This text provides constitutional, legal, social and fiscal elements that explain in a simple way the unfeasibility and regressivity of life imprisonment in Colombia, so that the debate is enriched with objective elements different from those of populist discourses, in which the punitivist and security approaches to the principles of the social rule of law.
For this, first of all, a review is made of the problems of the legislative initiatives that have sought to establish the penalty of life imprisonment in Colombia. The scarce relationship that exists between the social problem that is intended to be solved and life imprisonment as a solution is explained. These initiatives have been based on the lack of empirical evidence that justifies the lifting of this prohibition established in the Political Constitution, which entails the reinforcement of a reactive criminal policy with a precarious approach to social crime prevention, contrary to the global trend. which is oriented towards punitive mitigation. Secondly, it is analyzed why lifting the ban on life imprisonment implies a replacement of the Political Constitution and the aspects that define its identity, such as the principles of human dignity, freedom, equality and protection. Based on arguments such as exceptionality, reviewability and non-automaticity of the measure, we see how these end up attacking the founding principles of the Magna Carta.Thirdly, this text seeks to illustrate how the imposition of life imprisonment goes against the principles of modern criminal law, such as the Principle of strict legality of punishment, proportionality, guilt and the resocialization of punishment.
What follows is the analysis of the perpetuation of the unconstitutional state of affairs in prison matters and the increase in budgetary pressure, which ends up affirming, on the one hand, the inability of the State to comply with the purpose of the sentence, resocialization, and, on the other, its inability to prevent crime.
AGRADECIMIENTOS
PRESENTACIÓN INTRODUCCIