Brazil Home to World’s 3rd Largest Prison Population, Highest Incarceration Rate
BRICS, 17 Sep 2018
teleSUR – TRANSCEND Media Service
Between 2000 and 2015, while the United States’ prison population increased by 14 percent, Brazil’s jumped by approximately 170 percent.
A prison riot breaks out in Curitiba’s Ahu Prison. | Photo: EFE
12 Sep 2018 – With over 725,000 inmates, Brazil is home to the world’s third largest prison population. With these figures, the South American country is surpassed only by the United States, with a prison population of 2.1 million, and China, with a population of 1.6 million.
Despite achieving this unsavory accomplishment, a report published by the Prison Chapains shows Brazil’s penal system only has the capacity to properly accommodate half of the prisoners it currently holds.
“Even with the mass construction of prisons since the 1990s, it (Brazil) has not been able to deal with the large number of imprisoned people during this period,” said Rodolfo Valente, researcher and head of the Prison Chaplains’ report.
“The incarceration rate is so intense that overcrowding, in truth, is likely to worsen despite the newly built prisons on a regular basis. This only foments, even more, the trivialization of prisons and their barbarism.”
RELATED: Brazil: One Inmate Dies Every 48 Hours in Rio de Janeiro Prisons
Titled the “Anti-Prison Struggle in the Contemporary World: A Study on the Experiences of Prison Population Reduction in Other Nations,” the study reveals that Brazil is the only country in the top six where the number of people incarcerated has been continually and intensely increasing since the 1980s.
Between 2000 and 2015, while the U.S. prison population increased by 14 percent, Brazil’s jumped by approximately 170 percent.
Researchers believe that Brazil should radically reduce its prison population to avoid tragedies such as riots and deaths of prisoners and guards. One suggestion is to reduce jail time for those who commit crimes that don’t result in serious injury, and to allow defendants to await their trial dates outside of prisons.
According to the Prison Chaplains, almost half of Brazil’s entire prison population has not receiveed final convictions or sentences, are incarcerated at similar rates for non-violent crimes, and more than 30 percent are in prison as a result of small drug possession or property crimes.
“A change in the drug laws is particularly important because a third of all prisoners are in jail due to (small amounts of) drug trafficking,” said Michael Mohallem, a professor of human rights at the Getulio Vargas Foundation.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNpHEzHqXKo
Go to Original – telesurtv.net
DISCLAIMER: The statements, views and opinions expressed in pieces republished here are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of TMS. In accordance with title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. TMS has no affiliation whatsoever with the originator of this article nor is TMS endorsed or sponsored by the originator. “GO TO ORIGINAL” links are provided as a convenience to our readers and allow for verification of authenticity. However, as originating pages are often updated by their originating host sites, the versions posted may not match the versions our readers view when clicking the “GO TO ORIGINAL” links. This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use’, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.