The Institute of Criminal Justice and Security (ICJS), based at the Regional Headquarters of The University of the West Indies (UWI), has announced the launch of its latest publication, the Caribbean Journal of Criminology.

The Caribbean Journal of Criminology is a multi-disciplinary, peer-reviewed journal to be published annually. The Journal will promote critical examination of the complex and persistent crime and security problems in the Caribbean, maintaining a balance of theoretical and empirical articles. While it will pay special attention to the Caribbean region, it will remain open to relevant research that is conducted in other parts of the world.

This inaugural volume was edited by Dr Anthony Harriott together with a team of associate editors from The UWI as well as partnering universities in Austria and Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States. Dr Harriott, Professor of Political Sociology at The UWI and Director of Institute of Criminal Justice and Security, notes in his editorial that “Caribbean countries experience many common crime problems. As researchers and policy makers grapple with these problems, the intention is that the Caribbean Journal of Criminology will make a useful contribution to better understanding these issues and even to problem solving”.

There are four articles and a book review in this first issue: two of the articles are primarily concerned with the explanation of crime and criminality and two with policy and policy-related issues. The research sites for the articles were Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago.

The Caribbean Journal of Criminology succeeds two Caribbean publications which focussed on the discipline of criminology – the Caribbean Journal of Criminology and Social Psychology and the Caribbean Journal of Criminology and Public Safety. Volume 1, Number 1 of the Caribbean Journal of Criminology is available only in hard copy; the next issue will be available in both print and digital format. For more information about the journal, including subscription information, kindly email [email protected] or [email protected]

About the Institute of Criminal Justice and Security (ICJS)

The ICJS of The University of the West Indies (UWI) was established to address issues of crime, security and justice in the Caribbean. Its activities and outputs are aligned with regional development needs and (a) seeks solutions through research that is empirically based, conceptually sound and policy relevant; (b) provides education and training that enhances the quality of leaderships in the fields of law enforcement, security and peace-building, and (c) offers policy and technical advice based on comprehensive studies of the relevant issues. Through these, the human resource capacity in CARICOM member states may be improved allowing for more effective law enforcement, security and justice in the Caribbean. Main activities include:

Expanding and strengthening existing teaching and learning programmes, especially in criminology and security studies, and developing new ones to meet the ongoing needs of the region;

Developing a dynamic research agenda, empirically-oriented research programmes, and an environment that enables excellent research for effective policy formulation and implementation; and

Expanding and strengthening outreach activities including policy advice to governments and advocacy groups within the Caribbean region.

Headquartered at The UWI’s Regional Headquarters, the work of the Institute is carried out through its staff as well as faculty members of The UWI’s four campuses.