The first article characterizes the office of the French public prosecutor by placing it in the context of other international criminal justice institutions. The problems created by plea bargaining and other criminal justice negotiations are discussed. Other theoretical articles address the role of evidence in different criminal justice systems and the comparative research conducted at the European Court of Human Rights. The results of a survey exploring the opinions of a French sample population concerning the role of punishment are presented and analyzed. An article on Latin America deplores that human rights are constantly violated for the sake of civic security. Five articles focus on Brazil. The first describes the valiant assistance that Brazilian defense lawyers have given to the country's poor in the name of human rights. An article on Brazilian drug policy urges the implementation of the 17 principles of a national drug policy. Next the criminal justice problems of a Brazilian favela (slum) are characterized, while the following articles describes Brazilian practices of alternative punishments. Last, the major outlines of a new Brazilian criminal and correctional policy, which emphasizes the country's commitment to civil rights and democracy, are presented.