Brazil: Numbers of imprisoned by Federal Police down 40 percent since July 2011

A new Brazilian penal law prohibiting preventative detention for those under investigation by Polícia Federal has led to a 40% drop in detentions since the law’s inception, according to a January 7 report from Folha de São Paulo. The new law advocates alternative forms of detention, such as the use of monitoring techniques and travel bans, especially for politicians accused of corruption. The new law has been hailed by federal judges and criminal lawyers alike, as it allows for more freedom in determining detention strategies for those not yet convicted, while still keeping them from escaping. It also allows Polícia Federal to expand operations while monitoring those still under investigation. Read Article