The Democratic Imperative Explaining the choice of crime fighting approaches in highly affected states

Tanko, Laszlo

4. term

Development and International Relations, Master

2015

2015-05-26

77

Dette speciale undersøger, hvorfor voldsomt kriminalitetsramte stater i høj grad vælger et punitivt strafferetligt spor (CJS) frem for mere integrerede indsatser inspireret af menneskelig sikkerhed (HS). Gennem et komparativt casestudie af El Salvador, Colombia og Sydafrika, der alle har oplevet markante fald i drab siden 1995, måles kriminalitet ved drabsraten pr. 100.000 indbyggere, og bredden af CJS-tiltag (domfældelsesrater, fængslingstal og politistyrkens størrelse) holdes op imod HS-orienterede indsatser (rehabiliteringsprogrammer, ungdomsprojekter og udbredelsen af nærpoliti). Analysen, der bygger på kvalitative og kvantitative sekundære kilder, finder en tydelig dominans af CJS, mens udviklings- og forebyggelsespolitikker ofte forblev retorik. HS-tilgange manglede analytisk og operationel tyngde og var svære at måle på i forhold til direkte kriminalitetsreduktion, hvilket sammen med borgernes og politikernes krav om hurtige resultater (et demokratisk imperativ) samt knappe ressourcer og svingende politisk opbakning medførte, at sådanne initiativer blev udskudt eller opgivet. Resultaterne understøtter kritikken af HS som upræcis og bred, samtidig med at CJS viste sig mere effektivt end antaget til at pacificere samfund, om end med betydelige bivirkninger som overfyldte fængsler og behov for politi- og retsreformer. Specialet peger derfor på nødvendigheden af mere stringent design, implementering og evaluering af tværsektorielle tilgange samt yderligere forskning i, hvordan vold og kriminalitet bedst reduceres.

This thesis examines why states heavily affected by violent crime tend to adopt punitive criminal justice system (CJS) responses over more integrated, human security (HS)-inspired approaches. Using a comparative case study of El Salvador, Colombia, and South Africa—countries that have seen notable declines in homicide since 1995—the study measures crime via homicide rates per 100,000 and contrasts the breadth of CJS policies (conviction rates, incarceration figures, and police force size) with HS-oriented interventions (rehabilitation programs, youth projects, and the reach of community policing). Relying on qualitative and quantitative secondary sources, the analysis finds a clear predominance of CJS while developmental and prevention policies often remained rhetorical. HS strategies lacked analytical and operational depth and offered weak evidence of direct crime reduction, making them appear vague compared to readily measurable CJS actions; coupled with public and political demands for rapid results (a democratic imperative) and constraints in resources and political backing, HS initiatives were delayed or abandoned. The findings reinforce critiques of HS as imprecise and overly broad, while showing that CJS has been more effective than expected at pacifying societies, albeit with significant side effects such as prison overcrowding and the need for police and justice reforms. The thesis highlights the need for more rigorous design, implementation, and evaluation of cross-sectoral approaches and further research on how best to reduce violence and crime.

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criminal justice ; human security ; crime ; development

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