Criminal justice

Publications1 January 1970

'Disrupt and vilify': The war on immigrants inside the US war on drugs

The Drug Policy Alliance and Human Rights Watch presents recommendations on immigration and drug laws that disproportionately affect migrants

Publications11 September 2024

“What I should be doing is harm reduction, if I’m doing my job right”: Engagement with harm reduction principles among prosecutors enacting drug policy reform in the United States

Rouhani et al. explore how US prosecutors use harm reduction principles to shape criminal justice outcomes for people who use drugs, revealing the potential for pro-drug policy reform.

Publications27 August 2024

Concluding observations on the 24th and 26th periodic reports of the UK - Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

CERD calls attention to the disproportionate impact of the criminal legal system on racialised people and groups, urging the UK to consistently apply anti-discrimination laws and engage in relevant policy reform.

Publications13 August 2024

Communication to the UN CESCR regarding Honduras periodic review on the right to health of people who use drugs

IDPC and LANPUD focus on key health indicators, impact on criminalisation and stigma, and availability of harm reduction services in Honduras.

Publications13 August 2024

Involving people with lived experience in criminal justice reform: A focus on fragile and conflict-affected settings

PRI offer guidance to support policy makers and practitioners in involving people with lived experience of the criminal justice system in reform efforts.

News12 August 2024

Ireland: Criminalisation of personal possession of drugs 'simply not working', committee told

Experts explained how, rather than deterrence, criminalisation fuels violence and corruption.

IDPC in the Media12 August 2024

Ireland: Criminalisation of personal possession of drugs 'simply not working', committee told

Irish Examiner Photo: Stephen Barnes - Shutterstock

News5 August 2024

Death penalty bill: DHRAN pushes for reform in Nigeria’s drug laws at National dialogue

Discussions focused on proposals to impose the death penalty on people involved in drug supply, harm reduction strategies, and the need for drug policy reform.

Publications9 July 2024

Drug use stigma and reprisal: Barriers to prison needle exchange in Canada

De Shalit et al. conduct the first independent and national study of Canada's federal prison needle exchange program, determining that drug use stigma and anticipated or actual reprisal from correctional officers are preventing program uptake.

Publications25 June 2024

LGBTQI+ people who use drugs in Thailand: Advocacy for improved health and human rights responses

APCOM and IDPC urge the public, law enforcement, and policymakers in Thailand to help ensure equality and equity for LGBTQ+ people who use drugs, especially in their access to health and social services, and ending stigma and discrimination against them.

Blog13 June 2024

Thailand risks reversing successful reforms, repeating drug policy failures

Prime Minister Sretta Thavisin's declarations in favour of increased punitive measures for drug use and related activities echo Thailand's catastrophic "war on drugs" in 2003, despite international recommendations for balanced, rights-based strategies.

News13 June 2024

Condemning Nigeria's amendment of the NDLEA act: A violation of human rights and failed drug policy

Demands for repeal are sparked from civil society as Nigeria introduces the death penalty for drug offences, the step backwards has provoked calls for rights-based policy reform.

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