dr. david a. shirk trans-border institute university of san diego findings & policy implications...

Dr. David A. ShirkDr. David A. ShirkTrans-Border InstituteTrans-Border InstituteUniversity of San DiegoUniversity of San Diego

Findings & Policy Findings & Policy ImplicationsImplications

Title Slide

Brief Overview:Brief Overview:

• Project Background

• Un-Rule of Law in Mexico

• New Justice Sector Reforms

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Justice in Mexico ProjectJustice in Mexico Project

• Multi-year, interdisciplinary collaborative research initiative

• 28 contributing experts on Mexican criminal justice

www.justiceinmexico.org

Sponsored by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the Tinker Foundation.

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Central Theme: Rule of LawCentral Theme: Rule of Law

• Order

• Accountability

• Access to justice

The rule of law is seriously compromised in Mexico by systemic problems in the administration of justice.

1. Crime and Criminality2. Police and Policing3. Legal Institutions &

Actors4. Crime and Society5. Best Practices & Policy

Recommendations

Key Topics:Key Topics:

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Mexican Criminal Justice SystemMexican Criminal Justice System

Crime Prevention

Preliminary Inquiry

Criminal Proceeding

Rehabilitation

—Public prosecutor

—Investigative police

—Preventive police

—Pre-trial detention

—Trial—Sentencing

—Prison—Alternative

sentencing









Presuntos Delincuentes por 100,000 (Accused Criminals Per 100,000), Fuero Comn y Federal

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

1926-1930

1931-1935

1936-1940

1941-1945

1946-1950

1951-1955

1956-1960

1961-1965

1966-1970

1971-1975

1976-1980

1981-1985

1986-1990

1991-1995

1996-2000

2001-2005

Periodo

Pres

unto

s De

lincu

ente

s

HomicidioLesionesRoboViolaci—n

Elevated Levels of CrimeElevated Levels of Crime

Source: Pablo Piccato Database, Accused Criminals, State-level Jurisdiction, 1926-2005.

Prison PopulationPrison Population in Mexico, 1992-2003

020000400006000080000

100000120000140000160000180000200000

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

Prisoners

Source: Elena Azaola and Marcelo Bergman, "The Mexican Prison System" (Table 4.3 Prison Population in Mexico), in Wayne Cornelius and David Shirk, Reforming the Administation of Justice in Mexico, (Southbend: Notre Dame Press, 2007), p. 93.

Comparative Prison PopulationLatin American Prison Population Per 100,000

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

Source: Elena Azaola and Marcelo Bergman, "The Mexican Prison System" (Table 4.5 "Latin American Prison Populations, 1992, 1996, 1999"), in Wayne Cornelius and David Shirk, Reforming the Administation of Justice in Mexico, (Southbend: Notre Dame Press, 2007), p. 100.

A Profile of Mexican CriminalsA Profile of Mexican Criminals• 447 prisons (5 federal; 330

state; 103 municipal) • 177,500+ inmates (175

prisoners per 100,000 pop.)• 96% male prisoners• 40% in “pre-trial” stage• Increasing # drug-related

sentences

Official Estimates of Percent Prison Over-population in Mexico, 1998-2005

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

120%

140%

1998 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Total Prison Cells Excess Prisoners

Sources: Source: Azaola and Bergman, “The Mexican Prison System”; Para 1998: SG. Dirección General de Prevención y Readaptación Social. Para 2001 a 2005: SSP. Órgano Administrativo Desconcentrado. Prevención y Readaptación Social.

Comparative Prison Overpopulation% of Overcrowding in Latin American Prisons

0

50

100

150

200

250

Dom. R

ep.

Para

guay

Brazil

Costa

Rica

Bolivia

Vene

zuela

Chile

Ecua

dor

Peru

Argen

tina

Colom

bia

El S

alva

dor

Mex

ico

Pana

ma

Urugu

ay

Hondu

ras

Guate

mala

Overpopulation

Max. Capacity

Source: Elena Azaola and Marcelo Bergman, "The Mexican Prison System" (Table 4.6 "Latin American Prisons: Overpopulation, Inmates Awaiting Sentencing, and Cost Per Inmate"), in Wayne Cornelius and David Shirk, Reforming the Administation of Justice in Mexico, (Southbend: Notre Dame Press, 2007), p. 101.

Lifecycle of a Crime in MexicoLifecycle of a Crime in Mexico• Crimes committed Cifra negra• Crimes reported 25 of 100• Investigations completed 4.6 of 25• Crimes prosecuted 1.6 of 4.6• Crimes brought to trial 1.2 of 1.6

• Crimes sentenced 1.1 of 1.2Source: Guillermo Zepeda Lecuona, “Criminal Investigation and Subversion of Justice System Principles,” in Reforming the Administration of Justice in Mexico, forthcoming 2006. Numbers rounded to nearest tenth.

