From the 16th to the 18th, Costa Rica hosted a meeting of experts in criminal and penal policy to discuss alternative penal measures for minor drug offenses that are already being promoted in the region.
The workshop was organized around two working sessions in which, first, Costa Rica discussed and reflected on its experience in introducing Article 77 bis of Law 8204, and second, based on this experience, reviewed the opportunities that exist at the regional level to support penal reforms that are committed to proportionality and criminal alternatives.
Another of the main objectives of the activity was to identify regional institutions that can anchor national developments to ensure the sustainability and viability of the debate and to promote and lead this debate at the domestic level in other national States or jurisdictions where a willingness to change is detected. In short, the aim is to build new commitments with regional and national spaces for the development of pilot models or innovation laboratories on the subject.
The main result to be achieved with this activity was to serve as a kick-off meeting of the work route for the construction of a “Regional Pact for a criminal policy on drugs based on proportionality and criminal alternatives. Towards a more humane criminal rationality in the area of drugs”.
The workshop was attended by representatives of the executive, legislative and judicial branches not only of Costa Rica but of the region, as well as representatives of the Inter-American Association of Public Defenders (AIDEF), COMJIB and OAS.
#AlternativasPenalesCR
El resultado principal de esta actividad es servir como kick-off meeting de la ruta de trabajo para la construcción de un “Pacto regional para una política criminal en materia de drogas basada en la proporcionalidad y la alternatividad penal. Hacia una racionalidad penal más humanitaria en materia de drogas”.
Al taller participaron los representantes del poder ejecutivo, legislativo y judicial no sólo de Costa Rica sino de la región, así como representantes de la Conferencia de Ministros Iberoamericanos (COMJIB) y la asociación Interamericana de Defensorías Públicas (AIDEF) así como la Comisión Interamericana de DDHH de la OEA.
Agenda
Concept Note
Vídeos
Presentations and streaming
Day 1: Monday 16 october
Session 2
A look at penological and penitentiary standards in Europe from Latin America and the Caribbean and their impact on people facing cases for minor drug offenses.
Session 2.2 Presentation de Jovanna Calderón, director of the Restorative Justice program in Costa Rica
Session 3d
Public Criminal Defense in Ibero-American countries as a key element for the improvement of proportionality and the application of alternative penalties: developments and future opportunities.
Presentación Dr. Juan Carlos Pérez Murillo, coordinador general de AIDEF
Sesiones en streaming día 1
Taller Nacional 3.5.1.3.a Costa Rica 16-18102023 from FIIAPP on Vimeo.
Día 2: Martes 17 de octubre
Background / The importance of generating State commitments in the construction of alternative ways to deal with minor drug offenses
Media impact
The event was covered by some of the media, some of the impacts are attached:
