Report cites international trends in Criminal Justice
According to the study, mass imprisonment points to the inefficiency and the perverse effects of drug policies in a number of countries
The fourth edition of Global Prison Trends 2018 was launched at the United Nations Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice on 15/5. It was produced by PRI (Penal Reform International) in conjunction with the Thailand Institute of Justice and provides an outline of current challenges in criminal justice and in penitentiary policy and practice.
The study explores trends in prison systems around the world, such as the increased use of pre-trial detention, overcrowding and the needs of prison populations, such as women, children and LGBTI, including a section that examines rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders in the era of sustainable development.
Imprisonment for possession of drugs for personal use is still one of the principal reasons for overcrowding in prisons worldwide. According to the report, UN data shows that 83% of drug-related criminal incidents register possession of narcotics. Further data shows that the number of women and girls imprisoned worldwide increased by 53% between the year 2000 and 2017, although the female prison population is smaller.
According to Henrique Apolinário, advisor on the Conectas Institutional Violence programme, the consequences of the so-called “war on drugs” go beyond an increase in the prison population. “The punitive approach to drugs, adopted by many countries, is responsible for constant human rights violations. Increased rates of consumption, violence, corruption and organised crime are factors that prove the failure of this type of prohibitionist policy.” Henrique explained.
According to the study, some countries still take a ‘hard line on crime’ as the way to reduce criminality. In this sense the report recommends that states make policy changes to reduce prison rates, such as the use of alternative measures to prison and focus on rehabilitation of those in detention. These measures should be implemented within the perspective of protecting human rights.
The report also has a special section on the harm of overincarceration to the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and shows how people often fail to break out of the vicious circle of poverty and prison. The report, that proposes a change in paradigm in terms of public policies for the prevention of criminality, contains examples such as Costa Rica, where a recent change in legislation now permits deletion of the criminal record of anyone in a vulnerable situation.
