Mexico's Justice System Battles Its Own Reputation to Build Trust NPR.org
go to original June 13, 2016

Police in Mexico have long failed to inspire trust. The vast majority of crimes are never solved. Often, a signed confession is enough to put somebody in jail, even if the evidence is sketchy.

But with U.S. assistance, Mexico has been attempting to improve its judicial system.

Even basic police work is something to marvel at in Mexico, where a recent study by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights found that 98 percent of crimes "fail to result [in] convictions." Judicial reform, which started in 2008, is meant to attack Mexico's high rate of impunity.

"The fundamental feature of Mexico's new criminal justice system is that it inserts accountability into the process," says David Shirk, an expert in Mexican criminal justice at the Wilson Center in Washington, D.C. "It allows the state's evidence to be questioned and challenged. It means that police have to do their job well."

Under the new system, the accused has more rights and is presumed innocent until the state can prove his or her guilt before a judge.

"These reforms are going to be the key to making it clear that the work has to be done, otherwise criminals are going to walk free," Shirk says.

The U.S. has poured millions into this reform effort via the Merida Initiative. Most of the money has gone to train Mexican judges, prosecutors and defense attorneys. A smaller amount has gone to train police, a critical part of reform that's far behind schedule.

Read the rest at NPR.org

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