By Jacqueline Tasca, Reza Ahmadi, Safiyah Husein, Justin McNeil

The current report is the second in a two-part series of research projects exploringthe effects of justice involvement on homelessness in Ontario. The first report, No Fixed Address: The Intersections of Justice Involvement and Homelessness was released in 2022. The report analyzed over 10 years of data on admissions to Ontario correctional facilities of individuals who had no fixed address - no stable, permanent address - at the time of admission to a correctional institution. Findings from the report highlighted that Ontario’s provincial correctional facilities are incarcerating a proportionally larger number of people experiencing homelessness now than at any other point in the last 15 years 

Toronto: John Howard Society of Ontario, Social Research and Demonstration Corporation, Canadian Observatory on Homelessness, 2024. 28p.

By The  Institute for Security Studies

Drawing on years of research, these priority measures can help the South African Police Service fulfil its constitutional mandate.

Many police members do good work and many criminals end up in prisons as a result. We applaud these successes. Nevertheless, since 2012, we have become increasingly concerned by evidence that the South African Police Service’s (SAPS) organisational performance and policing generally in South Africa are in a state of decline. After more than a decade of rising murder rates, improving public safety is critical for the country’s future. The government should prioritise a targeted programme of reform that measurably improves policing over the coming five years. Based on three decades of analysis of crime and policing in South Africa, this report provides recommendations in five strategic focus areas

Pretoria: Institute for Security Studies (ISS), 2024. 20p.

By Kars de Bruijne Clara Gehrling

  It is generally accepted that violent extremism is a problem in northern Benin. Currently, attention is overwhelmingly devoted to northern Alibori and western Atacora and this problem is viewed as a ‘spillover’ from the Sahel. But this is only part of the story. This report points to a number of disturbing signals which, in combination, point to a problem of violent extremism along Benin’s border with Nigeria. . 1. Suffocating canaries in coal mines indicate dangerous levels of carbon monoxide. A variety of strange signals in Northern Benin along the border with Nigeria are like these canaries: they point at dangerous liaisons between violent extremist groups. Closer relationships with bandit groups seem to facilitate this. This report makes the following observations: − Banditry is re-emerging in JNIM’s zones of operation in Benin. Those bandits seem to have Nigerian connections. − Violent extremists are present in Kainji Lake National Park (Nigeria) just across the border from the Borgou Department. Evidence suggests this involves Sahelian extremists (likely JNIM). Another group would be Darul Salam – a group linked to Boko Haram, if not fully affiliated – with an open attitude towards bandits. − There has been a strong increase in the movement of unidentified armed actors along the Borgou border with Niger State and in banditry-related incidents since March 2023. The evidence suggests that there is a direct link with those operating in Kainji Lake National Park. − Since March 2023, unidentified armed groups have had a concealed presence in the Forêt de Trois Rivières between southern Alibori and the Borgou Department. − Bandits and unidentified armed groups are known to move towards Kebbi State from Sokoto. It is alleged that these include various Darul Salam fighters with links to the Sahel. 

2. There are deep connections between North West Nigeria and North East Benin due to longstanding social, ethnic and religious connections, particularly in the former ‘cross-border’ Borgu Empire: − The northern-most border area (North East Alibori and Kebbi State) sees intra-ethnic cross-border connections between the Hausa and the Nigerian Zamfara Fulbe respectively. A risk in this area are ethnic tensions between the Hausa and the Fulbe. − The area of the former Borgu Empire (Borgou Department and Niger State) has a distinct cross-border political entity. On both sides of the border, people tend to identify as one Bariba/Boo community with shared customary institutions. There are high farmer-herder tensions involving autochthonous Fulbe. There is also a fear of kidnapping by Zamfara Fulbe. − Another risk in the former Borgu Empire concerns the Dambanga hunting groups. These groups operate cross-border in defiance of a Benin government ban but are pitched against extremists in Kainji and have been used by the Nigerian military. This discrepancy can generate tensions between the two countries. − Two non-violent reformist movements – the Yan Izala movement and the Jama'at Tabligh – are present along the border. Their reach has grown strongly in the border area of Northern Benin during the last ten years. 3. A well-developed cross-border trade system operates between the Nigerian and Beninese border. This system generates livelihoods for many people in the area. Livelihoods are at risk: − There is a variety of markets and crossings connecting North West Nigeria and Northern Benin. Unidentified armed groups and Darul Salam operate in these hubs. − People’s livelihoods are highly dependent on cross-border trade. Interviews revealed frustration and a strong sense of grievance towards both Nigerian and Beninese government policies that are perceived to put livelihoods under stress. − On the one hand, consistent problems reported are a ban on cereal exports and soybeans, and accompanying border restrictions. Both have a negative impact on livelihoods. − On the other hand, the end of fuel subsidies in Nigeria at the time of research for this report had a severe impact on people’s livelihoods (and on communities in general). 4. The above three main observations suggest that a very problematic situation is emerging along the Nigerian-Benin border. Not only are there numerous indications of extremist activities and a link between bandits and extremists along the border but also there are clear social links that facilitate cross border exchange and real livelihood needs that create vulnerabilities to recruitment. The governments of Benin and Nigeria urgently need to move into action. Three things could be done: − Coordinate and step up the military response by: revamping regional security cooperation within ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States); bilateral security cooperation for hot-pursuit, intelligence sharing and coordination; and a joint strategy for cross-border hunting groups. − Prioritise people’s livelihoods. This should involve cushioning livelihood effects of the ban on cereals (and cutting of fuel subsidies) to reduce vulnerability to recruitment. − Be more flexible and agile to respond to rapidly changing context by closely monitoring border markets for sudden vulnerabilities, and demanding more flexible donor programming and funding so that programming can be really flexible  

