High rates of incarceration due to drug trafficking in the last decade in southern Brazil

Abstract Introduction Drug-related crimes, especially drug trafficking, account for a large part of incarcerations not only in Brazil, but also worldwide. It is not clear whether the change in the drug law has contributed to the increase in the number of drug trafficking prisoners. Few studies have investigated gender differences and the growth of drug trafficking offenses in the Brazilian southern state of Rio Grande do Sul. Objective To investigate the growth of the prison population in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, emphasizing incarcerations for drug trafficking and gender differences...