RESUMEN
IMPORTANCE: In 1939, English mathematician, geneticist, and psychiatrist Lionel Sharples Penrose hypothesized that the numbers of psychiatric hospital beds and the sizes of prison populations were inversely related; 75 years later, the question arises as to whether the hypothesis applies to recent developments in South America. OBJECTIVE: To explore the possible association of changes in the numbers of psychiatric hospital beds with changes in the sizes of prison populations in South America since 1990. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: We searched primary sources for the numbers of psychiatric hospital beds in South American countries since 1990 (the year that the Latin American countries signed the Caracas Declaration) and compared these changes against the sizes of prison populations. The associations between the numbers of psychiatric beds and the sizes of prison populations were tested using fixed-effects regression of panel data. Economic variables were considered as covariates. Sufficiently reliable and complete data were obtained from 6 countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The numbers of psychiatric beds and the sizes of prison populations. RESULTS: Since 1990, the numbers of psychiatric beds decreased in all 6 countries (ranging from -2.0% to -71.9%), while the sizes of prison populations increased substantially (ranging from 16.1% to 273.0%). Panel data regression analysis across the 6 countries showed a significant inverse relationship between numbers of psychiatric beds and sizes of prison populations. On average, the removal of 1 bed was associated with 5.18 more prisoners (95% CI, 3.10-7.26; P = .001), which was reduced to 2.78 prisoners (95% CI, 2.59-2.97; P < .001) when economic growth was considered as a covariate. The association between the numbers of psychiatric beds and the sizes of prison populations remained practically unchanged when income inequality was considered as a covariate (-4.28 [95% CI, -5.21 to -3.36]; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Since 1990, the numbers of psychiatric beds have substantially decreased in South America, while the sizes of the prison populations have increased against a background of strong economic growth. The changes appear to be associated because the numbers of beds decreased more extensively when and where the sizes of prison populations increased. These findings are consistent with and specify the assumption of an association between the numbers of psychiatric beds and the sizes of prison populations. More research is needed to understand the drivers of the capacities of psychiatric hospitals and prisons and to explore reasons for their association.
Asunto(s)
Hospitales Psiquiátricos/estadística & datos numéricos , Servicios de Salud Mental , Prisiones/estadística & datos numéricos , Argentina/epidemiología , Bolivia/epidemiología , Brasil/epidemiología , Chile/epidemiología , Hospitales Psiquiátricos/economía , Humanos , Servicios de Salud Mental/legislación & jurisprudencia , Servicios de Salud Mental/estadística & datos numéricos , Servicios de Salud Mental/tendencias , Paraguay/epidemiología , Prisiones/economía , Uruguay/epidemiologíaRESUMEN
El presente artículo derivado de investigación, describe la situación carcelaria en Colombia en los últimos años, haciendo énfasis sobre la situación particular del hacinamiento en el establecimiento carcelario Villahermosa de la ciudad de Cali(Colombia). Finalmente se realiza un análisis sobre la manera en que transcurre la vida cotidiana en dicho Centro Carcelario.
The current article, derived from a piece of research, describes the prison situation in Colombia, in the last few years, making emphasis on the particular overcrowding situation at Villahermosa Prison in the city of Cali, Colombia. Lastly, an analysis of the daily living conditions at that prison is made.
Asunto(s)
Prisiones/clasificación , Prisiones/economía , Prisiones/historia , Prisiones/educación , Prisiones/ética , Prisiones/organización & administración , Prisiones , Prisiones/tendenciasRESUMEN
A mathematical model was constructed for modelling transmission dynamics and the evolution of an infectious disease in a prison setting, considering asymptomatic infectious people, symptomatic infectious people and isolated infectious people. The model was proposed as a nonlinear differential equation system for describing disease epidemiology. The model's stability was analysed for including a preventative control strategy which would enable finding a suitable basic reproduction number-based control protocol. A cost function related to the system of differential equations was formulated to minimise infectious populations and intervention costs; such function was minimised by using the Pontryagin maximum principle which determines optimum preventative control strategies by minimising both infectious populations and associated costs. A numerical analysis of the model was made, considering preventative control effectiveness levels and different control weighting constants. Conclusions were drawn. The basic reproduction number characterises system stability and leads to determining clear control criteria; a preventative control threshold was defined, based on the controlled basic reproduction number which enabled deducing that disease control requires uniform preventative control involving high rates of effectiveness.
