Research And Policy Development
 

Program Description: This department aims at providing an empirical basis for formulation of responsive and effective policies and programmes towards reducing crime, including delinquency and its harmful consequences, economic and organized (national and transnational) crimes in many African countries.
 

In this regard, research-related studies are undertaken on crime, correctional approaches and victimization, reform of penal laws and procedures and the interrelationship between development and criminality.

Significantly, it endeavours to identify, analyze and bring to the attention of African governments trends and patterns of criminality, their interfaces with other phenomena and processes and provides options for development of more viable crime prevention and criminal justice strategies.
 

As the central nerver of UNAFRI, the Research and Policy department conducts studies particularly policy/action oriented research surveys to produce.
 

Revelation on crimes and criminality trends and patterns;
Empirical Reports of research/survey findings;
Publication of a precise comprehensive African crime situation;
Up-to-date manual for the collection and analysis of criminal statistics and other relevant data in African countries;
Enhanced capacity to collect and analyze valid/reliable crime and criminal justice statistics and other related information and as well as improvement in the compilation and publication of such data/information;
Model legislation for crime prevention, administration of justice and correction of offenders,in addition to a greater capacity to prevent, combat and control crime;
 

Findings to serve as part of the contents of a journal: African Journal on Crime and Criminal justice (AJCJ). Findings from such researches to foem the basis for guiding the African Countries’ policy formulation and implementation that can reduce or even prevent crime which often hinders socio-economic development.

Progress Report: The research unit has been vigorously reactivated in recent years particularly when seasoned researcher to Head the unit was employed.. Of recent, the following studies have been undertaken (while old ones are revised).
 

1. From Prisons Back Home: Social rehabilitation and reintegration as phrases of the Same Social Process (revised, 2005). This was a study of social rehabilitation and reintegration of released prisoners back to their receiving Communities.This study’s findings formed the basis of the services of workshops on corrections that weere in Uganda, Kenya, Zambia between November-Decemmber, 2007.

2. The Causes and Patterns of Trafficking in Human Commodities in Nigeria (2007). This was a study that unearthed and exposed the root causes of this heinous trade commonly called modern day slavery. Nigeria is worst affected among African Countries.
 

3. A Study on Children and Women Trafficking in Karamoja-Teso region of Uganda (2006). This was a study of a Community in Crisis to advise on prevention of victimization or vulnerability. There were media reports of heavy trafficking in this part of Uganda, which attracted this fact finding mission.

4. Cyber Watch Analysis Report (2006) An ICT and documentary analysis study was undertaken on the cyber scams as High-tech Crime that is a challenge of unprecedented ingenuity. Results from this analysis were used for sensitization of the public with the result that so many victims or would-be victims reported to our offices by emails, facsimile and or physically with terrible sympathetic revelations. The sensitization saved many people that were about to be defrauded.

5. Crime Victimization Study (2007).This was undertaken in collaboration with UNODC in four countries in Africa, Uganda, Ghana, Mozambique and Egypt. This was to establish the Crime victimization patterns and trends in terms of various categories such as theft of property, social crime, theft of animals, armed robbery, consumer fraud, burglary etc.

6. Admission/ Affiliation Scam: An unpublished survey report on fraudulent admissions into UK, USA, India, and Canadian Universities through affiliated colleges was undertaken. The findings were used to sensitize the public using both print and electronic media.

7. Many other researches are currently on-going. The findings of some reports have been extensively used in countries such as Uganda, Kenya, Zambia, Nigeria, as well as findings of the studies on trafficking in Uganda and Nigeria were disseminated and concisely reported during the United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking (UN.GIFT) that was held in Vienna, Australia in February 2008, where UNAFRI actively participated.

8. Reports of these studies that have been completed have been presented to the public and copies are being circulated to all relevant stakeholders organisations.