Human rights implications of over-incarceration and overcrowding

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Human rights implications of over-incarceration and overcrowding

4 September 2015
UN High Commission for Human Rights

The Human Rights Council encouraged the use of alternatives to pretrial detention and custodial sentences, access to legal aid, and the efficiency as well as the capacity of the criminal justice system and its facilities. Furthermore, it requested the High Commissioner to submit to the Human Rights Council, at its thirtieth session, an analytical report on the human rights implications of over-incarceration and overcrowding, drawing on the experience of United Nations and regional human rights mechanisms, seeking the views of States, including on their practice regarding alternatives to detention, and other relevant stakeholders. The advance edited version of the analytical report (A/HRC/30/19) is available here.

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights requested input from States, United Nations agencies, international organizations, national human rights institutions and non-governmental organizations regarding the causes and human rights implications of over-incarceration and overcrowding, and ways to remedy such situations, including alternatives to detention and other relevant good practices or experiences.

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