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Course in Guatemala:
Smart Prosecution and Criminal Analysis: Tools for Meeting Public Security Goals

On December 1 and 2, the Justice Studies Center of the Americas (JSCA) offered a course in Guatemala City entitled Smart Prosecution and Criminal Analysis: Tools for Meeting Public Security Goals. The course was developed for the new Analysis Unit that forms part of the Guatemala Public Prosecutor’s Office as well as several related Public Prosecutor’s Office units.

The course was taught by JSCA consultant Andrés Baytelman and Marcelo Cabrera, Chief Prosecutor of the Santiago de Chile Central-North Metropolitan Region Prosecutor’s Office. Participants included Rubén Rivera, the Head of the Analysis Unit of Guatemala’s Public Prosecutor’s Office, and Luis Ramírez, Director of the Institute for Comparative Studies in the Criminal Sciences of Guatemala (ICCPG).

The course included an introduction to the development of innovation and modern visions of the potential of the Public Prosecutor’s Office and its staff to make a significant contribution to the issue of victimization and fear of crime. To this end, the “Smart Prosecution” methodology was introduced. This approach involves criminal analysis and problem-focused approaches, as well as other strategies. Successful experiences from the Santiago de Chile Public Prosecutor’s Office were shared.

The second day of the course included a workshop and discussion of the applicability of the Smart Prosecution methodology in Guatemala. Participants also had the opportunity to share their experiences in order to allow the event to serve as an initial meeting for the expansion of the work of the Analysis Unit.