IJJO / International Juvenile Justice Observatory

International - The electronic Newsletter of the IJJO, is a service created by the Observatory for its users and collaborators, to receive it monthly in your email it’s only necessary to register as a user or collaborator.

IJJO / International Juvenile Justice Observatory

International - 18 - 19 June 2008. Event recognized of Public and Cultural Interest in Costa Rica. Preparatory activity for the XVIII Cumbre Iberoamericana.

Within the framework of the plenary session of the Annual Ministerial Review (AMR) UN ECOSOC, which will take place in New York in July 2008, the Regional Innovation Conference 'Youth: the Core of Sustainable Development' organized by the International Juvenile Justice Observatory in collaboration with the Fundación Diagrama, ILINUD and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport of Costa Rica, will focus on the relationship between Sustainable Development and Youth.

AMR Regional Innovation Fair Conference offers a unique opportunity to gather a variety of involved experts, civil society members, of the academic world and the private sector, in order to promote sustainable development. The Conference will cover the following topics:

* Subjet 1: The Impact of Sustainable Development on Youth.
* Subjet 2: Youth Sustainable Development : Innovations.

IJJO / International Juvenile Justice Observatory

International - On the 21^st and 22^nd October 2008, the International Juvenile Justice Observatory (IJJO) together with the County Council of Justice and Public Administrations of the Generalitat Valenciana (Spain), have the pleasure to organise the III International IJJO Conference, which will be titled: "Juvenile Justice Systems in Europe: current situation, trends in applicable models and good practices".

This International Conference, framed in the AGIS European Project, will be developed according to the two following axes:

* Subjet 1: Comparative analysis of juvenile justice systems in Europe: current situation and trends in applicable models.
* Subjet 2: Good practices and recommendations applicable on juvenile justice systems.

IJJO / International Juvenile Justice Observatory

Europe, Region - On March 13th and 15th 2008, the expert members of the AGIS Project “Juvenile Justice Systems in Europe – current situation, reform developments and good practices” met in Verona (Italy). Representatives of 27 countries presented the results and progress on the elaboration of the national reports, to revise them and publish them afterwards.

During a second phase of the programme, there will be a compilation and analysis of the intervention models which are considered to be good practices, regarding youth legislation, delinquency prevention policies and specific and important projects.

IJJO / International Juvenile Justice Observatory

National, United States - The International Juvenile Justice Observatory (IJJO) informs you on the approval of the 'Juvenile Life Without Parole Reform Act'. There are 227 inmates in California sentenced as juveniles to life in prison without parole.

Senate Committee on Public Safety voted 3 to 2 in favor of the Juvenile Life Without Parole Reform Act (Senate Bill 1199), which would eliminate life-without-parole sentences for offenders under age 18. It would instead impose a sentence of 25 years to life, giving young offenders access to parole after 25 years if they show convincing evidence of rehabilitation.

IJJO / International Juvenile Justice Observatory

National, Saudi Arabia - Begging, running away from home or being alone with someone from the opposite sex are some of the facts that are considered to be a crime in the juvenile criminal system in Saudi Arabia. Adults Before Their Time. Children in Saudi Arabia’s Criminal Justice System is the title of a report presented by Human Rights Watch.

Minors in conflict with the law in this country can resort to Juvenile Courts and detention centres but do not have any legislation which protects their rights and special needs. The stigmatisation and gender discrimination are common practices in the sentencing procedure for minors in Saudi Arabia.

IJJO / International Juvenile Justice Observatory

National, Canada - Anthony N. Doob Professor at the Criminology Centre of the University of Toronto Canada, exposes the evolution of the 'Criminal Justice Law for minors' in Canada. Mr. Doob analyses the situation and the context of the development of the criminal situation of minor offenders as well as the adaptation process of the legislative reform.

Francisco Romero Blasco, Anna Melero Merino, Carme Cànovas Amenós and Montserrat Antolin Martínez

Spain - Esta investigación comprende el estudio de los expedientes calificados por las fiscalías de menores de Catalunya como hechos de violencia física sobre familiares, violencia psicológica sobre familiares y maltrato familiar, en los que están imputados los jóvenes que tienen una edad comprendida entre los 14 y 18 años como presuntos autores de los hechos y a sus familias como victimas. Comprende el análisis de todos los expedientes abiertos y calificados por la fiscalía desde el 1 de enero del año 2001 hasta el 31 de diciembre del año 2003. La motivación para realizar esta investigación surgió por el aumento de expedientes, pero también, por la especificidad y complejidad del conflicto que llega a la justicia. El presunto responsable del hecho y la víctima conviven en el mismo domicilio, y tienen un grado de parentesco, casi siempre de primer grado, y en las actuaciones legales asociadas al hecho, la víctima acompaña al agresor a la comisaría de policía, en la declaración ante el fiscal, en la entrevista con el equipo. También hemos considerado que era importante conocer la percepción que los profesionales que intervienen en algún momento del proceso, (jueces, fiscales, policía, equipos de asesoramiento, educadores de medio abierto y de centros y los abogados).

Responsable de Investigación. Manel Capdevila Capdevila. Centro de Estudios Jurídicos y Formación Especializada. Departamento de Justicia de la Generalitat de Catalunya. España.