The Hague:  Netherlands Institute of International Relations ‘Clingendael’., 2024. 81p..

by: The Ontario Drug Policy Research Network (ODPRN) Public Health Ontario (PHO)

Ontario is experiencing an ongoing opioid-related toxicity crisis, with 2,534 opioid-related toxicity deaths reported in the province in 2022, representing a 63% increase from 2019.1 Shelters provide short-term accommodation for individuals or families experiencing homelessness, with 7,767 emergency shelter beds reported in Ontario 2022.2 As evidence has suggested, people experiencing homelessness are disproportionately impacted by the current drug toxicity crisis.3 Understanding the prevalence of opioid-related harms occurring within shelters, how these have changed over time, and what interventions can be introduced to support the safety of people who use drugs who access these services is imperative. This is particularly important as recent data has demonstrated that the COVID-19 pandemic has led to rising opioid toxicity deaths within shelter and supportive housing settings in Ontario, with the number of deaths more than doubling (from 20 to 46 deaths) in the first 9 months of the pandemic.4 This trend has also been reported specifically in Toronto shelter settings, where opioid-related mortality more than tripled from 17 deaths in 2019 to 57 deaths in 2022,5 causing opioid toxicities to be identified as the presumed leading cause of death in shelter settings in Toronto.6 The observed increases in opioid-related toxicity deaths in shelter settings are likely attributable to pandemic-related factors that impacted the population as a whole (e.g., an increasingly toxic unregulated drug supply, increased social isolation and using drugs alone, and pandemic-related disruptions to harm reduction and treatment services) as well as specific changes that may have occurred within shelter settings.7 Specifically, COVID-19-related disruptions had far-reaching impacts on shelters, including the displacement of residents due to physical distancing measures which may have led to accessing an unfamiliar and potentially more dangerous drug supply, decreased staff support, potential changes in overdose response, and reduced harm reduction services for shelter residents, all of which likely exacerbated opioid-related harms in this setting. Importantly, opioid use and related harms among people accessing Ontario’s. shelter system are situated within the complex interplay of several factors including social-economic and housing instability, complex health needs, trauma, mental health, stigma, and various barriers to harm-reduction and treatment.8-11 Within the context of increasing calls to address the growing opioid toxicity crisis within Ontario shelters, including improving access to harm reduction services,12 there is an urgent need to better understand the circumstances surrounding opioid-related toxicity deaths in shelters to help improve evidence-based responses. Therefore, the objective of this report is to use linked coronial records and health administrative data capturing opioid-related toxicity deaths in shelters and health service use across Ontario to better understand the demographic characteristics, circumstances surrounding death, and types of healthcare encounters preceding opioid-related toxicity deaths within Ontario shelters. The goal of this work is to help support an evidence-informed expansion of services within the shelter system that will help to prevent avoidable deaths from substance use that have been observed in recent years 

