United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

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Tools and Publications

UNODC develops tools for stakeholders to assist States in the implementation of the UN standards and norms. They include a variety of handbooks, training curriculums and model laws which provide guidance to United Nations agencies, governments and individuals at each stage of criminal justice reform.

For an overview of all the handbooks and manuals that the Justice Section develops, click here.

Standards & Norms on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice

• Compendium of United Nations standards and norms in crime prevention and criminal justice is available in full, or in part here in English, Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish. The full version of the Compendium is also available in Portuguese and Farsi, however, please note the Portuguese and Farsi versions are not official UN translations.
• UN standards and norms in crime prevention and criminal justice for Peacekeepers English, French, Spanish
• UN Criminal Justice Standards for UN police
• Addendum to the Standards of Professional Responsibilities and Statement of the Essential Duties and Rights of Prosecutors: Compilation of comments received from Member States
• Model Strategies and Practical Measures on the Elimination of Violence against Women in the Field of Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice NEW!
• United Nations Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-Custodial Measures for Women Offenders (the Bangkok Rules) NEW!

Criminal Justice Assessment Toolkit

The Criminal Justice Assessment Toolkit is a standardized and cross-referenced set of tools designed to enable United Nations agencies, government officials engaged in criminal justice reform, as well as other organizations and individuals to conduct comprehensive assessments of criminal justice systems. The purpose of such assessments being to identify areas of technical assistance required and to assist in training on these issues.

The Tools have been grouped within criminal justice system sectors: Policing; Access to Justice; Custodial and Non-Custodial Measures; and Cross-Cutting Issues.

Criminal Justice

• Enhancing Criminal Justice Reform, including Restorative Justice
• Criminal Justice Reform in Post-Conflict States: A Guide for Practitioners NEW!
• Further information is available on the International Centre for Criminal Law Reform and Criminal Justice Policy's website
  

Crime Prevention

• Crime Prevention Assessment tool English French Spanish Portuguese
• Handbook on the Crime Prevention Guidelines - Making them Work  English French Spanish
• Handbook on Crime Prevention in Southern Africa and the Caribbean Regions
• Practical Approaches to Urban Crime Prevention NEW!
• Strategies and Best Practices for Crime Prevention, in particular in relation to Urban Crime and Youth at Risk
• Further information is available on the International Cennter for the Prevention of Crime's website
  

Police reform

• Introductory Handbook on Policing Urban Space NEW!
• Handbook on Police Accountability, Oversight and Integrity NEW!
• Training Curriculum on Effective Police Responses to Violence against Women: English, Spanish, French

Prosecution Services

• Addendum to International Association of Prosecutors Standards

Access to legal defence and legal aid

• Handbook on Access to Legal Aid in Africa NEW!
• Survey Report on Access to legal Aid in Africa
• Child Friendly Legal Aid in Africa (UNICEF, UNDP, UNODC) English , French NEW!

Prison reform and alternatives to imprisonment

• Handbook on Alternatives to Imprisonment
• Handbook for Prison Leaders English, French
• Handbook on Prisoner File Management English, French, Arabic
• Handbook on Prisoners With Special Needs
• Handbook for Prison Managers and Policymakers on Women and Imprisonment English, Russian, Turkish
• Training Material on HIV/AIDS Prevention in Prison Settings (forthcoming)
• Afghanistan: Implementing Alternatives to Imprisonment, in line with International Standards and National  Legislation
• HIV/AIDS Prevention, Care, Treatment and Support in Prison Settings - a framework for an effective national response
• UNODC Prisoon Reform Concept Note

Restorative Justice

• Handbook on restorative justice programmes English, French, Farsi, Turkish
• Handbook of basic principles and promising practices on Alternatives to Imprisonment  English, French, Spanish

Justice for Children

• Handbook for Professionals and Policymakers on Justice in Matters involving Child Victims and Witnesses of Crime Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish
• Guidelines on Justice in Matters Involving Child Victims and Witnesses of Crime
• Justice in Matters Involving Child Victims and Witnesses of Crime: Model Law and Related Commentary English, Spanish, French
• Criteria for the Design and Evaluation of Juvenile Justice Reform Programmes NEW!
• Child-friendly version of the UN Guidelines on Justice in Matters Involving Child Victims and Witnesses of Crime Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish
• Guidance Note of the Secretary-General: UN Approach to Justice for Children
• Child Friendly Legal Aid in Africa
• UNODC/UNICEF Manual for the Measurement of juvenile justice indicators English,  French , Spanish, Russian
• Capacity Building in the Area of Child Justice (the Child Justice Project) South Africa, 2003
• Strengthening Legislative and Institutional Capacity for Juvenile Justice and Support to the Juvenile Justice System in Lebanon, 2005 English, Arabic
• Protecting the Rights of Children in Conflict with the Law, 2005 English, Arabic, French, Spanish

Gender in the Criminal Justice System

• Handbook on Effective Police Responses to Violence against Women English, Spanish, French
• Training Curriculum on Effective Police Responses to Violence against Women
• Handbook on Women and Imprisonment
• Afghanistan: Female Prisoners and their social reintegration

Victims

• Guide for policy makers on the Implementation of the United Nations Declaration of Basic Principles of Justice for Victims and Abuse of Power
• Handbook on Justice for Victims on the use and application of the Declaration of Basic Principles of Justice for Victims and Abuse of Power
• Intergovernmental Expert Group Meeting to review and update the Model Strategies and Practical Measures on the Elimination of Violence against Women in the Field of Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, Bangkok, 23-26 March 2009