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The concept for more effective civic participation in support of four vulnerable groups aims to identify legislative changes, improvement of practices and policy development by decision makers and the civil society to facilitate vulnerable communities in their interaction with state institutions and establish effective support mechanisms. The publication proposes concrete solutions and a roadmap for their implementation for each of these groups - prisoners, victims of human trafficking, victims of domestic violence, asylum seekers and other vulnerable groups of foreigners.
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The study analyses the mechanisms for interaction between public institutions and NGOs in supporting four vulnerable groups: persons deprived of their liberty, victims of trafficking in human beings, domestic violence survivors, and persons seeking international protection and other vulnerable foreigner nationals. Furthermore, it identifies trends in the cooperation between institutions and NGOs in assisting these communities. The report sums up the profile of the bodies and organisations involved and identifies problems in their interaction. Instruments for cooperation between public institutions and NGOs in relation to each vulnerable group are reviewed in detail, both on legislative and practical level. Correlations between identified problems and aspects of the interaction between public institutions and NGOs that could help resolve these problems are highlighted. In conclusion, recommendations are made to involve civil society in providing comprehensive support, in particular legal, social and administrative assistance, to vulnerable persons. These recommendations rest on the shared experience and opinions by public authorities and civil society, as well as on applicable foreign models and good practices.
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The report explores to what extent Bulgaria has introduced the European standards in the legal regulation of the prison system and the execution of the penal sanction of imprisonment, how are they implemented in practice, what is the State’s penal policy and strategy in this area in general and in respect to drug-addicted prisoners in particular, and what is the opinion of the people working in the penitentiary system and the non-governmental organizations monitoring the activities of penitentiary facilities.
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The report Organized Crime in Bulgaria: Markets and Trends summarizes the analyses carried out by the Center for the Study of Democracy throughout the last decade which have focused on specific aspects of organized crime in Bulgaria (contraband, the drug market, tax fraud, human trafficking, arms proliferation, etc.), the systemic spread of corruption, and the linkages between the two. The report presents the latest trends and manifestations (or market niches) of syndicate crime and its particularly damaging effects. It goes further to offer a historical review of the facts and available expertise in the area, and to draw conclusions about the origin, characteristics and developmental features of organized criminality in Bulgaria in the context of the transition to democracy.
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The Center for the Study of Democracy has undertaken a special inquiry into the topic of drug abuse - which was fueled by the drug epidemic of the late 1990s and has grown to become a real social threat - and the problem of drug dealing, which is a major mechanism for the generation of organized crime in Bulgaria. This report addresses drug supply and demand in Bulgaria with the ambition of mapping a vast information void and identifying the basic mechanisms and stakeholders of the drug market. However, the peculiarities of drug diffusion and consumption do not allow the use of the standard suite of economic research tools and vehicles throughout the study. This analysis has been divided into three sections. The first addresses the genesis of drug distribution, while the second describes its structure and functioning. The findings about supply presented in the first two parts are based on a series of in-depth interviews with dealers of different groups of drugs, long-term drug users, with police and security officers (experienced in combating drug traffic, drug production, and drug dealing), doctors, and civil organizations engaged in treatment services to drug addicts. Section 3 highlights drug demand, and brings into play the findings of the First National Population Survey on Drug Consumption in Bulgaria conducted by Vitosha Research. For the purpose of this study, CSD and Vitosha Research used the research tools of the European Monitoring Center on Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA).
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The present report summarizes researches and discussions conducted by members of the expert group within the framework of the Bulgarian anti-corruption initiative Coalition 2000 established in 1997. The report is dedicated to one of the most serious problems of the Bulgarian transition towards market economy, stable democratic institutions and legal state. The exploding growth of trans-border crime during the last 12 years has led to the emergence of criminal infrastructure, developed and maintained by criminal groups and semi-legal "power groups," which have appeared in the mentioned period. The trans-border crime in Bulgaria is a part of the new network of international organized crime, which was established after the end of the Cold War and which is closely connected to the regional channels of smuggling and trafficking. Smuggling (including drug smuggling) and trafficking are in particular the main sources of income for organized crime in the country. It is impossible to successfully fight the trans-border crime in the country without a determined effort to counter systemic corruption within the law-enforcing and law-protecting institutions. Enormous part of the criminal acts and irregularities concerning import and export of goods, drugs and weapons, as well as illegal trafficking of human beings, is conducted through unlawful cooperation with customs officers, employees of the National Border Police Service and other state institutions, responsible for border control. Corruption networks are part of the systemic smuggling or of the so-called smuggling channels, and the funds for bribing state employees represent "production costs" for organizers of smuggling. Without doubt, it is difficult to present an accurate assessment of the discussed problems, due to the lack of information about the exact parameters of smuggling, in particular of the drug smuggling, and about the real scale of corrupt practices. Hence the huge importance of indirect indicators like marketing researches in regard with the presence of particular goods on the market, and methods for comparison of such data with official customs statistics for import and exports of the same goods. Apart from these methods, of particular importance is the role of export analyses, reporting on informal "price-lists" of corrupt services, as well as of the scope and value of the realized smuggling deals and operations.
