Universities and Violence in the
Northern Triangle
A Central American Institute of
Criminology
A recommendation to the National Citizen Security and
Coexistence Council of El Salvador
September 10, 2015
John Maisto,
ASU Consultant on Global Affairs
Retired US Ambassador to Venezuela, Nicaragua
and the Organization of American States
Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for
central America
Former Senior Director for Latin America at the
National Security CouncilFormer Deputy Ass't. Secretary of State for Central America; Former Senior Director for La>n America at Na>onal Security Council
researchma(ers.asu.edu 2 Two Ideas
Universities, an
untapped resource
Science
Evidence
Research
Training
•  Not yet deployed to advance
citizen security
Institute of Criminology
•  Specific approach
universities can provide
researchma(ers.asu.edu 3 Objectives of Our Presentation
•  Present evidence-based approaches
•  Listen to your comments and feedback
•  Validate, adjust, add to or eliminate ideas
researchma(ers.asu.edu 4 Presenters
Stephen Feinson
•  Associate Vice President
ASU Global Development
Charles Katz, Ph.D.
•  Professor of Criminology
and Criminal Justice
•  Watts Family Director,
Center for Violence
Prevention and Community
Safety
ASU — New
American
University
Gang Violence –
How Science
Thinks About It
researchma(ers.asu.edu 5 Presenters
Tim Nelson, J.D.
•  Consultant to ASU
•  Former Chief Deputy
Attorney General and
Counsel to the Governor,
State of Arizona
Oscar Picardo, Ph.D.
•  Higher Education Expert
•  Independent Consultant
Independent Institute
of Criminology —
Potential Impact
El Salvador
Universities —
Readiness for a New
Role
researchma(ers.asu.edu THE NEW AMERICAN UNIVERSITY
7 ASU is
“oneisof the
ASU is ASU
ASU
is
“one
of
the
ASU
is
“one of themost
ASU
is
“one
of
the
most
“one
of
the
radical
most
“one
of
the
most
radical
most
radical redesigns
most
radical
redesigns
radical
redesignsin higher
radical
redesigns
in
higher
redesigns
in higher learning.”
redesigns
in
higher
in
higher
learning.”
learning.”
in
higher
learning.” learning.”
learning.”
–Newsweek, August 2008
-Newsweek, August 2008
–Newsweek, August 2008
–Newsweek, August 2008
–Newsweek, August 2008
–Newsweek, August 2008
Our Approach
ASU has altered its organizational structure
to facilitate interdisciplinary research:
•  Academic structure organized around challenges,
not traditional disciplines
•  Major research institutes independent from academic units
This allows ASU to focus on solving
society’s biggest challenges in a variety of
strategic areas.
Most Innova>ve Universi>es ① Arizona State University ② Stanford University ③ Massachuse(s Ins>tute of Technology ⑧  Harvard University September 9, 2015 12 An Academic Perspective
Charles Katz, Ph.D.
Gang Violence — How Science Thinks
About It
•  What universities do well in understanding violence
•  An example of what academic analysis tells us about
violence in El Salvador
•  What decision-makers can do with academic
information
•  What Salvadoran universities need to play their role
researchma(ers.asu.edu 13 School of Criminology
and Criminal Justice
&
Center for Violence Prevention
and Community Safety
Defining criminology Crime & Delinquency •  Prevalence •  Causes and correlates •  Theore>cal explana>ons Responses to crime •  Preven>on •  Interven>on •  Suppression •  Effec>veness •  Efficiency •  Equality/Fairness School of Criminology
and Criminal Justice 22+ Full-­‐>me professors 12+ Faculty associates who are experts in their field 2,000+ Undergraduate students 200+ Masters Students 30+ Ph.D. students 33% La>no students #2 Online Criminal Jus>ce Degree in USA U.S. News and World Report #3 Ranked Faculty for Scholarly Work Journal of Criminal Jus>ce Educa>on #12 Rated Criminal Jus>ce School US News & World Report What is the ASU Center for
Violence Prevention and Community Safety?
An organizational unit within the College of Public
Programs that is dedicated to:
1. 
2. 
3. 
4. 
5. 