Ontario:  The Network,  2024. 29p    

By  Faith Hornor Noa Tann Ellen Tyra

  As of early 2023, global elephant ivory and rhino horn seizure rates had not yet fully returned to pre-pandemic levels.1,2 Nevertheless, illicit elephant ivory and rhino horn trafficking endures as a threat to these iconic species. The illicit wildlife trade is not a static enterprise; it is constantly evolving in response to the barriers and opportunities that arise. Countertrafficking stakeholders require a nuanced and updated understanding of elephant ivory and rhino horn trafficking operations to effectively confront the criminal networks sustaining them. This report analyzes trends in publicly reported wildlife seizure data collected in the C4ADS Wildlife Seizure Database and is augmented with data from national-level reporting and representative case studies. In doing so, it identifies key areas for intervention and offers insights that can inform the development of targeted counter-trafficking strategies. Specifically, this report finds that:3 ܰ Geographic patterns of elephant ivory and rhino horn seizures continue to adhere to transcontinental Africa-to-Asia trafficking routes, confirming this trend persists after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.4 ܰ Southern African states play a key role as hubs for elephant ivory and rhino horn trafficking network operations. ܰ Vietnam continues to grow as a continental entry point and consumer location for both elephant ivory and rhino horn. ܰ Outside of land-based seizures, seized shipments of rhino horn are typically transported via the air sector, and elephant ivory through the maritime sector, although less frequently than before the COVID-19 pandemic. ܰ Global elephant ivory seizures have increased since 2021, as indicated by two key measures: total weight seized and average seizure weight. By contrast, rhino horn seizure statistics have fluctuated in recent years. Data-driven decision-making can help counter-wildlife trafficking stakeholders influence the economic and social factors that drive individuals to participate in the illegal wildlife trade, ultimately disrupting the illicit economy and ensuring the future of iconic species. With this impact framework in mind, this report outlines recommendations for law enforcement officials, prosecutors, and other counter-wildlife trafficking stakeholders on how to leverage a data-centric approach to combating illicit elephant ivory and rhino horn trafficking networks.

  Washington, DC:    C4ADS 2024, 34p.

By the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime  

A global reference on drug markets, trends and policy developments, the World Drug Report offers a wealth of data and analysis and in 2024 comprises several elements tailored to different audiences. The web-based Drug market patterns and trends module contains the latest analysis of global, regional and subregional estimates of and trends in drug demand and supply in a user-friendly, interactive format supported by graphs, infographics and maps. The Key findings and conclusions booklet provides an overview of selected findings from the analysis presented in the Drug market patterns and trends module and the thematic Contemporary issues on drugs booklet, while the Special points of interest fascicle offers a framework for the main takeaways and policy implications that can be drawn from those findings.
As well as providing an in-depth analysis of key developments and emerging trends in selected drug markets, the Contemporary issues on drugs booklet looks at several other developments of policy relevance. The booklet opens with a look at the 2022 Taliban ban on the cultivation and production of and trafficking in drugs in Afghanistan and its implications both within the country and in transit and destination markets elsewhere. This is followed by a chapter examining the convergence of drug trafficking and other activities and how they affect natural ecosystems and communities in the Golden Triangle in South-East Asia. The chapter also assesses the extent to which drug production and trafficking are linked with other illicit economies that challenge the rule of law and fuel conflict. Another chapter analyses how the dynamics of demand for and supply of synthetic drugs vary when the gender and age of market participants are considered. The booklet continues with an update on regulatory approaches to and the impact of legalization on the non-medical cannabis market in different countries, and a review of the enabling environment that provides broad access to the unsupervised, “quasi-therapeutic” and non-medical use of psychedelic substances. Finally, the booklet offers a multi-dimensional framework on the right to health in the context of drug use; these dimensions include availability, accessibility, acceptability, quality, non-discrimination, non-stigmatization and participation.

The World Drug Report 2024 is aimed not only at fostering greater international cooperation to counter the impact of the world drug problem on health, governance and security, but also at assisting Member States in anticipating and addressing threats posed by drug markets and mitigating their consequences.

The emergence of new synthetic opioids and a record supply and demand of other drugs has compounded the impacts of the world drug problem, leading to a rise in drug use disorders and environmental harms, according to the World Drug Report 2024 launched by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) today.

“Drug production, trafficking, and use continue to exacerbate instability and inequality, while causing untold harm to people’s health, safety and well-being,” said Ghada Waly, Executive Director of UNODC. “We need to provide evidence-based treatment and support to all people affected by drug use, while targeting the illicit drug market and investing much more in prevention.”

