Conservatives in Uruguay Want to Put More Youth in Prison. Civil Society is Saying No.

[Judi Lynn]

Conservatives in Uruguay Want to Put More Youth in Prison. Civil Society is Saying No.
Jul 8 2014
Debbie Sharnak


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The paper birds say "No a la baja," and are the national symbol for the campaign (Lu Surroca / Creative Commons)[/font]

In early June, Uruguayans trekked to the polls to choose their candidates for October’s presidential election in a heated and frenzied primary. For weeks, the rambla (main avenue) and public squares in Montevideo had been a flurry of political activity with supporters disseminating information and encouraging citizens to vote for their candidates. When the dust settled, and the streets temporarily cleared of the passionate campaigners, three candidates, one from each major party emerged as the victor. In the days that followed, Tabaré Vázquez from the Frente Amplio, Luis LaCalle Pou from the National Party, and Pedro Bordaberry of the Colorados, all began to lay out their national vision for the general election. They described very different plans for the small Southern Cone nation, but each platforms, they listed security as one their central issues to address in the lead up for October.

Although current Uruguayan President José Mujica has been lauded around the world for his progressive social agenda, his domestic approval rating looms at around 52 percent with growing insecurity being the greatest source of criticism among his detractors.

Dating back almost three years, these opponents began to work on several efforts to counter the rise in robberies, chief among them being to lower the age of criminal responsibility in the country from 18 to 16 years. Under a new proposed law, courts could try anyone age 16 and older as an adult for crimes of homicide, assault, violent burglary, extortion, abduction, and rape, among others.

The law will now be decided by a popular referendum. The Commission to Promote Lowering the Age of Criminal Responsibility collected over 300,000 signatures in 2012, the amount required to send the law to a vote before the people. The electoral commission subsequently confirmed these signatures and set a vote to coincide with the presidential election in October 2014.

More:
http://nacla.org/news/2014/7/8/conservatives-uruguay-want-put-more-youth-prison-civil-society-saying-no

[bemildred]

1. Good. The number of people who should be kept in cells is very small.

And putting children in cells is itself a heinous crime.