Analyzing patterns & causes of violence
Evaluating policies and programs
Developing strategies and programs
Providing education, training & technical assistance
Facilitating the development & construction of databases
Center for Violence Preven>on and Community Safety Who Do We Work With?
International organizations
& Foreign
governments
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
Organization of American States (OAS)
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation/
International Justice Mission
United Nations Development Program
(UNDP)
Regional Security System (RSS)
Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
U.S. Federal Agencies
• 
• 
• 
• 
National Institute of Justice
Department of Homeland Security
Bureau of Justice Assistance
U.S.A.I.D.
State Agencies
• 
• 
• 
Arizona Criminal Justice Commission
Governors Office
Department of Corrections
Local Agencies
• 
• 
• 
Maricopa County Managers Office
Law enforcement agencies
– 
MCSO
– 
Phoenix
– 
Glendale
– 
Mesa
County court
Center for Violence Preven>on and Community Safety Examples of Projects, programs, and ac>vi>es as of December 2014 Gangs in the Caribbean Transna>onal Gangs El Salvador & USA Stop and Frisk Statistics
Workshops
AZ-­‐VDRS R&P factors El Salvador Police Worn
Body
Cameras
NIBIN Na>onal survey of police on Human Trafficking Southwest SMART Policing Gang truce: El Salvador, Honduras, Jamaica Officer involved shoo>ngs Phoenix
Smart Policing
Na>onal Law Enforcement Correc>ons and Technology Center (NLECTC) Student Development Corp. Arizona Center for Police Leadership Property Grabbing Crime in Uganda Sea(le/Tri-­‐Ci>es Gang Assessments Lawlessness
in
Mexico
What sort of faculty are needed?
Traditional Criminologist?
Use-Inspired Criminologist
•  Traditionally works within the university
•  Rarely works with agencies
•  Primarily focused on theory and
statistics
•  Primary audience is other academicians
•  Predisposed to a political agenda
researchma(ers.asu.edu •  Works outside the
university
•  Typically works with
agencies
•  Primarily focused on useinspired research
•  Speaks to a broader
audience —
policymakers,
practitioners,
academicians, students,
the public
•  Concentrates on
solutions to crime
20 Common Themes in our Agenda External diagnos9cs Diagnose the scope and nature of violence Internal diagnos9cs Diagnose the analy>cal and opera>onal capacity of the state and its partners to address violence External diagnosis Distal causes •  Otherwise known as root causes •  Large-scale social
issues, deeply engrained
in society
–  Unemployment –  Poor educa>on –  Concentrated disadvantage –  Discrimina>on What we think we know •  There is a pay-­‐off and it works but: –  Ambi>ous, difficult and >me-­‐
consuming work. –  Requires long term commitment to change. –  Open results in a sense of pessimism or hopelessness. –  “It will take a genera>on to address violence” Center for Violence Preven>on and Community Safety External diagnosis (cont.) Analogous Proximate causes –  Factors that influence violence in the near term •  Mo>ve •  Means for the offence •  Place –  Poten>al solu>ons become smaller and more manageable to emergency medicine •  Triage: –  First, stop the bleeding –  Then address those issues that require a longer-­‐term follow-­‐up. •  Examples: –  Iden>fy the loca>ons of with the worst wound or injury (place, people, type of crime) –  Iden>fy the means of the injury (mo>ve, retaliatory violence) Center for Violence Preven>on and Community Safety Diagnosing Internal Capacity
Informal
Formal
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
Police
Courts
Corrections
Forensic sciences
Civil society
Church
Community
Even gangs
•  Awareness of
potential boomerang
effect among some
partners
researchma(ers.asu.edu 24 What is El Salvador missing?
1. Capacity for and Internalized, Routine Reliance on
“Evidence-Based” Responses
From JRSA (2012), the ‘evidence-based movement’:
v  Rather than relying on conviction, conjecture, or
conventional wisdom, decision makers turn to the best
available evidence about what does and does not work
when evaluating options and making decisions
v Evidence-based decision making is simply the routine
and systematic application of the best available
knowledge in order to identify and choose the optimal
approach in policy, management, and other applied
settings
researchma(ers.asu.edu 25 What is El Salvador missing?
2. Lack of use inspired, socially embedded criminological
infrastructure
•  Few evidence-­‐based prac>ces have been tested here •  Few university departments have focused on criminology •  Few faculty, with high levels of formal criminological training serve in Salvadorian universi>es •  Few university students are being trained for the security workforce •  Few agency leaders are receiving con>nued professional training in criminology
researchma(ers.asu.edu 26 What is El Salvador missing?
3. Agency-University Relationships that Include
•  Cooperation-short term/informal
•  Coordination-formal/project based
•  Collaboration-formalized/long term reciprocal
researchma(ers.asu.edu 27 A Solutions-Focused Institution
Tim Nelson, J.D.
The Concept of an Institute of Criminology
•  ASU Observations of Needs
•  How an Institute Could Meet Those Needs
•  Recommendations for Such an Institute
researchma(ers.asu.edu 28 ASU Research Suggests El Salvador Should…
•  Strengthen research capacity in the broad field of
criminology
•  Quickly improve knowledge and understanding of criminal
justice professionals (police, prosecutors, judges)
•  Create legal transborder connections to facilite cooperation
in the Northern Triangle Region
researchma(ers.asu.edu 29 ASU Research Suggests El Salvador Should…
•  Develop expertise in not only common crimes, such as
robbery and domestic violence, but other complex criminal
activity, such as organized crime, money laundering, drugs
and human trafficking
•  Collaborate with Central American universities to strengthen
their academic capacity in these areas
•  Increase number of professionals trained in professionalism
and ethics
•  Integrate trainings of justice and security professionals
researchma(ers.asu.edu 30 ASU Observations on Training
• 
ASU has conferred with
•  Consejo Nacional de la Judicatura
•  Fiscalia General de la Republica
•  Procuraduria General de la Republica
•  Policia Nacional Civil
• 
ASU suggests
•  Training provided is narrow and isolates professionals who
must collaborate
•  These entities and universities must work together to
prepare and teach holistic courses on the presentation of
penal cases
•  Trainings must be integrated so that all participants
understand their role in the total system
researchma(ers.asu.edu 31 What a Criminology Institute Should Do:
§  Perform Relevant, Objective Research as Needed
§  Serve as a Clearinghouse for Best Practices and Complete
Data
§  Provide Integrated Training for Justice and Security
Professionals
§  Empower Civil Society
§  Strengthen University curricula and capacity
Components of a Criminology Institute
§ 
Collaboration of various universities throughout the Northern Triangle Region
with specialties in:
§  Law
§  Sociology
§  Forensic Science
§  Police Training
§  Anthropology
§  Psychology
§  Led by a university with strong academic expertise and a reputation for
independence and objectivity
Characteristics of a Criminology Institute
§  Academic rigor
§  Objectivity
§  Collaboration:
§  With government agencies
§  With other universities
§  With civil society
Trainings Must be Hands-On
Learn by Doing
Lecture
Practice
Feedback
Sustainable
Distance
Extend program's reach via
Learning
video, internet
Long‐term
sustainability
Train
the
Trainer
New
Content
Levels
Very basic courses,
advanced courses
Ready for a New Role
Oscar Picardo, Ph.D
El Salvador’s Universities — More Is
Needed
University academics and science make limited
contributions to solving national problems
•  El Salvador in World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness
Report 2014-2015
•  Higher education 94th of 144 countries
•  Quality of scientific research institutions - 77th of 144
countries
•  Patent applications - 121st of 144 countries
•  Availability of scien>sts and engineers – 91st of 144 countries researchma(ers.asu.edu 37 May we add…
•  The rela>onships between universi>es, government and businesses are limited. There is li(le confidence and limited dialogue (Chamber of Commerce Survey, 2013). •  Universi>es have knowledge, resources and personnel, plus the poten>al to develop interna>onal rela>onships with more advanced or global universi>es. •  The wealth of universi>es is based on solu>ons that transcend the poli>cal and ideological; their proposals are scien>fic. •  Finally, not all is reduced to dealing with criminology phenomena; universi>es can design other solu>ons of an educa>on and preven>ve nature for youth. 38 Thank you
We are happy to answer your questions and open this discussion.
39