The situation in Latin American prisons is evolving rapidly. The rights and health of more than 1.2 million inmates in the region are at stake and need to become a priority. Some countries have implemented general pardons for nonviolent inmates, limited pretrial detentions or modified visitation rights. However, most countries have yet to take action. Some argue that releasing … [Read more...] about Ideas to Safely Reduce Prison Populations during the Pandemic
Patricio Domínguez Domínguez
Patricio Domínguez is a Research Economist in the Research Department of the Inter-American Development Bank. He obtained his Ph.D. in Public Policy from the University of California, Berkeley, where he also obtained a Master's Degree in Public Policy from the Goldman School of Public Policy. Previously he worked for five years at Techo-Chile, where he served as National Director 2009-2011. He has been a Lecturer at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, where he previously obtained the title of Civil Engineer in Transportation and a Master's Degree in Sociology. His research agenda focuses on the use of applied econometric techniques and the use of large administrative data to understand social policies. His areas of interest include problems associated with the evaluation of social programs, and more recently, topics related to economics of crime and criminal justice.
Pandemic and Prisons: What Are the Challenges for Latin American Governments?
The COVID-19 crisis has impacted most aspects of social life in an unprecedented manner. And while the situation is nothing short of dramatic for the average person, the effects of the pandemic are felt far more acutely in prisons across Latin America and the Caribbean. More than 1.2 million people live behind bars in the region, most in overcrowded penitentiaries where poor … [Read more...] about Pandemic and Prisons: What Are the Challenges for Latin American Governments?
Can Algorithms Improve the Criminal Justice System?
If justice is blind in a perfect world, it rarely is so in the real one. Research shows that in the United States, minorities like African-Americans, are more likely to be given harsh bail terms and be incarcerated than whites. Similar prejudices probably exist in Latin America. Rigorous research on the issue is lacking, but it is possible that the low level of trust in the … [Read more...] about Can Algorithms Improve the Criminal Justice System?
How Better Ambient and Street Lighting Reduces Crime
When a evening stroll to the corner store or a neighbor's house feels treacherous; when communities feel besieged by burglars, pickpockets, and muggers; it is tempting to call for stricter and more severe jail sentences. Locking up criminals, after all, gets them off the street. It is one reason why there has been a popular drive towards greater incarceration in Latin America … [Read more...] about How Better Ambient and Street Lighting Reduces Crime
Tougher Sentences: The Key to Fighting Crime in Latin America?
Latin America and the Caribbean is in a punitive mood. The penitentiary population doubled in 17 countries to 1.2 million between 2002 and 2014 as a result of tougher sentencing of criminals and could triple to almost 3.4 million people by 2030. Citizens, meanwhile, demand harsher sentences. In Chile, one of the region's safest countries, a government-sponsored poll released … [Read more...] about Tougher Sentences: The Key to Fighting Crime in Latin America?