The number of people who use drugs has risen to 292 million in 2022, a 20 per cent increase over 10 years. Cannabis remains the most widely used drug worldwide (228 million users), followed by opioids (60 million users), amphetamines (30 million users), cocaine (23 million users), and ecstasy (20 million users).

Nitazenes – a group of synthetic opioids which can be even more potent than fentanyl – have recently emerged in several high-income countries, resulting in an increase in overdose deaths.  

Though an estimated 64 million people worldwide suffer from drug use disorders, only one in 11 is in treatment. Women receive less access to treatment than men, with only one in 18 women with drug use disorders in treatment versus one in seven men.

In 2022, an estimated 7 million people were in formal contact with the police (arrests, cautions, warnings) for drug offences, with about two-thirds of this total due to drug use or possession for use. In addition, 2.7 million people were prosecuted for drug offences and over 1.6 million were convicted globally in 2022, though there are significant differences across regions regarding the criminal justice response to drug offences.

The Report includes special chapters on the impact of the opium ban in Afghanistan; synthetic drugs and gender; the impacts of cannabis legalization and the psychedelic “renaissance”; the right to health in relation to drug use; and how drug trafficking in the Golden Triangle is linked with other illicit activities and their impacts.

Vienna:  United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime UNODC, 

2024. 169p.

By Enzo Nussio,

Lynching remains a common form of collective punishment for alleged wrongdoers in Latin America, Africa, and Asia today. Unlike other kinds of collective violence, lynching is usually not carried out by standing organizations. How do lynch mobs overcome the high barriers to violent collective action? I argue that they draw on local community ties to compensate for a lack of centralized organization. Lynch mobs benefit from solidarity and peer pressure, which facilitate collective action. The study focuses on Mexico, where lynching is prevalent and often amounts to the collective beating of thieves. Based on original survey data from Mexico City and a novel lynching event dataset covering the whole of Mexico, I find that individuals with more ties in their communities participate more often in lynching, and municipalities with more highly integrated communities have higher lynching rates. As community ties and lynching may be endogenously related, I also examine the posited mechanisms and the causal direction. Findings reveal that municipalities exposed to a recent major earthquake—an event that tends to increase community ties—subsequently experienced increased levels of lynching. Importantly, I find that interpersonal trust is unrelated to lynching, thus showing that different aspects of social capital have diverging consequences for collective violence, with community ties revealing a “dark side.”

American Sociological ReviewVolume 0: Ahead of Print, June 2024.

By United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime -  Ioana Cotutiu, Lead Author

A first-ever mapping of waste trafficking trends from Europe to Southeast Asia has been published on 2 April 2024. Produced by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the new research sheds light on how criminal actors exploit legal trade and regulatory and enforcement loopholes for financial gain. It also explores the negative impact this crime has on the global circular economy. Southeast Asia remains a key destination for illicit waste shipments, the report reveals, with Europe, North America, and Asia identified as primary regions of origin. Common tactics include false declarations, a lack of or incorrect notifications to circumvent regulations and avoid controls, along with missing or inadequate licenses or documents. Data collected from four Southeast Asian countries, three major European Union ports, and international enforcement operations highlight efforts in tackling illegal waste shipments by both origin and destination countries. However, despite regulatory and enforcement measures implemented by countries in which illegal waste ends up — such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Viet Nam — waste trafficking continues to pose a major challenge in the region. The report is a flagship within a series of publications that explore corruption, cybercrime, and legal loopholes as causes behind the problem. It is part of a comprehensive project (Unwaste) to address waste trafficking and its impact on the global circular economy.

Bangkok, Thailand: UNODC, 2024. 158p.

By Camila Gianella Malca 

Aspects of Peruvian politics contribute significantly to deforestation of the Amazon. Informal practices, state capture, and collusion are compounded by the development of intensive agriculture, proposed reforms of small-scale mining and forestry as well as existing legal restrictions. These reforms undermine efforts to protect the Amazon region.Greater transparency and accountability of elected officials, as well as enhanced environmental management, is crucial to meeting the challenges faced by those who wish to protect the Amazon.

Bergen: U4 Anti Corruption Resource Centre, Chr. Michelsen Institute (U4 Brief 2024:5) 2024. 20p.

