With about 1.4 million people—including pre-trial detainees and convicts—held in penal institutions, Latin America is suffering from a dramatic incarceration crisis. Over the last ten years, the prison population in the region has grown by 76%, and today 241 people for every 100,000 in habitants are in detention, about twice the level of the European Union. Overcrowding and … [Read more...] about How to Reduce Imprisonment in Latin America
#prisons
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