http://www.jointogether.org/sa/news/features/reader/0%2C1854%2C574553%2C00.html
John Roman
"Controversy continues about the effectiveness of drug courts. In the midst if this debate, and faced with limited funding, drug courts are caught in a vicious cycle pitting self-promotion against the need for rigorous research that will lead to better interventions. While it is fair to denounce the lamentable state of drug-court research, criticisms of drug court self-promotion serve no purpose. A better approach is to free drug courts from the burdens of research while at the same time providing an objective means of measuring their effectiveness. The solution: accreditation."
SOCIETY, SOCIAL MEDIA, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE< GOVERNMENT>JUSTICE - a selective newsfeed
society
Friday, September 10, 2004
CRE designs race equality website to help policy-makers / PublicTechnology, 10 Sep 2004
http://www.publictechnology.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=1727
"Government departments and other public authorities were today given a user-friendly website by the Commission for Racial Equalityy (CRE) that will enable policy-makers to put race equality firmly at the centre of the decision-making process.
It's a good piece of e-Government to help those in the public sector achieve compliance on an important issue.
The Race Equality Impact Assessment: A step-by-step guide' website provides user-friendly guidance and practical case studies. Policy-makers will find it easier to meet their legal duty to promote race equality.
Speaking at the launch of the new website, Trevor Phillips, Chair of the CRE said:
Policies don't affect everyone in the same way. In the past the needs of different racial groups were not always addressed and inequalities were created. Race equality should be taken into account whenever a new law or change to existing policy takes place. Although this is a statutory duty for public bodies, it can be hit or miss whether it actually happens. "
"Government departments and other public authorities were today given a user-friendly website by the Commission for Racial Equalityy (CRE) that will enable policy-makers to put race equality firmly at the centre of the decision-making process.
It's a good piece of e-Government to help those in the public sector achieve compliance on an important issue.
The Race Equality Impact Assessment: A step-by-step guide' website provides user-friendly guidance and practical case studies. Policy-makers will find it easier to meet their legal duty to promote race equality.
Speaking at the launch of the new website, Trevor Phillips, Chair of the CRE said:
Policies don't affect everyone in the same way. In the past the needs of different racial groups were not always addressed and inequalities were created. Race equality should be taken into account whenever a new law or change to existing policy takes place. Although this is a statutory duty for public bodies, it can be hit or miss whether it actually happens. "
Delete records, or profile the whole UK, says DNA print pioneer / The Register, 9 Sep 2004
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/09/09/jeffreys_on_dna_fingerprints/
John Lettice
"The scientist who pioneered DNA fingerprinting has warned of the increasing danger of false positives as the use of the technique becomes more widespread. Although the theoretical chance of a false ID remains very small, geneticist Sir Alec Jeffreys suggests switching from use of ten markers per person to 15 or 16 would reduce the chance of a false match to around one in a trillion.
Jeffreys, speaking at a briefing marking the 20th anniversary of DNA fingerprinting at Leicester University yesterday, also expressed doubts about current UK policy on DNA record retention. Suspects have their DNA recorded, but for several years now the police have been allowed to retain the DNA profile whether or not the suspect is subsequently charged or convicted. "
John Lettice
"The scientist who pioneered DNA fingerprinting has warned of the increasing danger of false positives as the use of the technique becomes more widespread. Although the theoretical chance of a false ID remains very small, geneticist Sir Alec Jeffreys suggests switching from use of ten markers per person to 15 or 16 would reduce the chance of a false match to around one in a trillion.
Jeffreys, speaking at a briefing marking the 20th anniversary of DNA fingerprinting at Leicester University yesterday, also expressed doubts about current UK policy on DNA record retention. Suspects have their DNA recorded, but for several years now the police have been allowed to retain the DNA profile whether or not the suspect is subsequently charged or convicted. "
David Blunkett Backs Public Calls for Frontline Policing / Scotsman, 9 Sep 2004
http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=3473746
"Home Secretary David Blunkett today backed public calls for frontline police officers to forge closer links with communities following a public consultation on the next phase of police reform.
As part of the Government�s consultation into police reform �Policing: Building Safer Communities Together�, 5,000 respondents called for dedicated officers they could get to know to build trust, increase visibility and help tackle local crime.
More community engagement, better access to information on local policing and a greater say in setting local priorities for police would also provide greater public reassurance and establish clear lines of local accountability."
"Home Secretary David Blunkett today backed public calls for frontline police officers to forge closer links with communities following a public consultation on the next phase of police reform.
