Justice Sector Strengthening Activity Quarterly Report (October 1 – December 31, 2015)

Despite high-level vacancies and political turmoil in the judicial sector, the JSSA maintained close collaboration and ongoing dialogue with various Government of El Salvador counterparts, including the Executive Technical Unit of the Justice Sector Coordinating Commission, National Civilian Police, Supreme Court, Public Defender's Office, Attorney General's Office, Forensic Medicine Institute, and National Judicial Council. The JSSA provided technical assistance to draft an Annotated Criminal Procedure Code, with 379 of the 507 articles completed. A diagnostic assessment of the Victims and Witness Protection Program was also conducted to improve inter-institutional protocols to protect victims and witnesses. Training courses were implemented to strengthen judicial sector operators' skills in areas including gender perspectives, human rights, group management, court management, case theory, and use of evidence. The JSSA supported the Judicial Training School in developing evaluation instruments to assess the effectiveness of its courses. A key accomplishment this quarter was the implementation of a series of workshops on Human Rights, Ethics, and Use of Force for National Civilian Police personnel. The Project plans to hold replica workshops for high-level authorities and eventually make the course available to all officers with support from the Police Academy. The JSSA also advanced a range of activities with local civil society organizations, the Forensic Medicine Institute, and other justice sector institutions to strengthen attention to victims of sexual, gender-based, and domestic violence. A Rape Crisis Center was inaugurated in San Vicente, and two Specialized Institutional Units for Attention to Women in Situations of Violence (UNIMUJERs) were established in Suchitoto and Ciudad Arce. The Project's four grants to civil society organizations continued to progress, with two of the grants completing activities this quarter. The JSSA received USAID approval and began the process of awarding grant funding to carry out restorative justice pilot programs that promote the use of alternative sentencing for youth offenders. The Project continued to support the National Civilian Police in implementing the Community Policing Model in 16 communities, including holding workshops and training sessions and supporting the police in carrying out community assessments and holding outreach events. The JSSA's work to promote transparency and ethics received high visibility this quarter, as the Illicit Enrichment Law received considerable national attention. A Project-supported Civil Society Coalition implemented an extensive public awareness campaign to promote the draft law, which was under consideration by the Legislative Assembly. However, in December the Legislative Assembly passed its own, weaker version of the law. The JSSA continued to support the National Civilian Police in implementing the Community Policing Model in 16 communities. The Project supported implementation of Summer School Programs for 1,440 students. The JSSA also advanced a range of activities with local civil society organizations, the Forensic Medicine Institute, and other justice sector institutions to strengthen attention to victims of sexual, gender-based, and domestic violence.