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Abstract

Virtually all societies currently have to address problems of crime and insecurity. In tackling these problems most countries have emphasized repressive penal policies. In most of these countries the size of prison populations did increase, although a corresponding positive impact on public security cannot be observed. Faced with this vicious circle, the mayors of large cities in Western Europe and in North America have proclaimed in Montreal in October 1989 the necessity to adopt a policy of prevention. In November 1991 a second International Conference put the focus on the question of developing and evaluating preventive policies. The conference was preceeded by the work of a scientific committee which summarized the experiences made in various countries with crime prevention. The national reports as well as the conclusions produced during the work of the scientific committee are part of this volume which may serve as a valuable source of knowledge for all those who are interested in the prevention of crime.