By Bayar Dashpurev 

Allegations of corruption in Mongolia’s coal trade with China in late 2022 sparked public protests – and highlighted critical shortcomings in the management of the minerals sector. While the government took action to improve policies, enforcement is insufficient and there is a lack of coordination among the different agencies that exercise investigative and prosecutorial powers. Parliamentary elections in 2024 may be an opportune moment for reformers to address these gaps.

  U4 BRIEF 2024

Bergen: Anti-Corruption Resource Center (U4), Chr. Michelsen Institute (U4 Brief 2024:4) 2024. 24p.

UNITED NATIONS OFFICE ON DRUGS AND CRIME

From the webpage description: "A global reference on drug markets, trends and policy developments, the World Drug Report offers a wealth of data and analysis and in 2024 comprises several elements tailored to different audiences. The web-based Drug market patterns and trends [hyperlink] module contains the latest analysis of global, regional and subregional estimates of and trends in drug demand and supply in a user-friendly, interactive format supported by graphs, infographics and maps. The Key findings and conclusions booklet [hyperlink] provides an overview of selected findings from the analysis presented in the Drug market patterns and trends module and the thematic Contemporary issues on drugs booklet, while the Special points of interest [hyperlink] fascicle offers a framework for the main takeaways and policy implications that can be drawn from those findings. As well as providing an in-depth analysis of key developments and emerging trends in selected drug markets, the Contemporary issues on drugs booklet [hyperlink] looks at several other developments of policy relevance. [...] The World Drug Report 2024 is aimed not only at fostering greater international cooperation to counter the impact of the world drug problem on health, governance and security, but also at assisting Member States in anticipating and addressing threats posed by drug markets and mitigating their consequences."

UNITED NATIONS OFFICE ON DRUGS AND CRIME. 2024

By Simon Springer

This paper proceeds as a brief intervention in response to Andrew Foxall's article "Geopolitics, genocide and the Olympic Games: Sochi 2014". I address the violence that is associated with the Olympic Games and the politics of place that are involved in site selection. In offering some reflections on how the Olympics are irrevocably tied to colonial processes, my primary contention is that it is necessary to ask critical geographical questions about the Games. Such interrogation opens up a dialogue wherein greater awareness for the legacies of violence may be established, which has the potential to interrupt its ongoing unfoldings.

ACME. 2014. 9p.

By World Athletics

World Athletics today (22 December 2023) published findings of a study conducted during the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23 focused towards identifying and addressing abusive and threatening behaviour aimed at athletes on the X and Instagram social media platforms.

Building on the past two years of implementing greater safeguarding measures in athletics, 449,209 posts and comments were analysed between 18-28 August for abusive content in 16 different languages and additional dialects, protecting 1344 athletes with 1666 active accounts across both platforms.

This included text analysis, through searches for slurs and other phrases (including emojis) that could indicate abuse. Image recognition tools were also deployed to flag potentially offensive images. These findings were then compared to results from the previous study, conducted a year earlier at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 (15-24 July 2022).

The research once again identified clear instances of online abuse and threats, targeting athletes competing at the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23. It detected notable examples of racist and sexualised abuse, with a selection of posts extending into potential action from law enforcement.

The study revealed:

X (formerly Twitter) was the preferred channel for abusers, accounting for almost 90% of detected abuse, a 500% relative increase compared to 2022

Racist abuse made up over one third of all abuse, an increase of 14% from 2022

Male athletes faced an increase in abuse, with the gender split of abuse being 51% targeting men and 49% targeting women

Two athletes out of 1344 monitored received 44% of all accounted abuse between them\

The levels of abuse detected during Budapest were noticeably higher when compared with the previous year’s study conducted during the World Athletics Championships Oregon22. Of the instances of racist abuse detected, the vast majority came on X. The abuse was overwhelmingly targeted at black athletes, with invocations of monkey imagery and deployment of the N-word in several spellings.

This is the third study of its kind in athletics and forms part of a research project World Athletics is conducting stretching over four years to fully understand the size, scale and gravity of online abuse athletes face during major sporting events. It is the third deployment of Threat Matrix, an initiative by data science company Signify Group, supported by sports investigations company Quest.

With a fourth study due to be carried out at the Olympic Games in Paris next year, the combined research will then encompass data from two Olympic Games as well as two World Athletics Championships, with events staged across Asia, Europe and North America.

World Athletics, 2023. 12p.

