Prison Task Force Covid-19

In the face of the new coronavirus pandemic, the IDDD has initiated a new task force project to defend pretrial detainees from the Covid-19 risk group

Since its foundation, the IDDD has been raising awareness to the failure and overcrowding of the prison system. Our mission includes democratizing the access to Justice and to a fair hearing. These, however, only make sense coming from the guarantee of the right to life. In the face of the pandemic of the new coronavirus, the IDDD presented itself to the Federal Supreme Court (STF) in search of a determination for the judges and courts to adopt alternative measures to imprisonment in cases where the detainee is part of the COVID-19 risk groups, pregnant/lactating women or mothers of under-12 children, and those accused of non-violent crimes. The IDDD’s request was eventually rejected by the Supreme Federal Court, showing that the Brazilian Justice was not aware of the seriousness and urgency of the moment. Thus, we decided to start a new prison task force, based on an unpaid agreement with the Public Defender’s Office of São Paulo, in which our associates work with the purpose of guaranteeing the freedom of people provisionally imprisoned, who belong to the most vulnerable groups to COVID-19.