The present volume represents the first published book on gangs in the Caribbean. The study of criminal gangs is both timely and of the utmost importance to policy and security in the region. In many countries across the Caribbean, criminal gangs are increasing in number and prominence, and official crime data indicate that they are responsible for an increasing proportion of violent crimes. The Caribbean region experienced a dramatic increase in murder rates from 14.3 murders per 100,000 inhabitants in 2000 to 28.1 murders per 100,000 inhabitants in 2010. In some of the countries with comparatively high murder rates, such as Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, the proportion of gang-related murders has reached alarming levels. In the case of Trinidad and Tobago, for example, for the period 2001 to 2012, 29.5% of all murders which occurred were classified as gang-related, with fully 38% being so classified in 2012. The Caribbean represents a diverse region with very different cultures and security issues. Foreign experiences and research on gangs may not generalize to the region, nor may foreign policy be entirely relevant. The present volume represents an attempt to come to terms with the phenomenon of gangs in the Caribbean, and presents a wealth of empirical data, as well as an analysis of the varying issues from a number of disciplinary perspectives. Much of what is currently known about gangs in the Caribbean is brought together in this volume, with the primary aims of understanding the varying issues and examining relevant strategies for dealing with the proliferation of criminal gangs.

"The Oxford Handbook of Gangs and Society is the premier reference book on gangs for practitioners, policymakers, students, and scholars. This carefully curated volume contains 43 chapters written by the leading experts in the field, who advance a central theme of "looking back, moving forward" by providing state-of-the-art reviews of the literature they created, shaped, and (re)defined. This international, interdisciplinary collective of authors provides readers with a rare tour of the field in its entirety, expertly navigating thorny debates and the at-times contentious history of gang research, while simultaneously synthesizing flourishing areas of study that advance the field into the 21st century. The volume is divided into six cohesive sections that reflect the diverse field of gang studies and capture the large-scale cultural, economic, political, and social changes occurring within the world of gangs in the last century; anticipating immense changes on the horizon. From definitions to history to theory to epistemology to technology to policy and practice, this unprecedented volume captures the most timely and important topics in the field. When readers finish this book, they will be more confident in what we know and do not know about gangs in our society"--

Perspectives in Caribbean Psychology attempts to record the unique psychological character of those who live in the Caribbean and more broadly people of African-Caribbean heritage. It considers the impact of colonialism, the struggle for domination by various European and North American countries through history on individuals, and the unique psychological realities that have emerged from attempts to come to terms with the realities of Caribbean culture and experience. Contributors address prevalent issues of violence, mental illness, stigma, psychopathology and HIV/AIDS, and chronicle the adaptation, cultural retentions, resilience and migratory tenacity of the Caribbean people, both within their geographic communities and in the Diaspora. This book makes the case for a definitively Caribbean psychology with a range of chapters on psychological assessment, understanding and treatment modalities culled from a Caribbean experience. It will be an invaluable source of reference for anyone with an interest in multicultural psychology, as well as for social work and mental health professionals working with members of the Caribbean community.

Security challenges pose significant hardship for citizens of Caribbean nations. Public safety is threatened by high rates of crime – especially violent crime – in much of the region, the plague of the illicit drug trade, transnational organized crime, gangs, the current global proliferation of crimes of terrorism and related violent extremism and radicalization. The situation diminishes morale among the youth, their education and their future, and operates as a major push factor. Yet, surprisingly, there has been a scarcity of scholarly work that addresses these conditions. This interdisciplinary volume succinctly responds to the gap in criminological and security studies on the Caribbean by drawing attention to the understudied nexus of crime, violence, and security that is so pervasive in the region, and the ways in which underdevelopment re/creates environments for insecurity. The book is organized in three parts: Part one encompasses conceptualizations of crime, violence and punishment. Part two takes up country cases on crime and security. Part three addresses issues of regional security, both public and private. This timely volume will be valuable reading for scholars, students, practitioners and policy makers who share a critical interest in the scope, impact, and inter-relationality of crime, violence, and in/security in the region.

This volume provides an overview of the Caribbean countries, its colonial history, causes, costs and consequences of crime and violence in the Caribbean. The contributors pull from primary research and the available data from multiple sources including national and country specific reports to assess the magnitude, characteristics, and the changing nature of crimes in various Caribbean countries. Discussion is offered on the following crime issue: gender-based violence, homicides, drugs, gangs, money laundering, murder suicided, deportation and the use of Geographic Information System (GIS) to fight crime. In addition, the book provides a discussion of the crime prevention capabilities of selected countries looking at the nature of the crime problem, offers an assessment of the crime prevention capabilities and makes suggestions for policy development.

