Human Rights in Latin-American Prisons - (Hardcover)

About the Book

This book offers an interdisciplinary analysis of Latin American prisons, drawing on legal, criminological, and human rights perspectives. It explores issues such as structural violence, overcrowding, and marginalisation, while addressing the broader global challenges of decarceration and penal reform.

Book Synopsis

Why are prisons in Latin America so violent, overcrowded, and marginalising--and what can human rights do about it? This book answers that urgent question through a bold interdisciplinary lens. You explore how law, poverty, gender, and race shape carceral practices, drawing on case studies, original fieldwork, and critical theory. It reveals how the pandemic reshaped incarceration and why global calls for decarceration often fall short. Featuring contributions from leading scholars and practitioners, the book connects local realities to global debates. If you work on law, human rights, or justice systems, this book will challenge what you think you know.

About the Author

Clara Burbano Herrera is Principal Investigator of the ERC-funded project IMPACTUM and Professor of International Human Rights Law at Ghent University, where she obtained her PhD in Law. She has widely published on human rights law, particularly on precautionary measures and the role of regional systems in protecting vulnerable groups.

Yves Haeck is Professor of International Human Rights Law at Ghent University and Director of the Programme for Studies on Human Rights in Context. He holds a PhD in Law from Ghent University and has widely published on international human rights adjudication, with a focus on the European and inter-American systems.