All across the world, outdated laws as well as some newer laws are continually used to unfairly target poor and marginalised people because of who they are, rather than what they have done. In parallel, there is an increase in the use of criminal law to suppress activism and quell dissent. This often has a devastating impact on those who are already vulnerable. 

In effect, States routinely use the justice system against people for reasons that have a little to do with citizen safety, but rather to protect the inherited boundaries of power, wealth, and privilege. This abuse of power has a profound human rights cost, manifesting in discrimination, use of lethal force, torture, excessive imprisonment and inhumane conditions of detention.

There is a clear and urgent need to decriminalise laws that treat poverty, status, or activism, as a crime.

The Campaign to Decriminalise Poverty and Status is a coalition of organisations from across the world that advocate for the repeal of laws that target people based on poverty, status or for their activism.

All across the world, outdated laws as well as some newer laws are continually used to unfairly target poor and marginalised people because of who they are, rather than what they have done. In parallel, there is an increase in the use of criminal law to suppress activism and quell dissent. This often has a devastating impact on those who are already vulnerable. 

In effect, States routinely use the justice system against people for reasons that have a little to do with citizen safety, but rather to protect the inherited boundaries of power, wealth, and privilege. This abuse of power has a profound human rights cost, manifesting in discrimination, use of lethal force, torture, excessive imprisonment and inhumane conditions of detention.

There is a clear and urgent need to decriminalise laws that treat poverty, status, or activism, as a crime.

The Campaign to Decriminalise Poverty and Status is a coalition of organisations from across the world that advocate for the repeal of laws that target people based on poverty, status or for their activism.

themed collections

Over the years, campaign partners have worked collaboratively on specific areas and approaches, such as vagrancy and nuisance-related laws, homelessness, and strategic litigation, compiling collections of resources and strategies that have led to successful law reform. 

recent updates

IDPC: In a historical report released today, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights denounced the failure of punitive drug policies and the global ‘war on drugs’, and called for a new...
Posted: 26 September, 2023
Amnesty International: Reacting to the news that Iran’s parliament has passed a new bill that would impose further draconian penalties severely violating women’s and girls’ rights as well as increasing  prison...
Posted: 22 September, 2023
In May 2023, Africa Criminal Justice Reform made a written and oral submission to parliament regarding the The Judicial Matters Amendment Bill [B7-2023] in South Africa. The Bill provides the...
Posted: 21 September, 2023
In September 2023, the Dullah Omar Institute made a submission in response to the call from the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing and the Special Rapporteur...
Posted: 21 September, 2023
Amnesty International: The Algerian authorities are leading a relentless crackdown on citizens for expressing any form of dissent. Be it participants in protest marches, journalists working for independent media, or...
Posted: 20 September, 2023
Invisible People: How Sweeps Rarely Lead to Permanent Housing Situations for Homeless Encampment Residents. Homeless encampment “cleanups” have dirt on their name for good reason. Alternatively referred to as “sweeps” or...
Posted: 20 September, 2023
IDPC: In a historical report released today, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights denounced the failure of punitive drug policies and the global ‘war on drugs’, and called for a new...
Posted: 26 September, 2023
Amnesty International: Reacting to the news that Iran’s parliament has passed a new bill that would impose further draconian penalties severely violating women’s and girls’ rights as well as increasing  prison...
Posted: 22 September, 2023
In May 2023, Africa Criminal Justice Reform made a written and oral submission to parliament regarding the The Judicial Matters Amendment Bill [B7-2023] in South Africa. The Bill provides the...
Posted: 21 September, 2023

latest resources

Over the past 3 years, Lawyers Alert has been monitoring and documenting human rights violations associated with petty offences in Nigeria. This present report is a compendium of documented incidents ...
Year: 2023
Advocates and researchers agree that solutions to homelessness must address the root causes. Communities need to increase access to quality, affordable permanent housing, and they must provide the necessary social ...
Year: 2023
PRI: This publication has been developed to guide trainers leading 4-day in-person training courses for prison staff designed by the OSCE’s Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and ...
Year: 2023
The National Homelessness Law Center, Human Rights Clinic of the University of Miami School of Law, and partners have submitted a report to the Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and ...
Year: 2023

upcoming events

29 September, 2023
Campaign partners, African Policing Civilian Oversight Forum (APCOF) and Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) invite you to attend a discussion...
3 October, 2023
Organised by Dejusticia, Drug Policy Alliance, the European Network of People who Use Drugs (EuroNPUD), GAT Portugal, the International Drug...

the stories

Stories gathered by campaign members and other organisations help expose the havoc that the use and abuse of these laws wreak on the lives of the already vulnerable. The campaign uses these stories to communicate to various stakeholders and advocate for systemic change.

All over the world, criminal justice systems misuse overly broad and discriminatory laws that are rooted in the age of empire to criminalize people  for who they are rather than for what they have done and quell dissent. The ‘Residue & Ruin’ photo exhibition, curated by Luvuyo Equiano Nwayose for the Campaign, highlights the impact these laws have on those who fall victim to their abuse.

All over the world, criminal justice systems misuse overly broad and discriminatory laws that are rooted in the age of empire to criminalize people  for who they are rather than for what they have done and quell dissent. The ‘Residue & Ruin’ photo exhibition, curated by Luvuyo Equiano Nwayose for the Campaign, highlights the impact these laws have on those who fall victim to their abuse.

campaign members

Our coalition members are organisations from across the world, working on improving criminal justice systems to ensure that human rights for respected for all. They work collaboratively through legal reform, litigation, advocacy, policy, capacity building and research to make change happen.

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The Campaign to Decriminalise Poverty and Status is a coalition of organisations from across the world that advocate for the repeal of laws that target people based on poverty, status or for their activism.

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