By Laura Chiang, Stephanie Miedema, Janet Saul, James Mercy, Andrew Brooks, Alexander Butchart, Gretchen Bachman, Jennifer Hegle, Daniela Ligiero, Joseph Logan, Greta Massetti

Violence against children is a pervasive global public health and human rights issue, with 1 billion children experiencing at least one form of violence annually. Extensive scientific literature shows childhood adversity, including sexual violence, to be directly and indirectly associated with a host of health and social consequences with a dose–response effect, consequential intergenerational impacts, and sizeable economic ramifications. There is a dearth of population data on the prevalence of childhood sexual violence as well as its antecedents and health and social outcomes, which has hampered violence prevention and child protection efforts globally and locally. Population data are critical, alongside administrative data systems and statistical definitions and classification schemes, for governments to adequately begin addressing violence against children. The absence of national prevalence data has resulted in limited information to guide national policies and prevention strategies, monitor trends, and evaluate prevention efforts. Globally, lack of data on the epidemiological patterns of violence against children has resulted in deficient prioritisation for preventing and responding to this critical problem. Violence Against Children and Youth Surveys (VACS) collect comprehensive data on violence and have been implemented in over 23 countries in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe and Latin America since 2007. VACS have also been repeated in three countries: Zimbabwe (2011; 2017), Kenya (2010; 2019) and Eswatini (2007; 2022). VACS provide extensive data on the prevalence and contexts of all forms of violence, including sexual violence, therefore allowing for targeted prevention and response efforts. VACS further provide the global research community with data to examine the epidemiological patterns of childhood sexual violence across countries and regions. VACS data have raised awareness and improved understanding of childhood sexual violence in many countries worldwide, and thereby catalysed action. This article draws on VACS reports and empirical publications, to summarise and describe patterns in childhood sexual violence across countries that have completed VACS and shed light on the global prevalence of childhood sexual violence.

BMJ Paediatr Open, 2024. 3p.

By  Avril Sharp

   Kalayaan works on the assumption that no amount of abuse should be tolerated, permitted to persist or go unchallenged. Key to this is addressing the systemic drivers of exploitation, including the legal structures that make people vulnerable to abuse. Whilst acknowledging that exploitation is multifaceted and abusive employers must be held accountable, our focus in this report is demonstrating the role and legal duty the state has to ensure that our legal systems are compatible with our positive obligations to protect and safeguard all workers. The UK Government has repeatedly acknowledged the vulnerabilities faced by migrant domestic workers over the years, but their concern has been restricted to after-the-event responses that focus measures to rescue workers who have experienced extreme abuse, rather than address the ways in which the legislative and policy framework facilitates their abuse and excludes them from certain fundamental protections as workers in their own right. Since 2012 and against the backdrop of the UK’s hostile environment for migrants, Government policy has seen domestic workers stripped of their labour law rights, immigration enforcement prioritised, and the protections of this workforce placed within a trafficking framework. This has meant workers have had to demonstrate their treatment has deteriorated to the point of slavery before they are able to seek redress. This reactive approach does nothing to prevent abuse escalating, places an evidential burden on workers and obfuscates the role the state plays in handing more control to employers. The visa changes introduced in 2012 under David Cameron formed part of that Government’s objective to reduce net immigration to the UK to under 100,000 people. It sought to achieve this by reducing the rights of migrants on various visa pathways, including domestic workers. Ultimately, this objective failed. The demand for domestic workers has remained consistent and the number of visas being issued remains equally significant. By reducing the rights of domestic workers, the Government did not remove the demand for domestic workers’ labour, and so did not achieve the aim of reducing their number. However, by using a reduction in rights as the method, the move did produce a significant increase in rates of worker exploitation. Evidence from workers, from Kalayaan and other front-line organisations has continuously demonstrated that restrictions on the ability of workers to challenge abusive employers only results in levels of abuse increasing. This evidence has been consistently disregarded for the last 12 years. This must be considered alongside the fact successive Conservative administrations have at the same time refused or rejected measures which would have provided the state with evidence and knowledge of the working conditions faced by this workforce. This report provides evidence compiled by Kalayaan of the abuse experienced by migrant domestic workers in the UK over the last 12 years. It also scrutinises and dismantles the 8 key myths that have been relied on when rejecting calls to reinstate labour law rights for workers, and demonstrates why concessions that have been introduced since 2012 have always fallen short of the unconditional protections that all workers are entitled to and were provided for under the visa regime prior to 2012. Ultimately, the report finds that the myths relied upon by Government are a smokescreen for the state’s failure to ensure our legal system does not facilitate the abuse and exploitation of this workforce. Kalayaan urges the incoming Government to consider the available evidence and reinstate the pre-2012 visa regime so that all migrant domestic workers are protected at work and able to challenge abuse when it arises. We hope this report will assist in discussions with parliamentarians and policy makers as the campaign to restore rights continues  

London: Kalayaan, 2024. 48p.

