Web Resources for Spanish Speakers
The themes of mediation, victims rights, and alternatives to prison are becoming popular in the Spanish speaking world. There are a number of Spanish language websites addressing services, training and academic programs, and alternatives to court.
Mediadores en Red provides an interdisciplinary forum for mediators to share information about conferences, courses, services, and practice. Site features include:
- Trabajos is a listing of full-text documents on different aspects of mediation. These include penal mediation and ideas of peacemaking.
- Miembros is a listing of mediators and their e-mail address broken down the province they serve in Argentina.
- Agenda provides a listing of conferences and training courses available internationally.
- Foros is a discussion page outlining different themes.
Completely in Spanish, the Mediadores en red provides a source of contact with mediators working in Latin America and access to Spanish language literature on mediation.
Centro de difusion de la victimologia is an extensive victimology website in Spanish. It includes many short essays on issues surrounding the needs of victims.
Site features include:
- Preguntas frecuentes provides a listing of frequently asked questions about the definition and needs of victims.
- Asistencia a la víctima outlines the type of help that a victim needs for healing and reconciliation in the community. This feature also describes centers of victim’s assistance in different countries.
- Compensación a la víctima describes the evolution of victim compensation and legal frameworks allowing for it.
- Carcél describes the situation in Argentine prisons. The essay discusses themes of victimization within the prison setting and the effect of prison sentences on resocialization of offenders.
The site also provides an extensive bibliography on victim’s issues as well as many other features. It is an excellent source on victimology in the Spanish speaking word.
Instituto Vasco de Criminologia lists the courses of study in criminology at the University of the Basque country. The institute offers a major in mediation and restorative justice. The site does not provide extensive information on the subject but does have some interesting features:
- Plan de estudios provides a listing of courses that each student must take to finish the major. The listing also contains professors teaching the courses and their e-mail address.
- Bibliografía is a listing-not on line- of publications in the field of criminology.
Centro Internacional para Estudios Penitenciarios is the Spanish language version of King’s College London's International Centre for Prison Studies site.
The features include:
- Alternativas a la prisión summarizes a research project to develop alternatives to incarceration.
- Base is a database compiling information on the projects the Centre concentrates on.
The Spanish site is not as thorough as the English. However, they are both excellent sources for information in corrections and alternatives to incarceration.
Another good resource for introducing Spanish speakers to restorative justice is the Restorative Justice Backgrounder developed by the California Catholic Bishops conference. The Alerts and Backgrounder page also provides information on sentencing and corrections mixed in with other policy issues important to the Catholic Church.
Most of these sites provide a Links page leading to other relevant sites. They are a good starting point for anyone interested in the growth of restorative processes in the Spanish-speaking world.
By Lynette Parker
January 2002