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Smuggling in Southeast Europe analyzes and reviews the connection between the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia and the growth of the trans-border crime in the region, and also looks at the related issue of corruption. The paper highlights the decisive impact the Yugoslav wars had on the development of the regional criminal networks, which were often set up and maintained not only with the knowledge, but even with active participation of the highest state officials. The research also represents a contribution to the study of conflicts in the Western Balkans. The majority of existing interpretations of causes, course and consequences of the Yugoslav wars try to provide the answers through ethno-political explanations. They unjustly ignore the importance that interweaving of interests of political elites, the organized crime groups, which appeared in this period, and the "mediating class" of corrupt state officials had in this process. The paper is divided in three parts: • An analysis of the causes and course of emergence of Balkan smuggling channels in the context of Yugoslav wars and international sanctions; • A review of the recent developments in trans-border crime in Southeast Europe; • An overview of prevention efforts, undertaken both by the regional governments and the international community’ The first part analyzes the emergence of officially sanctioned "state-building" smuggling in those parts of the former Yugoslavia, which were involved in the war. The intermediary role of Albania, Bulgaria, Macedonia and Romania is also discussed. In these four countries, smuggling networks were not developed under open patronage of the governments, but the role of high-positioned politicians was nevertheless extremely important. The second part traces the evolution of the initial semi-official smuggling channels and their transformation into "classical" criminal networks. The so-called "suitcase trade," cigarette smuggling, smuggling of narcotics, and the trafficking in human beings are discussed in more detail.
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The study analyses the mechanisms for interaction between public institutions and NGOs in supporting four vulnerable groups: persons deprived of their liberty, victims of trafficking in human beings, domestic violence survivors, and persons seeking international protection and other vulnerable foreigner nationals. Furthermore, it identifies trends in the cooperation between institutions and NGOs in assisting these communities. The report sums up the profile of the bodies and organisations involved and identifies problems in their interaction. Instruments for cooperation between public institutions and NGOs in relation to each vulnerable group are reviewed in detail, both on legislative and practical level. Correlations between identified problems and aspects of the interaction between public institutions and NGOs that could help resolve these problems are highlighted. In conclusion, recommendations are made to involve civil society in providing comprehensive support, in particular legal, social and administrative assistance, to vulnerable persons. These recommendations rest on the shared experience and opinions by public authorities and civil society, as well as on applicable foreign models and good practices.
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The report makes an overview of the general problems and specifics in the detection, investigation and punishment of cross-border crime, i.e. actions, connected with illegal crossing of or illegal transfer of goods across the border. The publication also presents views about the necessary measures – legislative, organizational and technical – for enhancing justice and law enforcement in the districts close to the Bulgarian-Turkish, Bulgarian-Macedonian and the Southern Black Sea borders.
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In prison, certain groups of inmates are subject to disadvantages due to specifics of their origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, etc. These groups usually need special treatment, which is not always provided, which leads to unequal treatment and violation of their rights. This handbook examines the situation of such vulnerable groups within the prison systems of Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, Lithuania and Spain. Starting from the classification of the UN Handbook on Prisoners with special needs and looking at the different national contexts, the authors identify different groups as vulnerable in different countries. In order to encompass as many groups as possible, their list was extended to include some particularly marginalised groups, such as sex offenders, prisoners with disabilities, etc. Each group is viewed in context, explaining the situations of vulnerability both generally and in the selected countries. From one side, the handbook presents the efforts for compensation of vulnerabilities in every country available in the legislation or provided by prison authorities or other actors. From the other side, it identifies the gaps in the measures and practices, which vary both from country to country and from group to group.
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Publication looks over the situation of drug users in two European countries – Norway, known for its social and welfare-oriented state, and Bulgaria, which since the beginning of the transition from totalitarism to democracy lacks sustainable policies on prisons and drugs. The aim of this work is to comparatively present the penal policy towards drug users and the measures taken for convicted people addicted to narcotic substances, to identify those features which can be transferable and can assist Bulgarian authorities to improve the situation of drug users in and outside the prison. Finally, this research will try to propose concrete measures to be taken both within the penitentiary system and as crime prevention efforts among drug users.