Asunto(s)
Control de Enfermedades Transmisibles/métodos , Enfermedades Transmisibles/epidemiología , Modelos Teóricos , Prisiones , Colombia/epidemiología , Control de Enfermedades Transmisibles/economía , Enfermedades Transmisibles/economía , Enfermedades Transmisibles/transmisión , Análisis Costo-Beneficio , Humanos , Prisiones/economíaRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Illegal drug use and trafficking are closely connected to crime. This article estimates the socioeconomic impact of this connection in Chile. METHODS: Goldstein's tripartite model was applied quantifying drug-crime connections and then using those estimates to measure the socioeconomic impact of drug-related crimes. This was estimated in terms of both the monetary cost of law enforcement, and lost productivity due to incarceration. This socioeconomic impact can be divided into: (a) the direct costs arising from infractions to Chile's Drug Law, and the indirect costs originated by crimes linked only partially to drug consumption and trafficking; (b) is measured in productivity losses, as well as in costs to the three branches of Chile's criminal justice system (police, judiciary, and prisons); and (c) is attributed to the three illicit drugs most prevalent in Chile: cannabis, cocaine hydrochloride (CH) and cocaine base paste (CBP). RESULTS: The socioeconomic impact of Chile's drug-crime relationship in 2006 is estimated to be USD 268 million. Out of this amount, 36% is spent on national Drug Law enforcement, and the remaining 64% comes from the connection of drug use and trafficking with non-Drug-Law-related crimes. The police bear the largest share of drug enforcement costs (32%), followed by penitentiaries (25%). Productivity losses due to incarceration for drug-related crimes represent 29% of the total impact. 53% of the costs are attributable to CBP, 29% to CH, and the remaining 18% to cannabis. The impact of CBP is greater when indirect costs are taken into account, although direct costs are primarily associated with CH. CONCLUSION: The majority of costs is attributed to the trafficking and consumption of CBP, a drug with a relatively low prevalence. Based on the results, this study suggests reviewing drug enforcement policies to differentiate them according to the social and individual harm caused by each drug.
Asunto(s)
Comercio/economía , Crimen/economía , Control de Medicamentos y Narcóticos/economía , Drogas Ilícitas/economía , Factores Socioeconómicos , Trastornos Relacionados con Sustancias/economía , Transportes/economía , Cannabis , Chile , Cocaína/economía , Trastornos Relacionados con Cocaína/economía , Comercio/legislación & jurisprudencia , Costo de Enfermedad , Crimen/legislación & jurisprudencia , Crimen/prevención & control , Control de Medicamentos y Narcóticos/legislación & jurisprudencia , Eficiencia , Costos de la Atención en Salud , Humanos , Drogas Ilícitas/legislación & jurisprudencia , Aplicación de la Ley , Abuso de Marihuana/economía , Fumar Marihuana/economía , Fumar Marihuana/legislación & jurisprudencia , Modelos Económicos , Prisiones/economía , Trastornos Relacionados con Sustancias/prevención & control , Trastornos Relacionados con Sustancias/rehabilitación , Transportes/legislación & jurisprudenciaRESUMEN
The Rio de Janeiro state archive's collection of entry logs for the city's central detention center, going back to the mid-nineteenth century, provides a rare glimpse into the lives of Rio'sand Brazil'spoor and working classes who otherwise left few written records behind. During the time when the institution maintained the entry logs, police exercised broad power to make arrests. Although relatively few detainees were ever prosecuted or even formally charged, the detention center kept detailed records of detainees' physical appearance, attire, home address, nationality, sex, affiliation, and so on, as well as information about any criminal charges. This article explores the wealth of empirical data that the entry logs provide. It also suggests how scrutinizing this type of document across time shows how record keeping itself changed, in turn affording researchers rare insight into the inner workings of modern Latin American society.
