Human Rights in the administration of justice – non-discrimination and vulnerable groups – causes and effects of overincarceration and overcrowding

Further to Human Rights Council Resolution 30/l.16 on human rights in the administration of justice, adopted in September 2015, we welcome the opportunity to provide the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) with relevant information as a contribution to the report on the non-discrimination and vulnerable groups, in particular in detention, and with regard to the causes and effects of overincarceration and overcrowding.

This submission, made by the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), the International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC) and the Centro de Estudios Legales y Sociales (CELS), will address the human rights implications of incarceration on women – an issue that was raised in the 2015 OHCHR Study on the impact of the world drug problem on the enjoyment of human rights.

The information provided in this brief is based on the activities of the Working Group on Women, Drug Policy and Incarceration, which advocates for drug policy reform in the Americas.

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