By European Monitoring Centre on Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA)

The purpose of the current report is to provide an overview and summary of the European drug situation up to the end of 2023. All grouping, aggregates and labels therefore reflect the situation based on the available data in 2023 in respect to the composition of the European Union and the countries participating in EMCDDA reporting exercises. However, not all data will cover the full period. Due to the time needed to compile and submit data, many of the annual national data sets included here are from the reference year January to December 2022. Analysis of trends is based only on those countries providing sufficient data to describe changes over the period specified. The reader should also be aware that monitoring patterns and trends in a hidden and stigmatised behaviour such as drug use is both practically and methodologically challenging. For this reason, multiple sources of data are used for the purposes of analysis in this report. Although considerable improvements can be noted, both nationally and in respect to what is possible to achieve in a European-level analysis, the methodological difficulties in this area must be acknowledged. Caution is therefore required in interpretation, in particular when countries are compared on any single measure. Caveats relating to the data are to be found in the online Statistical Bulletin 2024, which contains detailed information on methodology, qualifications on analysis and comments on the limitations in the information set available. Information is also available there on the methods and data used for European-level estimates, where interpolation may be used.

Lisbon: European Monitoring Centre on Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), 2024. 

By National Counterterrorism Center (U.S.), United States. Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States. Department of Homeland Security

 "This resource is provided to inform law enforcement, terrorism prevention practitioners, other first responders, community leaders, as well as the general public about both threats of violence and contextual behaviors that suggest an individual is mobilizing to violence. While some violent extremists may make direct, indirect, or vague threats of violence, others may plot violent action while avoiding such overt threats to maintain operational security--underscoring the need to consider both threats of violence and contextual behaviors. We have incorporated 'unusual' into many of the indicators because we are looking for behavior that is different enough from the individual's normal behavior to cause concern. The indicators included in this booklet are intended to aid law enforcement and first responder investigative and detection efforts, not to be a substitute for their expertise and experience. In addition, we continue to see that members of the community--such as family members and peers--are often best positioned to witness signs of mobilization to violence. Such community members almost always are the first to detect hints that an individual may be considering violent action in the United States or overseas. This booklet is provided to aid interpretation of their observations. This booklet was first published in 2015 and updated in 2017 and 2019."

Washington, DC: The Authors, 2021. 

By Smriti Sharma and Naveen Sunder

 
It has been demonstrated that violent crime has profound effects on a number of socioeconomic outcomes. But, does day-to-day crime also shape human capital accumulation? We answer this question in the Indian context by combining multiple years of district-level data on the incidence of various types of crime with a nationally representative survey on learning achievement of school-aged children. Our empirical strategy leverages the within-district across-year variation in crime to estimate the crime-learning gradient. We show that an increase in violent crime is associated with lower achievement in reading and math, while non-violent crimes have no discernible correlation with learning outcomes. The effects are short-lived, driven by contemporaneous crime, and are similar for boys and girls. Additionally, we find that violent crimes impose greater costs on learning of children from socioeconomically disadvantaged households. We find evidence that both household-level factors (reduced child mobility and poorer mental health) and school-level factors (lower availability of teachers) are possible mechanisms underpinning these findings.

   IZA DP No. 17037

Bonn:  IZA – Institute of Labor Economics , 2024. 51p.