This anthology of Caribbean feminist scholarships exposes gender relations as regimes of power and advances indigenous feminist theorizing. A particularly strong section of the book deconstructs marginality and masculinity in the Caribbean and provides ground-breaking research with policy implications. Of interest to scholars of feminist theory, gender studies, gender and development, post-colonial theory, and literary and cultural studies.

This is an original survey of the economic and social history of slavery of the Afro-American experience in Latin America and the Caribbean. The focus of the book is on the Portuguese, Spanish, and French-speaking regions of continental America and the Caribbean. It analyzes the latest research on urban and rural slavery and on the African and Afro-American experience under these regimes. It approaches these themes both historically and structurally. The historical section provides a detailed analysis of the evolution of slavery and forced labor systems in Europe, Africa, and America. The second half of the book looks at the type of life and culture which the salves experienced in these American regimes. The first part of the book describes the growth of the plantation and mining economies that absorbed African slave labor, how that labor was used, and how the changing international economic conditions affected the local use and distribution of the slave labor force. Particular emphasis is given to the evolution of the sugar plantation economy, which was the single largest user of African slave labor and which was established in almost all of the Latin American colonies. Once establishing the economic context in which slave labor was applied, the book shifts focus to the Africans and Afro-Americans themselves as they passed through this slave regime. The first part deals with the demographic history of the slaves, including their experience in the Atlantic slave trade and their expectations of life in the New World. The next part deals with the attempts of the African and American born slaves to create a viable and autonomous culture. This includes their adaptation of European languages, religions, and even kinship systems to their own needs. It also examines systems of cooptation and accommodation to the slave regime, as well as the type and intensity of slave resistances and rebellions. A separate chapter is devoted to the important and different role of the free colored under slavery in the various colonies. The unique importance of the Brazilian free labor class is stressed, just as is the very unusual mobility experienced by the free colored in the French West Indies. The final chapter deals with the differing history of total emancipation and how ex-slaves adjusted to free conditions in the post-abolition periods of their respective societies. The patterns of post-emancipation integration are studied along with the questions of the relative success of the ex-slaves in obtaining control over land and escape from the old plantation regimes.

The Oxford Handbook of Caribbean Constitutions offers a detailed and analytical view of the constitutions of the Caribbean region, examining the constitutional development of its diverse countries. The Handbook explains the features of the region's constitutions and examines themes emerging from the Caribbean's experience with constitutional interpretation and reform. Beginning with a Foreword from the former President of the Caribbean Court of Justice and an Introduction by the lead editor, Richard Albert, the remainder of the book is divided into four parts. Part I, 'Caribbean Constitutions in the World', highlights what is distinctive about the constitutions of the Caribbean. Part II covers the constitutions of the Caribbean in detail, offering a rich analysis of the constitutional history, design, controversies, and future challenges in each country or group of countries. Each chapter in this section addresses topics such as the impact of key historical and political events on the constitutional landscape for the jurisdiction, a systematic account of the interaction between the legislature and the executive, the civil service, the electoral system, and the independence of the judiciary. Part III addresses fundamental rights debates and developments in the region, including the death penalty and socio-economic rights. Finally, Part IV features critical reflections on the challenges and prospects for the region, including the work of the Caribbean Court of Justice and the future of constitutional reform. This is the first book of its kind, bringing together in a single volume a comprehensive review of the constitutional development of the entire Caribbean region, from the Bahamas in the north to Guyana and Suriname in South America, and all the islands in between. While written in English, the book embraces the linguistic and cultural diversity of the region, and covers the Anglophone Caribbean as well as the Spanish-, French-, and Dutch-speaking Caribbean countries.

This volume aims to illustrate the uniqueness of the economies of the countries and territories of the Caribbean as well as the similarities they share with other regions. While most countries in the region share many of the characteristics of middle-income countries, theirs is a matter of extremes. Their generally small size suggests a fragility not found elsewhere. While much of the world is beginning to feel some effects of climate change, the Caribbean is ground zero. These factors suggest a difficult road ahead, but the chapters presented in this volume aim to help to spur the search for creative solutions to the region’s problems. The chapters, written by expert contributors, examine the Caribbean economies from several perspectives. Many break new ground in questioning past policy mindsets, while developing new approaches to many of the traditional constraints limiting growth in the region. The volume is organized in four sections. Part I examines commonalities, including issues surrounding small economies, tourism, climate change and energy security. Part II looks at obstacles to sustained progress, for example debt, natural disasters and crime. In Part III chapters consider the specific role of external influences, including the USA and the European Union, the People's Republic of China, as well as regional co-operation. The volume concludes in Part IV with country case studies intended to provide a sense of the diversity that runs through the region.