main causes and effects of destitution identified by these agencies."
Summary - http://www.icar.org.uk/?lid=6575
Monitoring London's press coverage of refugees and asylum seekers - June 2006
PDF - http://www.icar.org.uk/bob_html/02_gla_report/Reflecting_Asylum_Report.pdf
"The report commissioned by the Mayor of London finds that London ’s papers overall have become more accurate, balanced and community sensitive in their reporting. It also includes a model of good practice for all press coverage of asylum seekers and refugees."
"The report commissioned by the Mayor of London finds that London ’s papers overall have become more accurate, balanced and community sensitive in their reporting. It also includes a model of good practice for all press coverage of asylum seekers and refugees."
Fundamental rights in the European Union in 2005
EU: Annual Report of the Network of Experts on Fundamental Rights on the situation of fundamental rights in the European Union in 2005 (292pp, pdf)
http://www.statewatch.org/news/2006/jun/EU-funrights-report05.pdf
Executive summary: http://www.statewatch.org/news/2006/jun/CFR-CDF-exec-summ-2005.pdf
Individual country reports are on: http://www.cpdr.ucl.ac.be/cridho
http://www.statewatch.org/news/2006/jun/EU-funrights-report05.pdf
Executive summary: http://www.statewatch.org/news/2006/jun/CFR-CDF-exec-summ-2005.pdf
Individual country reports are on: http://www.cpdr.ucl.ac.be/cridho
Monday, June 19, 2006
Blair reins in Reid over paedophile law / Guardian, 19 June 2006
http://politics.guardian.co.uk/homeaffairs/story/0,,1801223,00.html
Hélène Mulholland and agencies
"John Reid proposed a US-style law to tell parents where paedophiles live. Downing Street said there were no immediate plans to import a US law giving parents access to information about paedophiles in their area as it sought to play down speculation fuelled by home secretary John Reid. Mr Blair's office toned down comments made by Mr Reid over the weekend as he promised to consider a British version of the controversial Megan's Law in America, under which parents are given full details of child sex offenders released into their neighbourhood. "
Hélène Mulholland and agencies
"John Reid proposed a US-style law to tell parents where paedophiles live. Downing Street said there were no immediate plans to import a US law giving parents access to information about paedophiles in their area as it sought to play down speculation fuelled by home secretary John Reid. Mr Blair's office toned down comments made by Mr Reid over the weekend as he promised to consider a British version of the controversial Megan's Law in America, under which parents are given full details of child sex offenders released into their neighbourhood. "
NO END IN SIGHT FOR GANGS / The Voice, 19 June 2006
http://www.voice-online.co.uk/content.php?show=9386
ENAKHE OGUMAH
"Fears that Britain will be like inner-city America in 10 years. With just two weeks left until the national knife amnesty comes to an end, critics argue that the UK is no closer to solving the underlying problem of gang culture. One gang enthusiast warned that Britain’s streets could be overrun by gangs much like inner city America ‘in as little as 10 years’. “I don’t think gangs will be eradicated."
ENAKHE OGUMAH
"Fears that Britain will be like inner-city America in 10 years. With just two weeks left until the national knife amnesty comes to an end, critics argue that the UK is no closer to solving the underlying problem of gang culture. One gang enthusiast warned that Britain’s streets could be overrun by gangs much like inner city America ‘in as little as 10 years’. “I don’t think gangs will be eradicated."
TOUGH LESSONS / The Voice, 19 June 2006
http://www.voice-online.co.uk/content.php?show=9389
BY DOMINIC BASCOMBE
"Gang crisis comes to a head; Britain’s education system must take part of the blame for the gang crisis among the youth. They argued that while the proliferation of gangs in the nation’s schools is not a new phenomenon, an education system that fails certain categories of youth leads to disaffection and alienation, creating an environment in which gang culture becomes attractive."
BY DOMINIC BASCOMBE
"Gang crisis comes to a head; Britain’s education system must take part of the blame for the gang crisis among the youth. They argued that while the proliferation of gangs in the nation’s schools is not a new phenomenon, an education system that fails certain categories of youth leads to disaffection and alienation, creating an environment in which gang culture becomes attractive."
Naming paedophiles : Editorial Comment / The Herald, 19 June 2006
http://www.theherald.co.uk/features/64292.html
Has John Reid let a genie out of the bottle with his comments about the prospects of a so-called Megan's Law being imported from America? As is known, naming names leads to witch-hunts, causes public disorder and hounds people from their homes. Most child abuse occurs within the family, and victims might be discouraged from coming forward (or encouraged to withdraw allegations) because of the potential repercussions from disclosure for the wellbeing of the closely related offender. It is surely no coincidence that 80% of paedophiles comply with registration requirements in the US, compared with 97% in Britain."
Has John Reid let a genie out of the bottle with his comments about the prospects of a so-called Megan's Law being imported from America? As is known, naming names leads to witch-hunts, causes public disorder and hounds people from their homes. Most child abuse occurs within the family, and victims might be discouraged from coming forward (or encouraged to withdraw allegations) because of the potential repercussions from disclosure for the wellbeing of the closely related offender. It is surely no coincidence that 80% of paedophiles comply with registration requirements in the US, compared with 97% in Britain."
Whispering game / BBC, 16 Feb 2006
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4719364.stm
Brendan O'Neill
"The paediatrician confused with a paedophile has become a cautionary tale against hysteria over sex offenders. But the details have become confused, even down to whether it was a male or female doctor. What really happened?"
Brendan O'Neill
"The paediatrician confused with a paedophile has become a cautionary tale against hysteria over sex offenders. But the details have become confused, even down to whether it was a male or female doctor. What really happened?"
Jane's Police Review, 16 June 2006 [Sub Required]
www.policereview.com
Chief constables must plan for mergers
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Police in parliament - Permanent appointments
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