Myths of Pretrial Detention in Mexico

This Open Society Justice Initiative study presents a critical analysis of some of the common arguments—or myths—used to defend and justify the excessive, inhumane, and irrational use of pretrial detention in Mexico.

The monograph seeks to disprove these myths and to contribute to the debate on pretrial detention and public security, in order to raise awareness within Mexican society of the seriousness of the country's pretrial detention problem and restrict its use to only the most necessary cases.

The study shows that although the number of people who endure pretrial detention in Mexico has doubled over the last ten years, crime rates have not decreased and people do not feel safer. Pretrial detention is applied indiscriminately, even for petty crimes. Thousands of people are imprisoned awaiting trials for minor offenses in Mexico, at great social and economic cost. And pretrial detention is not an effective way of guaranteeing reparations for victims.

A second edition in Spanish was released in 2010 and is available for download; an English translation of the first edition from 2005 is also available for download.