Comparative Criminology and Criminal Justice within the African Continent

There is no corner of the world where crime cannot be found. Increasingly, conventional crimes are being compounded by transnational crimes which know no borders. Concern for public safety and security nationally, regionally, and internationally have increasingly becoming an international issue and concern. This has been reflected in the 16th of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (i.e., Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions). There is an ever-increasing need for comparative criminology and criminal justice research in a world where communication, travel, and international cooperation and collaboration are becoming increasingly common. While many criminology and criminal justice programs offer related programs and courses, the practice of comparative criminological or criminal justice research on the African continent is less well developed. This article draws on existing research and practices to explore the rationale and justification for engaging in such research and offers several methodological approaches that can be used to promote comparative criminological and criminal justice inquiry and research within the African continent

The Smuggling of Migrants in Greece: An Examination of its Social Organization

The smuggling of migrants is not a new phenomenon but in recent years it has attracted increasing international attention. Within the European context, Greece represents a unique case because of its social, economic, political and geographical location. Drawing on a variety of information sources, such as interviews with the police, official statistics, informal interviews with migrants in the country, and interviews with two retired migrant smugglers, this article examines the social organization of migrant smuggling in Greece

Utilizing the capacity of positive peer pressure through the global youth justice movement: A 'golden' opportunity for the Balkans

The predicament of juvenile delinquency for most nations, including that of the Balkan region at large, has been something of an enigma ever since juvenile justice legislation was first introduced. In recent years, juvenile delinquency in the Balkans has not only been increasing but its gravity has also trended upward and added to the burden of a strained juvenile justice system. This article presents an alternative option to the formal juvenile justice system which is designed to empower youth, which builds community capacity and youth resiliency, and is reintegrative and restorative in nature. An overview of the peer court model is presented and described within a possible Balkan context. Various evidence is discussed as to its relative success in other regions of the world. The paper concludes with several observations as to why the peer court model could/should be adopted by the countries in the Balkans along with several pragmatic and practical considerations around the implementation and administration of the model