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The report explores the meaning of the term „conditional sentencing “. The established understanding of the term is to mean suspended execution of imposed punishment. Major part of the survey focuses on the conflict between the implied meaning that the term linguistically brings up of purely conditional and even missing element of a punishment itself and the true legal nature of this important Criminal law institute. The paper further discusses some of the legal consequences for the so called „conditionally convicted persons“ that give ground to assert that what we have is a clearly penal treatment. The report draws attention to the conclusion that the state makes use of the suspended sentence as a tool to enforce its corrective and preventive criminal law policy.
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The paper discusses life imprisonment as one of the most debatable and controversial types of criminal sanctions. Criminal sanctions are criminal law instruments of response to crime. Whether this type of criminal sanction justifiably has its place in the system of criminal sanctions, whether the arguments for or against it prevail, whether they exist and what the mechanisms for reviewing the same may be, are the questions that the author of this paper deals with.
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The aging of prison population is a planetary phenomenon that should be observed in the context of the accelerated aging of the total population at the turn of the 2nd and 3rd millennium. Also, the increase in number of elderly prisoners resulted partly from the changes on the legislative level, as well as in the area of criminal prosecution and sentencing. Namely, with the aim of more successful control of crime, in 1980s and 1990s in the USA (and later in other parts of the world) an approach was promoted that involves the adoption of stricter laws, the prescription of high special minimum prison sentences for numerous crimes, the impositions of long sentences and restrictive enforcement, early release, introducing the practice of sentencing returnees convicted of a third serious crime to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole (three-strikes and you're out), etc. Given that prison sentences, if they are imposed en masse and last unreasonably long, result in the aging of the prison population (silver tsunami) and a series of unfavorable social, ethical, health and economic consequences, the awareness of the necessity of articulating a new paradigm of combating criminality has gradually matured, This qualitatively different approach includes more frequent application of alternative sanctions, reduction of incarceration, revision of harsh practice of imposing long sentences and easier approval of parole and compassionate release of older prisoners (back-door strategy) who do not pose a high security risk. Along with the development of policies and strategies to reduce the incarceration of the elderly, it is necessary to design and implement action programs aligned with their specific needs, as well as the highest international standards. This will make the prospects for re-socialization and social reintegration of the members of this vulnerable group much more realistic, and at the same time relieve the prison systems which, due to the numerous problems they have faced during the last decades, are on the verge of collapse.
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Legal texts are documents that aim to ensure that the society lives in peace. In addition to the social issues in these documents, it is also known that there are a large number of regulations on economic issues. Especially in the texts of laws in Mesopotamia, where the first written laws were encountered throughout history, articles of economic life were found. From this point of view, the laws determined were examined. As a result of the examinations, Assyrian laws have been the subject of this study. It is aimed to reveal the economic articles in the articles of this law and the findings related to the history of accounting from these economic articles, to bring these findings to the literature within the scope of accounting history studies and to contribute to the approach of the lawbooks with an accounting field view. In line with the subject and scope of the study, firstly, a brief will be given about the Middle Assyrian Laws. Dr. Mebrure TOSUN and Assoc. The articles taken from Kadriye YALVAÇ's work "Sumerian, Babylonian, Assyrian Laws and the Ammi-Shaduga Edict" are given directly, and the findings that directly or indirectly lead to accounting in the content of these articles will be pointed out.
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In criminological and penological theory and practice, prisoners who represent a threat or a real source of danger for other prisoners, employees and themselves are considered high-risk. Under danger is understood both the endangering of physical integrity and existence as well as the assumption of escape, destruction of inventory, attacks on visitors and convicts who for any reason pose a risk to the community after serving their sentence. Very often in treatment programs, work with high-risk convicts is based solely on the security aspect, on guarding and preventing escape, self-harm and attacks on another person. It is precisely for this reason and the aim of this paper is to point out the complexity of working with this category of prisoners, as well as the operational procedures that are important during serving a prison sentence.
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In the paper, the author analyses the characteristics of the North Macedonian penitentiary system, the position of prisoners de jure and de facto, and the protection of the rights of prisoners through the prism of the last highly critical report of the Committee for Prevention of Torture and points to the need for urgent reforms of the penitentiary system in the Republic of North Macedonia. The author concludes that the penitentiary system in Macedonia has the features of a modern system. It is one of the penitentiary systems that fully incorporates the Nelson Mandela Rules, the Revised Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners and the European Prison Rules in the Law on Execution of Sanctions. But the system de facto faces serious weaknesses. Also, the author disputes the question why prisoners in such conditions of the penitentiary system do not require judicial protection of their rights. Also, the author emphasizes the need for systematic research on the protection of prisoners’ rights using legal means, such as, legal advice and legal means of convicted persons and the right to appeal to international bodies.
