Prison chaos

Organizations defend structural changes to resolve situation at prisons

Numerous crises have erupted inside Brazilian prisons but particularly alarming are those that have occurred since the start of this year. As a result of this situation, civil society organizations have written an open letter calling on the authorities to address the crisis in the prison system by tackling its structural causes and ensuring respect for human rights.

The most recent data released by Depen (National Prison Department), part of the Ministry of Justice, reveal that in December 2014 there were 622,202 people in prison in the country and that the system had a shortfall of 250,318 places. The organizations therefore support the adoption of a consistent public policy that leads to a reduction of the prison population.

“It is unreasonable to treat these phenomena as disconnected episodes or as a series of accidents. The diagnosis is much more serious, exposing the convulsions of a system in collapse,” said the organizations in the letter. “The insistence on the use of prison sentences as the main response when crimes are committed betrays the choice for a punitive criminal policy that leads to mass incarceration,” they added.

Besides Conectas, the letter was signed by the Criminal Justice Network and 18 other human rights organizations.

Click here to read the letter in full.