Prisons & incarceration

Publications8 April 2025

18th annual report of the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture

The SPT outlines its recent activities, warns that punitive drug policies contribute to torture and ill-treatment, and urges evidence-based voluntary treatment, harm reduction, and oversight.

News5 March 2025

What you need to know about the criminal groups the US just labeled ‘terrorists’

Criminalised supply networks are harmful, but designating them as terrorist groups is an ill-fitting response that will disproportionately harm vulnerabilised people.

Publications14 February 2025

Prescribing methadone in prison predicts linkage to HIV care after release from prison: A randomized and patient preference trial

Mobley et al. provide evidence on the power of harm reduction to support people in reclaiming health and autonomy after incarceration.

Publications12 February 2025

Human Rights Watch: World Report 2025

HRW denounces human rights violations, including in relation to drug policy ranging from punitive laws to extrajudicial executions, and demands truth and justice.

News10 February 2025

Human rights and the social reintegration of persons released from detention and persons subjected to non-custodial measures - OHCHR call for inputs

The OHCHR seeks to identify policies, programmes and partnerships for rights-affirming approaches.

News13 January 2025

Philippines: Will watching ‘Green Bones’ help decongest our jails?

Decongesting jails in the Philippines requires revising the Penal Code, as well as drug laws.

Publications22 December 2024

“Submit and surrender”: the harms of arbitrary drug detention in the Philippines

Amnesty International highlights how arbitrary drug detention is a driver of human rights abuses, including torture, and calls for evidence-based reform.

News19 December 2024

Bolivia: Despite progress, tackling overcrowding in prisons remains pressing

The delegation of the UN Subcommittee on the Prevention of Torture noted how private drug treatment facilities are not subject to adequate control and supervision, fueling violence and injustice against people who use drugs.

Blog10 December 2024

Human rights and drug policies: Reflecting on a year of successes and frustrations - International Human Rights Day 2024

IDPC marks Human Rights Day 2024 by shining a light on setbacks, key progress and promising avenues to better align drug policies and human rights standards.

Publications10 November 2024

The Global State of Harm Reduction 2024

Harm Reduction International map out availability of harm reduction services regionally and highlight key issues and populations that remain neglected, including indigenous, incarcerated and young people.

News16 October 2024

Global coalition supports resolution on the social reintegration of criminalised people at the 57th session of the Human Rights Council

One hundred twenty NGOs from 49 countries voice support for improving social reintegration support systems for former offenders—a group facing disproportionate risk of overdose and drug-related harm.

Publications1 October 2024

Criminal legal system engagement among people who use drugs in Oregon following decriminalization of drug possession

Smiley-McDonald et al. find that despite decriminalisation, people who use drugs in Oregon continued to face high levels of policing, incarceration and drug seizures, whilst awareness of decriminalisation remained low.

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