In search of the causes of violence in Latin American prisons and the protection of the human rights of persons deprived of liberty

Abstract

The issue of violence in Latin American prisons has increased significantly since the last decades of the last century and in the beginning of the 21st century it has continued its upward trend, which has motivated the research presented here, with emphasis on the causes and possible applicable prevention measures. These are fundamentally related to reducing the use of custodial sentences and pretrial detention, which in many countries continues to be applied indiscriminately as an early sentence, leading to prison overcrowding and its harmful consequences of violence and death. The tendencies to combat violence with more violence exercised irrationally by the state institutions responsible for preventing and combating crime, the judiciary and the prison system, do not contribute to the social harmony that is necessary to achieve civilized coexistence and the atmosphere of peace and tranquility to which we aspire.