Book review: After the Spring: probation, justice reform and democratization from the Baltics to Beirut

"After the Spring: Probation, Justice Reform and Democratization from the Baltics to Beirut." Johannes Wheeldon. Eleven International Publishing. June 2012. --- This book argues that a central aspect of democratization in the Middle East should include reforming the justice system. Focusing on probation, it proposes a three-tier model to understand efforts to reform penal practices, develop community-based alternatives to punishments, and promote the greater participation of society, featuring case studies from Russia, Estonia, and especially Latvia. Ruth Houghton encounters many unique insights into Latvian social and political culture, useful for future development projects.