Asunto(s)
Criminales , Investigación Empírica , Pobreza , Prisiones , Sistema de Registros , Clase Social , Brasil/etnología , Criminales/educación , Criminales/historia , Criminales/legislación & jurisprudencia , Criminales/psicología , Historia del Siglo XIX , Historia del Siglo XX , Pobreza/economía , Pobreza/etnología , Pobreza/historia , Pobreza/legislación & jurisprudencia , Pobreza/psicología , Prisiones/economía , Prisiones/educación , Prisiones/historia , Prisiones/legislación & jurisprudencia , Castigo/historia , Castigo/psicología , Clase Social/historia , Problemas Sociales/economía , Problemas Sociales/etnología , Problemas Sociales/historia , Problemas Sociales/legislación & jurisprudencia , Problemas Sociales/psicología , Salud Urbana/historia , Población Urbana/historiaRESUMEN
This essay examines inmate "crucifixion protests" in Ecuador's largest prison during 2003-04. It shows how the preventively incarcerated-of whom there are thousands-managed to effectively denounce their extralegal confinement by embodying the violence of the Christian crucifixion story. This form of protest, I argue, simultaneously clarified and obscured the multiple layers of sovereign power that pressed down on urban crime suspects, who found themselves persecuted and forsaken both outside and within the space of the prison. Police enacting zero-tolerance policies in urban neighborhoods are thus a key part of the penal state, as are the politically threatened family members of the indicted, the sensationalized local media, distrustful neighbors, prison guards, and incarcerated mafia. The essay shows how the politico-theological performance of self-crucifixion responded to these internested forms of sovereign violence, and were briefly effective. The inmates' cross intervention hence provides a window into the way sovereignty works in the Ecuadorean penal state, drawing out how incarceration trends and new urban security measures interlink, and produce an array of victims.
Asunto(s)
Cristianismo , Rol Judicial , Sistemas Políticos , Prisiones , Salud Pública , Castigo , Cristianismo/historia , Cristianismo/psicología , Ecuador/etnología , Historia del Siglo XX , Historia del Siglo XXI , Rol Judicial/historia , Aplicación de la Ley/historia , Sistemas Políticos/historia , Prisioneros/educación , Prisioneros/historia , Prisioneros/legislación & jurisprudencia , Prisioneros/psicología , Prisiones/economía , Prisiones/educación , Prisiones/historia , Prisiones/legislación & jurisprudencia , Salud Pública/economía , Salud Pública/educación , Salud Pública/historia , Salud Pública/legislación & jurisprudencia , Castigo/historia , Castigo/psicología , Religión/historia , Medidas de Seguridad/economía , Medidas de Seguridad/historia , Medidas de Seguridad/legislación & jurisprudencia , Violencia/economía , Violencia/etnología , Violencia/historia , Violencia/legislación & jurisprudencia , Violencia/psicologíaRESUMEN
This article focuses on the study of some social control technologies and discourses, displayed in Argentina's provinces between 1880 and 1940, with particular reference to the so-called 'Territorios Nacionales' of La Pampa Río Negro and Neuquén, which were submitted to a direct federal authority. THe main purpose is to analyze - within these areas- - the building of repressive and sanitary institutions (i.e., police, prisons, asylums, hospitals) as well as the enforcement of positivists studying and classifying methodologies, intended to identify 'abnormality'. A straight and permanent rule of these "territorios Nacionales' on the federal State could have meant a longer attention to their social and economic development through a direct and intense presence of national, modernizing, positivist institutions. However, a deeper historical study of repressive and sanitary institutions allows to arrive to completely different conclusions. The sources show that these institutions had numerous daily problems, were frequently and severely under-budgeted and were obliged to develop not originally forseen functions and tasks. These situations imply revising not only these institutions' real regulation capacities but also the very existence of a generalized, efficient social control programme in Argentina at the beginning of the 20th century, as many scholars focused on Buenos Aires's study case have already argued.