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	Better prisoner visiting vital by Dr Dominique Moran Economic and Social Research Council United Kingdom   Prisoners who maintain family relationships while in prison are less likely to reoffend. Positive experiences of being visited in jail are important in keeping relationships on track, research suggests. Taking steps to ensure prisoner visits can be as positive as possible – both for prisoners and visitors – can reduce reoffending, says researcher Dr Dominique Moran.   In a three-year study of prison visitation and recidivism in the UK, researchers explored the spaces in which prison visits took place and the quality of the experience. Often, the setting for visits is a very large open space, containing chairs and low tables bolted to the floor with the onus on safety and surveillance.   "As a result, it''s often extremely noisy, with lots of reverberation from the hard surfaces," Dr Moran says. "The way the furniture is fixed to the floor can mean a visitor is closer to the conversation going on behind them, than to the person they have come to visit. Overall, it can be extremely difficult to hold the kind of conversation that is likely to support a relationship."   If prison visiting is recognised to be important to rehabilitation, then more attention should be paid to the spaces in which visits take place.   "It''s possible to do a lot with these spaces – including the use of carpet to reduce noise levels, better spacing of tables, a mix of spaces, upholstered furniture, colourful wall displays – that can facilitate good interactions while mitigating against the security risks inherent in visits," she says.   Prisons should also pay greater attention to improving the frequently stressful experience of visitors which can be exacerbated by the negative view in which they are held by some prison staff. http://bit.ly/2yk8J8W Visit the related web page
	UN warns growing $213bn poaching industry funds armed conflicts, biodiversity loss by UNEP, Atlantic Magazine   The illegal trade of global wildlife and natural resources is worth nearly $213 billion a year and is helping fund armed conflict, according to a new report from the United Nations and Interpol.   Achim Steiner, head of the United Nations Environment Program, told Reuters that environmental crime is “a financing machine” for militias, extremist groups, and armed conflict.   The trade encompasses an enormous range of illicit activities, from logging (worth $100 billion annually), fishing, and mining, to trade of rare animals and plants.   The report estimates that illegal poaching of fauna and flora amount to an annual loss of $7 billion to $23 billion, while illegal mineral mining and trading results in a loss between $12 billion and $48 billion.   Foreword by Erik Solheim, Head of UN Environment: The Convergence of Threats to Environment, Peace and Security   Abuse of the environment is the fourth largest criminal activity in the world. Worth up to USD 258 billion, it is increasing by five to seven per cent every year and converging with other forms of international crime. It is, therefore, a growing threat to peace, security and stability.   This report assesses that threat and recommends solutions that we can pursue through internationalcooperation. The many crimes related to the exploitation of the environment and its natural resources are insidious, with implications for every aspect of our lives.   They rob governments of much needed revenues, people of livelihoods, and communities of peace and security. This report provides evidence that armed groups are benefitting from such crimes and engaging with wider criminal networks.   The combined consequences are dangerous: forcing women and children into labour; putting habitats and biodiversity at risk; and undermining attempts to control global warming. The scale, scope and complexity of this growing area of international crime are clear. Therefore, the scale, scope and force of the joint response from the United Nations, member states and key partners must be just as clear. It must include better information sharing, civilian protection and law enforcement, as well as a deeper understanding of what creates and spreads conflict. The vast majority of countries believe fighting these crimes is a national priority and equires a stronger response.   We hope that this report will encourage the international community to rapidly adopt a more comprehensive approach to tackling crime convergence in peace, security and sustainable development.   According to The Environment Crime Crisis report:   "Throughout Central and Southern Africa, armed groups capitalize on poaching and timber exploitation to fuel a variety of armed movements. The Sudanese Janjaweed and the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) poach elephants throughout Central Africa and neighboring countries. Dozens of militia groups kill elephants and hippopotamuses, harvest timber, and produce or tax charcoal, all to finance conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo and in neighboring countries.   Likewise in Asia, exploitation of wildlife supports a number of non-state armed groups.. who arereported to be implicated in the illegal trade in ivory, tiger pelts, and rhino horns in Southeast Asia.”   The past few years have seen an “enormous increase” in environmental crime, and the revenue generated eclipses that of humanitarian aid to developing nations, which is worth around $135 billion.   And while there have been some successes, Reuters reports that two reasons for the surge in environmental crime include rising income in China and other Asian nations (precipitating increased demand for status symbols like rhino horn) and the illicit charcoal trade.   The illegal charcoal trade poses a great risk to local environments and economies and it’s a significant source of income for extremists and militias. In the Democratic Republic of Congo illegally tax shipments of charcoal, is estimated to be worth around $289 million a year, reports Bloomberg.   The UN recommends that countries strengthen law enforcement, protect animals in conservation programs, and make more of an effort to coordinate their response and crackdown on environmental crimes. But with as many as 25,000 elephants getting killed every year for their tusks, and the $192 million illegal rhino horn trade, they better hurry up.   * Access the (80 page) UNEP report: Environment, Peace and Security; a convergence of threats: http://bit.ly/2pMdm4B Visit the related web page
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