Thinking About Corrections : International

U.S. Urged to Halt Execution of Five Mexican Nationals by World Court

CC Pro — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:32:00 GMT

The International Court of Justice, also known as the World Court, has requested the United States halt the execution of five Mexican nationals on death row in Texas until their cases can be further reviewed. Mexico is arguing that the U.S. is in defiance of a 2004 ruling by this court that found these and other individuals were unlawfully denied access to their country's consulate after their arrests, as provided by international treaty. In March of 2008, the U.S. Supreme Court sided with Texas when it ruled that President Bush had "overstepped his authority when he ordered a court in the state of Texas to reopen the case of a Mexican on death row for rape and murder..." In the majority opinion, the Chief Justice wrote "the international court decision can not be forced upon states." It is the contention of the current administration that the World Court lacks jurisdiction in this matter.

Imprisonment Rates Around the World, Also Youth Crime Attitudes

Eileen Conway — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 16:49:00 GMT

A new edition of the World Prison Population List is now available. Produced by Roy Walmsley of King's College London International Centre for Prison Studies, the list makes a best attempt to draw together statistics from countries around the world. It complements the Centre's World Prison Brief, a database of information about prison systems throughout the world that is updated monthly.

Separately, the National Council on Crime and Delinquency has just posted Attitudes of US Voters Toward Youth Crime and the Justice System, which finds a reversal of public support for adult penalties for youth.

Global Perspective on US Incarceration Rates

Eileen Conway — Thu, 16 Nov 2006 16:43:00 GMT

"The US has less than 5% of the world's population but over 23% of the world's incarcerated people." In a new Fact Sheet, the National Council on Crime and Delinquency compares United States incarceration rates with those of other countries around the world. The report relies in part on statistics compiled by the International Centre for Prison Studies at King's College London, the World Prison Brief. Roy Walmsley of this Centre has also produced the 2006 World Female Imprisonment List.