Crime prevention and criminal justice

Any form of crime undermines the rule of law. Preventing crime involves taking measures that seek to reduce the risk of crimes occurring, and their potential harmful effects on individuals and society, including fear of crime, by intervening to influence their multiple causes.

The criminal justice system addresses the consequences of criminal behavior in society and has the objective of protecting peoples’ right to safety and the enjoyment of human rights. It refers, specifically, the work of the police, prosecution and judiciary with regard to criminal matters, as well as the access to legal aid, prisons and alternatives to imprisonment, restorative justice and victim protection and reparation. It also includes cross-cutting issues, such as gender, human rights and the considerations for victims and children within the criminal justice system.