United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office National Security and International Affairs Division author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 1999-08-04 monographic deposited born digital GA 1.13:NSIAD-99-195 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-99-195 P0b002ee18038ecb6 f:ns99195 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-24 GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-99-195 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-99-195 NSIAD-99-195 Federal aid for criminal justice Judicial reform International cooperation Police training Federal aid to foreign countries Foreign governments Law enforcement Foreign aid programs International relations DOJ International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program El Salvador Guatemala Honduras Panama Colombia DOJ Overseas Prosectorial Development Assistance and Training Program Rule of Law Program Letter Report NSIAD Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO examined U.S. rule of law assistance programs in five Latin American countries--Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Panama, focusing on: (1) what U.S. rule of law assistance has helped each country achieve; (2) what factors have affected the implementation of reforms in the respective criminal justice systems; and (3) how U.S. missions in each country plan and coordinate their rule of law assistance programs.<p/>GAO noted that: (1) based on GAO's review of program documentation and evaluations, interviews with U.S. and host country officials and nongovernmental interest groups, and selected site visits, GAO determined that U.S. rule of law assistance has helped these countries undertake legal and institutional judicial reforms, improve the capabilities of the police and other law enforcement institutions, and increase citizen access to the justice system; (2) for example: (a) with the Agency for International Development's (AID) assistance, Colombia, El Salvador, and Guatemala revised criminal codes and have trained judges, prosecutors, and other justice officials in how to implement them; (b) the Department of Justice helped police forces make the transition from military to civilian control in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Panama and has provided assistance to law enforcement institutions in all countries in administration, investigations, forensics, and related matters; and (c) AID helped create local justice centers in Colombia and Guatemala where citizens could arbitrate disputes and obtain legal advice; based on the popularity of pilot projects in these two countries, the governments are establishing centers in other locations; (3) the five countries GAO visited are in various stages of reforming their criminal justice systems, but reforms in all of them have been affected by a number of challenges and constraints; (4) these include institutional weaknesses, limited resources, lingering resistance to reforms, corruption, and widespread crime; (5) host government officials and legal experts noted that continued assistance from the international community is needed to help encourage host governments to devote the necessary resources to enact, implement, and maintain justice reforms; (6) they also emphasized that lasting reform of criminal justice systems is a long-term effort that requires a sustained host government commitment; (7) U.S. missions in the five countries GAO visited had country teams as well as rule of law teams, headed by the Ambassador, that planned and coordinated U.S. rule of law activities; (8) the Ambassador or Deputy Chief of Mission normally chaired regularly scheduled meetings with these teams to help ensure that program duplication and other conflicts did not occur; (9) GAO identified no instances of duplication of efforts or conflicting activities among agencies; and (10) U.S. agencies also coordinated their rule of law activities with host country counterparts and with other donors to help ensure that country needs were addressed. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-99-195/html/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-99-195.htm GAO/NSIAD-99-195 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-99-195 Letter Report GAO/NSIAD-99-195; Foreign Assistance: U.S. Rule of Law Assistance to Five; Federal aid for criminal justice Judicial reform International cooperation Police training Federal aid to foreign countries Foreign governments Law enforcement Foreign aid programs International relations DOJ International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program El Salvador Guatemala Honduras Panama Colombia DOJ Overseas Prosectorial Development Assistance and Training Program Rule of Law Program