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Znaĉaj nauke za ĉovjeka i ljudsko društvo vrlo je velik. Nauka je naĉin spoznaje svijeta. A svijet u kojem mi ţivimo je veoma ovisan o nauci i tehnologiji. Da bismo bolje navigirali ovim svijetom, potrebno je da znamo ponešto o osnovnim nauĉnim fenomenima – kako stvari rade, kako se nešto dešava i kako funkcionira naš organizam. Zato ulaganje u nauku i obrazovanje, a samim tim i u ljudske resurse, donosi veliku korist za pojedince i društvo u cjelini. Pojedinci i društvene grupe zauzimaju odreĊeno mjesto u društvu na osnovu znanja kojim raspolaţu. Ono unapreĊuje sve oblasti ĉovjekovog ţivota i djelovanja. Društvo i nauka su ĉvrsto vezani i nalaze se u meĊusobnom odnosu. Društvo je stvaralo uslove i davalo društveni ambijent u kome se nauka mogla razvijati. S druge strane, nauka je omogućavala brţi razvoj pojedinih društvenih oblasti i cijelog društva. Povoljni društveni uslovi uticali su na nastanak brojnih izuma, patenata, tehniĉkih rješenja i modernizacija. Razvoj informatike dodatno je ubrzao razvoj i povezivanje preduzeća, multinacionalnih kompanija, drţava regija i svijeta. Povećana je razmjena ljudi, dobara, proizvoda i usluga. Ĉetvrta industrijska revolucija otvorila je neslućene mogućnosti razvoja i dalje promjene društva, društvenih odnosa. Sve ove promjene utiĉu pozitivno i na razvoj cjelokupnog društva, ali i demokratije i ljudskih prava. Sve ovo govori o jednoj simbiozi koja je rezultirala da nauka i društvo postanu jedna savremena forma ljudskog ţivora i razvoja civilizacije u XXI vijeku. Zbornik radova pod naslovom „SAVREMENA SIMBIOZA - NAUKA I DRUŠTVO“ je publikacija nauĉnih radova u okviru nauĉnog skupa „Nauka i društvo“. Ova publikacija predstavlja nauĉne i struĉne radove već dokazanih nauĉnih radnika i istraţivaĉa, ali i onih koji su na poĉetku svog nauĉnog rada. U Zborniku su objavljeni radovi nauĉnih radnika iz Bosne i Hercegovine i Republike Srbije, koji su u skladu sa njihovim nauĉnim iskustvom, uz dobronamjerne recenzije, usklaĊeni i adekvatno kategorisani. S obzirom na multidisciplinarnost teme zbornik obuhvata radove iz raznih nauĉnih disciplina kao što su: ekonomija, pravo, bezbjednost, defektologija, politiĉke nauke, sociologija i pedagogija. Radovi su aktuelni i obraĊuju savremena društvena pitanja i probleme, ali i teorijska i praktiĉna dostignuća pojedinih nauĉnih disciplina. Na takav naĉin dajemo podsticaja svim mladim ljudima da kroz svoj nauĉni rad daju doprinos u rješavanju brojnih društvenih problema. Upravo i prilikom izbora tekstova ureĊivaĉki odbor je ţelio da takvi radovi budu prioritetni u ovom zborniku, te je i sam naziv istog proistekao iz te ideje i potrebe. Nauĉni radnici, posebno oni koji su na poĉetku svoje akademske karijere, trebaju podršku kako bi istrajali u svom usavršavanju i nauĉnom dokazivanju. Ovaj Zbornik, kao i sam nauĉni skup, nastao je iz entuzijazma nekolicine profesora okupljenih oko Centra modernih znanja, da kroz ovakav vid nauĉnog rada otvore vrata nauke svim mladim nauĉnim radnicima i istraţivaĉima kako bi i njihova empirijska istraţivanja i dobijeni rezultati bili prezentovani široj javnosti. TakoĊe, dosadašnja saradnja sa kolegama iz Beograda i Nikšića rezultirala je da izdavaĉi ovog zbornika budu tri udruţenja iz regiona koja već duţi vremenski period saraĊuju organizujući razne edukacije. Brojni radovi otvaraju razne dileme i ostavljaju mjesta diskusiji kako i na koji naĉin nastaviti i razvijati razne nauĉne discipline. S tim u vezi ostavljamo vam prostora, da i vi svojim sugestijama i razmišljanjima, zajedno sa autorima traţite efikasnija rješenja i mogućnosti. Ovaj Zbornik nije konaĉan, jer nauka svaki dan traga za neĉim novim pa tako i autori i ureĊivaĉki tim ove publikacije.
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