Police ProfilePolice Profile• 3,000 different forces

(federal, state, local)• Estimated 400,000

police in Mexico (75% preventive)

• About 4 police per 1000 persons


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Police per PersonPolice per PersonNumber of Police Per 1,000 People

0.0

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

5.0

6.0

Italy

Hong Kong

Portugal

Czech

Rep

ublic

Mex

ico

United S

tate

s

Germ

any

Irela

nd

Spain

Colom

bia

United K

ingdom

Switzer

land

Chile

Japan

Canad

aIn

dia

Costa

Rica

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cri_pol_percap-crime-police-per-capita

Comparing Police CorruptionPercent identifying police corruption as most

urgent priority in select countries

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Mex

ico

Hong K

ong

Nig

eri

a

S.

Afr

ica

Russ

ian

Boliv

ia

India

Panam

a

Guate

mala

Peru

Japan

Colo

mbia

US

A

Canada

Cost

a R

ica

Dom

. R

ep.

Arg

enti

na

Germ

any

47 C

ountr

y

Perc

ent

Transparency International Global Corruption Barometer 2003

Locating Corruption in the System

Source: Elena Azaola and Marcelo Bergman, "The Mexican Prison System" in Wayne Cornelius and David Shirk, Reforming the Administation of Justice in Mexico, (Southbend: Notre Dame Press, 2007), p. 109, 110.

Incidents of Bribery and Torture in the Mexican Justice System reported in 2002 Prisoner Survey

19%

7% 6%4% 3%

24%

41%

3% 4%1% 1%

22%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

Preventivepolice

Judicial police Publicprosecutor's

office

Prison guards Court clerks Judges

Requests for Bribes

Beatings/Incidents of Torture

Inquisitorial Criminal ProcedureInquisitorial Criminal Procedure• Investigation by

Ministerio público • Pretrial detention• Written trial proceedings• Lengthy process• Large case backlogs• Lack of transparency



Legal ProfessionLegal Profession• Proliferation of law

programs• No licensing exam• No mandatory bar

membership• New code of ethics• Estimated 40,000

lawyers Mexico’s Supreme Court and major national bar associations are beginning to consider mandatory bar membershi.







Turning to the BarracksTurning to the Barracks

• Militarization of police agencies and counter-drug efforts

• Increased military budget



0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

35000

40000

1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

Budgets for Mexican Navy and Army, 1996-2006 (Millions of Pesos)

SEMAR

SEDENA

Military DeploymentsMilitary Deployments• Estimated 25,000

troops deployed to special counter-drug operations in 2006-07

Operation Tijuana



Operation Michoacán




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Drug Violence Map 2006Drug Violence Map 2006









2006

Drug Violence Map 2007Drug Violence Map 2007


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2007

Insecurity/ crime

10.6

26.4

20.1

16.718.1

28.9

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

May/01 May/02 May/03 May/04 May/05 May/06

Percentage of Citizens for Whom Insecurity Is the Most Important Problem

Heightened Citizen ConcernsHeightened Citizen Concerns

Source: Reforma Newspaper, Mexico City, National phone survey.

Demanding JusticeDemanding JusticeIn July 2004, 250,000 DF residents marched to demand access to justice. Since the mid-1990s, groups have protested violence against women in Ciudad Júarez.



Mexico City and Ciudad Júarez protests



Undesirable Public ResponsesUndesirable Public Responses• Severely negative

perceptions of police• Public resignation to

acts of corruption• Occasional public

vigilantism (especially in rural Mexico)

• In late 2004, Mexico City residents beat, killed, and set fire to federal police agents suspected of a kidnapping plot. The event was televised while local police stood by.







Best Practices: Looking to States

• Transparency laws• Oral trials• Alternative

sentences• Mediation• Bureaucratic

oversight

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CalderCalderón’s Rule of Law Agendaón’s Rule of Law Agenda

1. Improved criminal analysis

2. Reducing common crime

3. Police reform

4. Combating organized crime

5. Judicial sector reform

6. Transparency & accountability

7. Stronger victim protections



Current Justice Reform Current Justice Reform • Public oral trials• Pre-trial release• Due process• Discovery • Plea bargaining• Wire-tapping &

searchesIn December 2007, the Chamber of Deputies passed a proposal for a comprehensive overhaul of the Mexican criminal justice system. After minor modifications, the bill was approved by the Senate’s judiciary commission in February 2008.



Thank You!Thank You!• David Shirk • Alejandra Ríos• Robert Buffington• Pablo Piccato• Elena Azaola & Marcelo Bergman• Benjamin Reames• Guillermo Zepeda Lecuona• Sigrid Arzt• Carlos Silva• Sara Schatz, Hugo Concha, & Ana

Laura Magaloni• Elisa Speckman Guerra• Hector Fix-Fierro

• Jeffrey Staton• Robert Kossick• Pablo Paras• Kathleen Staudt • Irasema Coronado• Rosalva Aida Hernandez • Hector Ortiz Elizondo• Robert Varenik• Mario Arroyo• Allison Rowland• Marcos Pablo Moloeznik• John Bailey • Wayne Cornelius

dr. david a. shirk trans-border institute university of san diego findings & policy implications...

Documents

military budget slide

administation of justice

rural mexico

system source

administration of justice

mexican prison system

mexican prison system

demanding justice