The working group has published a new guide for policymakers: “Women, Drug Policies, and Incarceration: A Guide to Policy Reform in Latin America and the Caribbean.” The guide—the first of its kind—offers a roadmap for officials and reform advocates for implementing policy changes that could benefit the thousands of women incarcerated on drug charges across the Americas. Reforms include the decriminalization of drug consumption and the use of alternatives to incarceration—particularly for pregnant women and women with dependents—as well as education and training programs that can lead to meaningful employment. The project also seeks to shed light on how the poorest, most vulnerable members of society bear the brunt of unjust drug policies. By telling the stories of those incarcerated for drug-related crimes, the researchers seek to show the human cost of current punitive policies and promote understanding of the situations that drive these women to participate in the drug trade.

The situation is particularly dire in Colombia, where drug policies have targeted the lowest levels of the drug supply chain, persons who generally live in conditions of poverty and situations of vulnerability. Dejusticia has published a new guide, “Women, Drug Policy, and Imprisonment: A Guide for Reforming Policy in Colombia“, that offers an analysis of incarcerated women in Colombia and how their imprisonment affects their lives. It concludes with concrete reforms to mitigate the harmful effects that current policies have on women and their families.

To read the Guide in Portuguese, please follow the link below.