(Mosa’ab Elshamy/AP)On Jan. 1, Tunisian police reportedly arrested four people in Tunis with marijuana in their car. Link between drug sentencing and prison overcrowdingIn 1992, the Tunisian government enacted Law 52, which strengthened drug criminalization and imposed harsh mandatory prison sentences. By the end of 2016, Tunisia housed over 23,000 prisoners — while the official capacity of the Tunisian prison system is an estimated 18,000. One-third of these prisoners are there for drug offenses — and the majority of drug cases involve young men caught with small amounts of marijuana. While many say they want to reduce harsh sentences, full decriminalization of marijuana-related offenses appears a very distant prospect.

Source: Washington Post April 20, 2018 18:45 UTC