Incarceration for drug offences

Prison overcrowding in Brazil

Year after year, international organisations have condemned Brazil for the inhuman conditions in its prisons. For the first time. critics now originate from Brazil's own institutions. The President of the Brazilian Supreme Court called the prisons a 'shame' and a 'crime against people'. Half of Brazil's 500,000 prisoners, most of whom incarcerated for low-level drug offences in Brazil's favelas, await judicial process in overcrowded police cells.

Year after year, international organisations have condemned Brazil for the inhuman conditions in its prisons. For the first time. critics now originate from Brazil's own institutions. The President of the Brazilian Supreme Court called the prisons a 'shame' and a 'crime against people'. Half of Brazil's 500,000 prisoners, most of whom incarcerated for low-level drug offences in Brazil's favelas, await judicial process in overcrowded police cells.

Drug laws and prison in Mexico

Over the years, the Mexican government has adopted increasingly heavy prison sentences and militarised drug policies to confront drug trafficking. The result has been an increase of vulnerable populations in Mexico’s prisons, but no impact on the drug trade or violence.

In this video, Rosa Julia Leyva Martinez tells the story of how one day in 1993, she decided to travel from her home state of Guerrero to Mexico City. According to her testimony, a few people she knew from her town convinced her to travel with them, and without her knowledge, had her carry a bag with heroine inside through airport security. She says that she was tortured into signing a confession and as a result spent close to 11 years in prison.

Drug laws and prison in Ecuador

Analia Silva, an Afro-Ecuadorian woman in her late 40s, says that getting a job in Ecuador was really difficult for her because she did not know how to read or write, and she continuously faced racial and age discrimination. Jobless, desperate and being the sole provider of her two children, she started selling small amounts of drugs to make ends meet. She was caught within months and was sentenced to 8 years in prison. Her sentence was disproportionate to the crime she committed, but it could have been worse.

Analia Silva, an Afro-Ecuadorian woman in her late 40s explains how she was sentenced to 8 years’ imprisonment for selling small amounts of drugs to make ends meet. In this video testimony, she explains the collateral damage that this anti-drug policy had on her life.

 

The human face: TNI/WOLA video series on drugs and prison in Latin America

This series of videos features people who have endured harsh and disproportionate sentences for drug-related crimes. The videos are part of a Transnational Institute (TNI) / Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) study investigating the prison systems of eight countries in Latin America.

This series of videos features people who have endured harsh and disproportionate sentences for drug-related crimes. The videos are part of a TNI/WOLA study investigating the prison systems of eight countries in Latin America. These personal stories illustrate the unjust impact of current drug laws on the most vulnerable individuals of society.
Added on 25 August 2010

TNI Series on Legislative Reform of Drug Policies No. 7 - A matter of substance: Fighting drug trafficking with a substance-oriented approach

This paper discusses the “substance-oriented approach” Dutch authorities implemented to to scare off potential small-scale cocaine smugglers. The focus was on the drugs, rather than the couriers, and on incapacitating the smuggling route, rather than deterrence by incarceration.
Added on 29 July 2010

Call to Action: Support Global Drug Policy Reform - World Drug Day, 26 June 2010

As the United Nations launches the 2010 World Drug Report this week, more than 40 international groups and experts worldwide today issued a call to action that presses governments to adopt a humane approach to drug policy.

The call to action, signed by IDPC, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, former president of Brazil Fernando Cardoso, and others, urges governments to enact policies that are based on scientific and medical research rather than politics.

As the United Nations brings worldwide attention to problems related to illicit drugs, we call for a new approach.
Added on 24 June 2010

Report from the UN Special Rapporteur on torture on abuse of prisoners and detainees

From the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights: 'After five years as the UN Special Rapporteur on torture, Manfred Nowak, says one of the most surprising and distressing of his experiences has been the realization of the appalling conditions endured by the majority of the world’s prisoners and detainees. “In many countries,” he says, “I was simply shocked by the way human beings are treated in detention.

With only a few months to go before his mandate expires, Nowak has produced a global study for the Human Rights Council detailing his experiences and major concerns and one of the most troubling, he says, is the condition of prisoners, those who have been sentenced and those yet to be charged and tried. The detainees described in the report are from the most disadvantaged corners of society – the poor, minorities, drug users or aliens and right at the bottom of the prison hierarchy itself, children, the elderly, persons with disabilities and diseases, gays, lesbians, bisexuals and trans-gender persons. These people, Nowak says, suffer double or triple discrimination ...'
Added on 20 April 2010

NGO Veza Report from the Public Hearing on EU Drug Policy 1998-2007

The main objectives of the Public Hearing were to discuss the 'Report on Global Illicit Drugs Market 1998-2007' and to define the conclusions of the Report that will be brought out by ENDOC during the General UNODC Conference in Vienna. The participants were EU NGO representatives, as well as members of the European Commission and Parliament.

The common denominator in the discussions was the necessity to respect the human rights of drug users, especially when it comes to treatment.

The main objectives of the Public Hearing were to discuss the 'Report on Global Illicit Drugs Market 1998-2007' and to define the conclusions of the Report that will be brought out by ENDOC during the General UNODC Conference in Vienna. The participants were EU NGO representatives, as well as members of the European Commission and Parliament. This meeting was a unique opportunity for NGO Veza to share ideas and problems regarding drug policy issues with the government representative of the Ministry of Health and the Euro Health Group for three days. This Public Hearing helped NGO Veza to build a bridge of cooperation with the Ministry of Health and therefore with other state institutions competent to help drug users in Serbia.
Added on 23 March 2010

IDPC Magazine 1 - Human rights violations in the name of drug control

Welcome to the first issue of the IDPC magazine. This series of magazines from IDPC, created in association with TalkingDrugs, will feature personal stories behind the policy debates to give a flavour of how policies affect the real, lived experiences of people on the ground.

Welcome to the first issue of the IDPC magazine. The stories in this inaugural issue tell us of the disproportionate harm suffered by individuals because of badly focused resources that target low-level “offending”, and of the human rights abuses committed in the name of drug control.
Added on 3 March 2010

First Romanian debate on drug classification and drug related crimes

The President of the Romanian Deputy Chamber has launched an invitation to civil society representatives to participate in the first debate on changing the Romanian law on drugs (Law no. 143/2000 on Prevention and Fighting Drug Trafficking and Illicit Drug Use).

Based on their expertise in prevention programs and services targeting drug users, Romanian NGOs are invited to submit proposals for changing the law.

The Deputy Chamber is proposing discussions on three topics:

The President of the Romanian Deputy Chamber has launched an invitation to civil society representatives to participate in the first debate on changing the Romanian law on drugs. The Deputy Chamber is proposing discussions on differentiating penalties for illicit possession of drugs for personal use; a periodic review of drug classification lists; and a review of legislation regarding drug policy coordination.
Added on 23 February 2010
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