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We Are Dominicans
For Dominicans of Haitian descent, obtaining proof of citizenship—required for everything from education to employment to voting—has become a legal and bureaucratic impossibility.
Why We Need a Global Campaign for Pretrial Justice
The Open Society Justice Initiative is launching a Global Campaign for Pretrial Justice to promote alternatives to pretrial detention, expand access to legal aid services, and deploy paralegals to intervene earlier in the criminal justice process.
Pretrial Detention: Scale and Relevance to HIV/AIDS
The indiscriminate use of pretrial detention (PTD)—the incarceration of accused persons before they have been determined guilty of the crime charged—is a violation of international legal standards.
New Reports Urge Donors to Enhance and Improve Criminal Justice Investments
In a series of reports examining donor and government support for criminal justice reform projects, the Open Society Justice Initiative offers recommendations for more effective investment in the field.
New Book Examines Human Costs of Pretrial Detention in Mexico
A new book explores the human toll of pretrial detention in Mexico through the stories of people who needlessly suffer in jail, sometimes for years, while awaiting trial.
AIDS Conference Looks at Pretrial Detention as a Public Health Issue
Two sessions at the International AIDS Conference in Mexico City explored the role of pretrial detention in spreading disease.
New Report from Turkey Finds Accused Lack Legal Representation
An empirical study of legal aid in Istanbul jointly undertaken by the Open Society Justice Initiative and Istanbul Bilgi University found that only 10 percent of criminal defendants in Istanbul are represented by a lawyer.
Oaxaca Moves Toward Use of Pretrial Release
Judges, prosecutors, and defense attorneys gathered to discuss the implementation of new reforms that allow pretrial release of prisoners at a training led by the Open Society Justice Initiative and its Mexican partner organization, Renace.
Legal Aid Law Adopted in Moldova
The Moldovan parliament voted unanimously to approve a new legal aid law developed by a working group which benefited from extensive consultations with the Open Society Justice Initiative.
New Legal Aid Law Adopted in Georgia
A new legal aid law adopted in Georgia introduces a full-fledged model of public defenders as legal aid providers, a development praised by the Open Society Justice Initiative.
Draft Legal Aid Law Unveiled in Kyrgyzstan
The administration of the president of Kyrgyzstan today officially presented a new draft law on legal aid, with input from the Open Society Justice Initiative.
Second Public Defender Office Launched in Ukraine
Ukraine's second pilot public defender office was launched last week in Bila Tsirkva, an initiative that is part of a project on legal aid reform in Ukraine operated by the Open Society Justice Initiative and the International Renaissance Foundation.
Ukraine Public Defender Office Promotes Rights of the Accused
A newly opened public defender office—a joint project of the Open Society Justice Initiative and two other civil society groups—recorded a major success last week when it was assured by Regional Director of Kharkiv Police that local police will...
Mexico Plans Its First Pretrial Services Agency
Mexican officials gathered in Chihuahua to plan the country's first pretrial services agency at a meeting organized and led by the Open Society Justice Initiative and its Mexican partner organization, Renace.
Open Society Justice Initiative Calls for a Fair Trial in Kyrgyzstan
The Open Society Justice Initiative demands a fair trial for Zulkhumor Tokhtanozarova, who is being held on charges of theft which she is believed to have confessed to under torture.
Experts on Pretrial Detention Gather in Mexico
“Lasting Change in Pretrial Detention: Recent Experiences in a Global Context,” a two day workshop hosted by the Open Society Justice Initiative, brings together criminal justice practitioners and researchers from eight countries to compare...
Ukraine President Approves Concept Paper for Improving Legal Aid
Ukraine President Viktor Yuschenko approved the Concept Paper on Reforming the Legal Aid System in Ukraine, taking an important step in the nation's process of improving access to justice, according to the Open Society Justice Initiative.
Open Society Justice Initiative Hosts Pretrial Detention Workshop
In an effort to advance a common and global ability to diagnose problems in pretrial detention and measure the impact of efforts to change pretrial detention practices, the Open Society Justice Initiative is hosting a two-day workshop.
Training Seminar in Mexico on the Use of Pretrial Detention
To decrease Mexico’s use of pretrial detention of the accused, the Open Society Justice Initiative has launched two training seminars on pretrial detention, one each in the Mexican states of Aguascalientes and Zacatecas.
Georgia's First Public Defender Office Opens in Tbilisi
Georgia’s first public defender office will provide legal aid for criminal defendants unable to afford a lawyer thanks to a pilot program established with technical assistance from the Open Society Justice Initiative and others.