By The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime

   The illegal wildlife trade (henceforth IWT) is one of the world’s most lucrative criminal activitiesand much of the trade takes place online. The phenomenon has tremendously harmful effects on biodiversity and animal welfare, while it also exacerbates the risk of spreading zoonic diseases.2 Most online IWT occurs in the open online space – on e-commerce platforms, social media and messenger services such as WhatsApp – where sellers freely showcase wildlife or wildlife products to potential buyers. The ease with which illegal advertisements can be found online reflects the high level of impunity (and the low level of risk) enjoyed by those engaged in the trade.3 The online illegal wildlife trade is characterized by several key trends. First, traffickers exploit a diverse array of online platforms, spanning social media, marketplaces, messaging apps and encrypted channels to market and distribute illegal wildlife products. Second, online IWT is characterized by global reach, transcending geographical boundaries and regulatory jurisdictions, thereby making enforcement of wildlife protection laws a complex undertaking. Finally, the phenomenon has led to the fragmentation of traditional supply chains, with small-scale traders and individual sellers operating alongside larger criminal syndicates. Having a larger number of potential targets makes it difficult for law enforcement to efficiently prioritize and dismantle trafficking networks.5 Defining online illegal wildlife trade Recent publications have shed light on the alarming surge in IWT occurring on the internet.6 A significant hindrance in combating this crime is the dearth of data regarding the scale of the market, its dynamics, modus operandi and resultant consequences, especially on a global scale. To address this issue, ECO-SOLVE is developing a Global Monitoring System to monitor online IWT systematically and to gather global data to feed into law enforcement action and to inform policymaking. By identifying areas of high pressure on endangered species and ecosystems, surveillance activities can enable targeted interventions to prosecute traffickers and wider criminal networks

involved in this trade. Consistent monitoring may help to detect emerging trends and shifts in IWT, allowing for timely responses to new threats and challenges. This is the first in a series of Global Trend Reports, which will be published during the three year ECO-SOLVE project. Two or three of these reports will be published every year, to highlight important trends in online IWT and to contextualize these trends. Drawing on findings generated by the Global Monitoring System – a network of AI enabled ‘data hubs’ in key countries, which monitor online IWT – each Global Trend Report will showcase the latest trends in statistical data, specifically the number of adverts found, the numbers and types of species advertised and the number of platforms that host these adverts. Diving deeper into individual topics, these reports will offer regional breakdowns and include sections that contextualize and analyze findings, while also investigating changes in regulations and their effects on online IWT as well as trends in law enforcement. The reports will also discuss case studies of online IWT. This first report will set the stage for reports to come. It will review past trends in efforts to monitor the online IWT, trends in regulation and other government policies towards IWT, and the evolving role of civil society and law enforcement in responding to the phenomenon.   

Geneva, SWIT: The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, 2024. 26p.

By  Council for Court Excellence and Office of the D.C. Auditor

While much attention is being paid to youth crime rates in D.C., little is known about the circumstances of justice-involved young people. This report finds that one characteristic many share is involvement in the child welfare system due to parental abuse and neglect. This report examines how effectively the District – and in particular the Child and Family Services Agency (CFSA) and the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS) -- serve young people who have had involvement in both child welfare and youth justice systems, that is, crossover youth. 

The fundamental finding of the audit is that the District lacks a unified approach to addressing the needs of these vulnerable young people. D.C. leaders are unable to accurately identify the number and traits of crossover youth in our community, to coordinate the services being offered or supervision being provided, to target specialized programming for these youth, or provide appropriate resources for their families and caregivers.

The new report includes the following key findings:  

• There is no single unified source of public data related to crossover youth in the District, making it difficult to understand the number and needs of this vulnerable population. 

• CFSA and DYRS undercount the number of crossover youth in their care because they only count dual-jacketed youth, rather than youth involved in both agencies at any point in their lives. CFSA and DYRS identified only 8 crossover youth in FY 2023, while CCE analysis of court records indicated 93 youth at the end of FY2022 were involved with the delinquency system and had current or past child welfare involvement. 

• Crossover youth are essentially invisible to CFSA and DYRS; neither clearly recognizes this population in their current operating documents, systems, policies, or practices, and their rights as justice-involved youth are not clearly identified in the Bill of Rights for Children in Foster Care. This impedes the agencies’ ability to address the special needs and manage cases of these young people, and can leave youth in New Beginnings and other facilities unaware of their rights.

• CFSA and DYRS do not sufficiently collaborate or communicate regarding crossover youth.   

Some of the report’s recommendations include:  

• D.C. Council should ensure the Office of the Ombudsperson for Children (OFC) has sufficient authority and funding to analyze and report on crossover youth annually. 

• CFSA and DYRS should reestablish the “Crossover Youth Steering Committee” to identify, manage and serve crossover youth in their care.

• CFSA and DYRS should identify and track crossover youth in their case management systems.

• CFSA and DRYS staff should be trained on the unique needs of crossover youth. Additionally, parents and foster parents should receive training and resources to help identify and meet the needs of youth who are, or are at risk of becoming, crossover youth. 

Washington, DC: Council for Court Excellence and Office of the D.C. Auditor, 2024. 125p.