Wednesday, February 5, 2025
12:00pm – 1:30pm
Kim Koo Library (328)111 Thayer St
Please register in advance on the Events@Brown event listing.Lunch will be provided for registered attendees.
The Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies’ Cogut Visiting Professor Camilo Umaña will give a talk on “Humanizing prisons. Practical lessons from Colombia’s policy making.”
About the Event: For over three decades, Colombia has faced an unconstitutional state of affairs regarding its prison system, a situation unfortunately mirrored in many parts of the world, where conditions of incarceration frequently lead to grave violations of human rights. During his tenure leading the country’s criminal policy, he prioritized humanizing the prison system, a task fraught with challenges but crucial for meaningful reform.
In this talk, Dr. Umaña will explore three key strategies implemented during that time:
- Alternatives to incarceration for marginalized women convicted of drug-related crimes and minor offenses.
- The establishment of textile production initiatives in three prisons to promote rehabilitation through work.
- A comprehensive program to improve access to justice for those behind bars.
Through these strategies, Dr.Umaña sought to address systemic issues while grappling with the complex challenges of public policy design and execution. This experience also invites broader reflections on the use of criminal law in different societies and the possibilities for reforming punitive systems worldwide.
About the Speaker
Dr. Camilo Umaña is a legal scholar from Colombia and a former Deputy Minister of Justice and Law, where he led drug policy, the criminal justice system, and transitional justice programs. With expertise in human rights, criminology, and restorative practices, Dr. Umaña played an active role in Colombia’s 2016 peace and reconciliation process. He supported Colombia’s Truth Commission by leading the research on access to justice and impunity in the internal armed conflict for the final report. He has also assisted the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on transitional justice for the emergence of various institutions derived from the Peace Agreement with the FARC guerrilla group. To learn more about the speaker, click here.
About the Series
Graduate students and faculty affiliated with the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies are invited to present their work at this roundtable luncheon series. Faculty and graduate student research presentations will alternate on a biweekly basis. All are welcome.