Faced with a mountain of human rights abuses caused by criminalising people who use drugs, some states are turning their backs on punitive approaches. But where can they turn to? Español
From Colombia to Thailand, drug policy reforms are urgently needed to end the mass incarceration of women for drug offences. Here’s what we can do about it.
Our massive criminal punishment system is infected at all points by racial injustice. And the ‘war on drugs’ has only accelerated mass incarceration.
Johana is one of the women incarcerated in the Buen Pastor prison in Bogotá, Colombia, for involvement in selling drugs. This is her story. Español
"There has never been a drug-free world, and there never will be one." In this exclusive video-interview, professor Carl Hart discusses the sensationalism and race panic behind the war on drugs in the United States. (17:25 minutes).
Why are Colombia and Bolivia acceptable theatres for violent weaponised counter-narcotics operations, and not Poland or Canada? Our international drug policies reflect a bias towards the global north, with damaging consequences for the south. Español
Why has drug prohibition had so many negative effects on communities and human rights? What changes are needed? openDemocracy and the Center for Legal and Social Studies (CELS) introduce a new partnership.
Policies that should simply have been health strategies, have actually opened the door to a punitive system which has accelerated violence, socio-economic gaps, and international asymmetries. Can we close ‘Pandora’s box’? Español
Across the Americas, the model of prohibition has fuelled inequality, bloodshed, and the mass violation of human rights. We need to understand why it has failed. Español
Sara is one of the women incarcerated at Costa Rica's Buen Pastor prison, for involvement in the drug market. This is her story. (Photo Essay).
