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

News9 September 2025

US: Five reasons why Trump’s anti-cartel military plan will fail

Tackling corruption and reforming drug policies policies are the real pathways to solve a challenge that cannot be bombed away.

News9 September 2025

Maldives: Reject introduction of death penalty for drug trafficking and abolish this punishment once and for all

Nine human rights groups condemn the Maldives’ push to impose the death penalty for drug trafficking, warning it violates international law and defies global abolition trends.

Publications4 September 2025

Civil society perspectives on the ASEAN Work Plan on Drugs 2016–2025 – Submission to ASEAN review process

Civil society exposes punitive harms and rights violations, while urging a shift towards health, harm reduction, decriminalisation, justice reform, and sustainable livelihoods.

News3 September 2025

A flawed policy: The US war on drugs in Latin America criminalises people

The US-backed 'war on drugs' has costed trillions — criminalising migrants, militarising societies, and fuelling recent threats of intervention in Latin America.

Publications14 August 2025

Criminalizing public space through a decriminalization framework: The paradox of British Columbia, Canada

Singh Kelsall et al. argue that British Columbia’s rollback of decriminalisation is a form of bio-political violence, a state-sanctioned massacre cloaked in public health policy.

News12 August 2025

Resisting patriarchy and the 'drug war': The rise of Bolivia’s Community of Women Who Use Drugs and the Libertas Programme

Against criminalisation, invisibility and systemic violence, these initiatives seek to expand gender-responsive harm reduction and policy reform, based on lived experience.

Events

15th UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

25 April 2026 - 30 April 2026

The UN Crime Congress will take place in April 2026 in Abu Dhabi, focusing on justice, sustainability, and digital challenges, with broad, inclusive participation and regional preparations starting in 2025.

Blog3 July 2025

Indonesia’s drug policy at a crossroads: A shift towards rights-based reform?

Indonesia’s drug policy is under review as civil society pushes for health- and rights-based reforms, including legal changes, better treatment access, gender-sensitive harm reduction, and respectful kratom regulation rooted in indigenous knowledge.

News7 April 2025

US: Oregon abandoned its radical drug law. Then came the mass arrests

The state's decriminalisation rollback has led to thousands of arrests feeding disruptive cycles of detention and release with no improvements in access to housing, healthcare and other forms of support.

Events

Trust-building strategies when assisting people who use drugs facing criminal charges

Online

10 April 2025

The event will feature expert insights, practical approaches, and interactive discussions to promote fairer, more compassionate justice systems.

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.

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