This session proposed key categories of data needed to properly assess national trends relating to Pretrial Justice and to report on the Agenda 2030 Goals to the UN. Recommendations regarding the specific SDG indicators on pretrial detention (PTD) included keeping the current indicator so that comparisons can be made over time, but fine-tuning it to make it more meaningful, and developing new indicators that are simple, do not create perverse incentives (e.g. arrest quotas), and focus on the quality of decision-making as opposed to the outcome of the decision. During the session several initiatives in countries that prioritized implementation of the Goal 16 pretrial detention indicator, such as Brazil, Sierra Leone, and South Africa, were showcased. Links to other Sustainable Development Goals and issues were also discussed, including the need to implement smart policies—such as not using PTD for crimes with a punishment of less than five years or for women who are pregnant or have children under 12—to reinforce the other SDGs.
Read the full summary for this working session.
Additional Resources:
Agenda 2030 and Access to Justice: Report on Hearings of Custody in Pernambuco, Brazil
Pretrial Justice SDG Factsheet
Strengthening Pretrial Justice: A Guide to the Effective Use of Indicators
Working Sessions Summaries
