World Prisons

Reform / Initiatives

activepre trial detentionBrazil

Audiências de Custódia (custody hearings)

2015–ongoing

Verified 21 May 2026 · Data dated 21 May 2026
Fresh · 8d ago

From 2015, every person arrested in Brazil must be presented to a judge within 24 hours, who decides whether pre-trial detention is justified. Replaced a system where remand decisions were made on paper, often after months of incarceration.

Outcomes

Roughly 40-50% of custody hearings result in immediate release, mostly with non-custodial conditions. Brazil's pre-trial detainee share has gradually fallen from ~40% to ~30%, though absolute numbers remain very high.

Sources

Last verified 21 May 2026. This is editorial; we hand-curate this section. Spotted an error? Submit a correction.