Continued modernization of the Mexican criminal justice system purportedly will help stem "the drug-fueled violence that has threatened citizens on both sides of the border," according to the Obama Administration. Obama through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) consequently has launched a new program called the Mexico Promoting Justice Project, also known as PROJUST, which will attempt system reform in several Mexican states.
PROJUST will infuse an unspecified level of additional taxpayer dollars to "support comprehensive criminal justice reform that adheres to Mexican and international human rights standards implemented at state and federal levels."
USAID/Mexico seeks to enhance broader U.S. and Mexican government efforts "to mitigate conflict,
reduce impunity, and promote a more transparent and efficient justice system." PROJUST specifically will support the Merida
Initiative, a partnership the two nations launched in 2008 to share
such responsibilities.
The U.S. Congress appropriated $1.6 billion since the initiative started, according to the U.S. Department of State.
PROJUST is considered to be the "USAID flagship project" that will enable the Obama Administration to achieve the following results:
1) Legislative framework enacted for criminal justice reform; and
2) Strengthened institutional and human capacity to implement criminal justice reform.
USAID anticipates awarding a five-year cost reimbursement completion contract for PROJUST, which is expected to begin around July 2013.
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