Posts Tagged ‘Cárceles’
Prisons: What Force Can’t Do
“Heavy-handed” policies on crime in many countries in the Americas have not only brought prisons to crises around the continent, but have also failed to reduce crime and recidivism. A more humane penitentiary system, not one of terror, seems to be the solution that our continent needs.
Read MoreVenezuela in a spiral
El Helicoide gets its name from the geometric shape of the building that houses the prison, which resembles a spiral. The crisis in the prison and the elections this Sunday could worsen the spiral of Maduro’s regime towards arbitrariness.
Read MoreThe foreign minister’s silence on Colombians imprisoned in Venezuela
More than 60 innocent Colombians sleep in Venezuelan jail cells. Although similar situations have resulted in diplomatic confrontations between Venezuela and countries such as Brazil, in Colombia, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, María Ángela Holguín has kept a low profile.
Read MoreMass release of criminals?
This measure – which undoubtedly causes alarm and creates problems – is necessary to mitigate the damages caused by the inability of the Colombian State to provide this basic service quickly and efficiently. Six necessary clarifications on a Law that has been poorly understood.
Read MoreDrug crimes and prison overdose in Colombia
This research, carried out by Dejusticia and the Research Consortium on Drugs and the Law, assesses the impact of drug policy on the prison system and recommends, among other measures, to decriminalize the possession of a personal dose.
Read MoreThe use of jail went out of proportion
If the idea was to control the production, transportation and use of drugs through tough policies, what ended up happening was the criminalization of the most vulnerable and marginalized.
Read MoreEvery hour nine people are detained for drug-related crimes
The book “Drug crimes and prison overdose in Colombia”, produced by the Research Consortium on Drugs and the Law and Dejusticia, disagnoses the impact of drug policy on the prison system and recommends, among other measures, to decriminalize personal dose.
Read MoreInnocence and jail
Not all people who have been deprived of their liberty should have been in prison in the first place. In 2013, for example, the State Legal Defense Agency was handling 13,385 lawsuits for unjust deprivation of liberty.
Read MoreMore opportunities and less jail for women with drug offenses
93% of these women are mothers, 52% are head of household, and many have not finished high school; that is, they are poor women. Although the Peace Agreement contemplated a different criminal treatment for these cases, to date no bill has been filed before Congress.
Read MoreNew study shows growth in the number of prisoners in Latin America for low-level drug offenses
Today, the Drug and Law Study Group (CEDD), a network of experts on drug policy in 9 Latin American countries, publishes new research that reveals that despite the debate in Latin America on the need to rethink drug policies, mass incarceration for these types of crimes, even when they are non-violent and low level, continues to increase in the continent.
Read MorePersons Deprived of Liberty for Drug Offenses
The research of the Collective on Persons Detained, Processed and Imprisoned presents statistical information about detention and imprisonment for drug offenses in Latin America and advocates for an overhaul of drug laws and their implementation in Latin America. — La evidencia existente muestra que, a nivel mundial, la política de drogas ha implicado diversos costos…
Read MoreIn the prison of Oscar Wilde
When Oscar Wilde entered prison to pay his sentence for sodomy, he stopped being the popular and witty poet of the end of the 19th century.
Read MoreJail benefits?
A strong objection to the peace process is that some guerrilla members will not be sent to jail. But we cannot forget that the benefits of jail time are doubtful.
Read MoreWomen, Drug Policy, and Imprisonment: A Guide for Reforming Policy in Colombia
This guide diagnoses the impact of deprivation of liberty on women imprisoned due to drug offenses, and formulates recommendations to mitigate and prevent the disproportionate effects of incarceration.
Read MoreMitigating Criminal Law Addiction: Alternatives to Prison for Drug-related Offenses
This report was prepared with the Colectivo de Estudios Drogas y Derecho and discusses alternatives to prison for drug-related offenses.
Read MoreWhy do Women Bear the Costs of Drug Policy?
There is nothing more erratic than a policy focused on persecuting the easily exchangeable parts of the drug trafficking market.
Read MoreDiscussion: The Situation of Detained People in Colombia
This October 5th at 9AM this event will take place with our researcher Carolina Villadiego. Free entrance.
Read MoreWhat Can We Do to Prevent the Imprisonment of Innocent People in Latin America?
Preventing erroneous detentions and wrongful convictions should be a priority of the criminal justice system.
Read MoreShould Prisons Be Privatized?
It is imperative for states to adopt concrete measures to address the structural deficiencies of prisons.
Read MorePrison laws and Drugs: Any changes?
A few days ago, the new Prison Law came into force with the goal of reducing the structural problems of the prison system.
Read MoreThe Statue of Liberty… Chained
The Statue of Liberty has traditionally been a symbol for immigrants to the United States, representing their arrival to a free country. But considering how rapidly the prison population has grown, the Statue of Liberty should now be displayed in chains.
Read MoreSystems Overload: Drug Laws and Prisons in Latin America
This paper demonstrates how drug policy in the country tended to a progressive hardening along the twentieth century and, notwithstanding, failed to be effective in reducing supply and in combating organized crime networks dedicated to trafficking.
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