As part of the Government�s consultation into police reform �Policing: Building Safer Communities Together�, 5,000 respondents called for dedicated officers they could get to know to build trust, increase visibility and help tackle local crime.
More community engagement, better access to information on local policing and a greater say in setting local priorities for police would also provide greater public reassurance and establish clear lines of local accountability."
Russia warns West over Chechnya / Swissinfo, 9 Sep 2004
http://www.swissinfo.org/sen/Swissinfo.html?siteSect=143&sid=5203493
Oliver Bullough
"Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has warned the West not to meddle with Russia's Chechnya policy in the wake of the
bloody hostage crisis, highlighting a growing rift over the issue between former Cold War foes.
He said, in a reference to British and U.S. offers of asylum to spokesmen for Chechen rebel leader Aslan Maskhadov, that the West was
directly interfering in an internal issue.
'When our Western partners say we should re-examine our policy, what you call our tactics, I would advise them not to interfere in our
Russian internal affairs,' he told reporters on Thursday.
'Some try to interfere by offering political asylum to terrorists who are directly linked to the Chechen tragedy.'"
Oliver Bullough
"Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has warned the West not to meddle with Russia's Chechnya policy in the wake of the
bloody hostage crisis, highlighting a growing rift over the issue between former Cold War foes.
He said, in a reference to British and U.S. offers of asylum to spokesmen for Chechen rebel leader Aslan Maskhadov, that the West was
directly interfering in an internal issue.
'When our Western partners say we should re-examine our policy, what you call our tactics, I would advise them not to interfere in our
Russian internal affairs,' he told reporters on Thursday.
'Some try to interfere by offering political asylum to terrorists who are directly linked to the Chechen tragedy.'"
Thursday, September 09, 2004
Deadly spiders as prison drugs /Sydney Morning Herald, 8 Sep 8, 2004
http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,10702737%5E421,00.html
"INMATES at a NSW jail have been caught keeping deadly redback spiders - so they could milk their venom and inject it for a high.
In a bizarre dice with death, prisoners watered down the venom before injecting, according to Corrective Services documents.
The spiders were among contraband seized from prisoners, according to documents obtained by the State Opposition, under Freedom of Information laws, which also revealed the number of weapons seized in jails has quadrupled over a year while drug use and 'potato factory' alcohol set-ups have doubled.
Guards found more than 80 litres of 'homemade' brew in 14 raids in the first three months of this year, according to the documents.
The four 'pet' redbacks were found in a Grafton cell on February 19 with 'intelligence suggesting' inmates at the complex had milked the venom, according to an incident report. "
"INMATES at a NSW jail have been caught keeping deadly redback spiders - so they could milk their venom and inject it for a high.
In a bizarre dice with death, prisoners watered down the venom before injecting, according to Corrective Services documents.
The spiders were among contraband seized from prisoners, according to documents obtained by the State Opposition, under Freedom of Information laws, which also revealed the number of weapons seized in jails has quadrupled over a year while drug use and 'potato factory' alcohol set-ups have doubled.
Guards found more than 80 litres of 'homemade' brew in 14 raids in the first three months of this year, according to the documents.
The four 'pet' redbacks were found in a Grafton cell on February 19 with 'intelligence suggesting' inmates at the complex had milked the venom, according to an incident report. "
Screening key to immigration success / [Australia] Sydney Morning Herald, 9 Sep 2004
https://www.aqa.issuebits.com:8443/keswebmodule/keservlet?question1.htm
Adele Horin
"Australia is showing the world how to run a successful immigration policy, the author of a new study says.
The study, by Sue Richardson, economics professor at Flinders University, shows recent migrants to Australia found jobs far more easily than did migrants to Canada. 'The experience of migrants around the developed world is one of declining success over the last 10 to 15 years,' Professor Richardson said. 'But Australia is the exception.'
More rigorous selection of migrants, especially since 1999, a bigger proportion who are fluent in English and tougher social security rules for new immigrants appear to account for the success."
Adele Horin
"Australia is showing the world how to run a successful immigration policy, the author of a new study says.
The study, by Sue Richardson, economics professor at Flinders University, shows recent migrants to Australia found jobs far more easily than did migrants to Canada. 'The experience of migrants around the developed world is one of declining success over the last 10 to 15 years,' Professor Richardson said. 'But Australia is the exception.'
More rigorous selection of migrants, especially since 1999, a bigger proportion who are fluent in English and tougher social security rules for new immigrants appear to account for the success."
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