Rule of Law Project: Mexico Project # DFD-00-04-000175-00 Task Order 4

The project, supported by MSD/Mexico, aims to reform the criminal justice system at both the state and federal levels. Key components include reform of the criminal justice system, improved access to justice for marginalized populations, and strengthened civil society participation. Technical assistance is being provided to all stages of the criminal code reforms, including the introduction of a new Federal Law for the protection of witnesses in criminal prosecutions and revisions to the Organized Crime Law. At the state level, the project is supporting Hidalgo and Tabasco in the drafting of their Codes of Criminal Procedure. Prosecutors and members of the Human Rights commission of Oaxaca have completed a seminar on alternative dispute resolution, while attorneys general from Mexicali, Juarez, and Chihuahua have attended a seminar on Sex Trafficking of America's Youth in Albuquerque. Implementation of the new criminal justice system is underway, with 1,833 justice sector personnel trained on the Code of Procedure in five states. The project has also supported the drafting of a new Federal Law for the protection of witnesses in criminal prosecutions and revisions to the Organized Crime Law. At the state level, the project is supporting Hidalgo and Tabasco in the drafting of their Codes of Criminal Procedure. Access to Justice is a critical component of the project, with the goal of improving access to justice for marginalized populations. During the third quarter, the project trained 1,475 participants from Baja California, Chihuahua, Morelos, and the Federal District. The training programs included specialized courses on the new criminal justice system, from inception to completion. Participants included prosecutors, defense attorneys, and judges who learned their roles within the new system. The project is also working to strengthen civil society participation, with ongoing discussions with universities to house the Alternative Justice Seminar and provide certification for participants. An additional 54 participants have been trained through collaboration with institutions, including training mediators at the Alternative Justice Center at the University of Chihuahua. The Merida Initiative is a key component of the project, with the goal of modernizing state and federal justice systems to combat organized crime and support human rights. The project has completed a train-the-trainers course on basic investigation for the Federal Police, which included 28 members of the Secretariat of Public Safety. A training program was also completed by 306 SSP cadets on the accusatorial system and criminal investigation. The Colombian National Police have completed a one-month training program for 34 police investigators and prosecutors in Chihuahua on the investigation of complex crimes, including kidnappings and extortions. Similar training will be completed by the Colombian Police during the fourth quarter in Baja California and Morelos. The Strategies for Trauma and Resilience Project (STAR) has completed a one-week seminar for victim support professionals in conjunction with the Office of the Federal Attorney General in May. Activities planned for the fourth quarter include technical assistance for the states of Hidalgo and Tabasco to support code drafting, continued trainings on criminal justice reforms, and specialized training for prosecutors, judges, and public defenders in Mexicali, Baja California. Alternative Justice Seminars will be held in Tijuana, Baja California, the Federal District, and Zacatecas, and the STAR trainings for victim support specialists, adolescents, and adolescents will be completed.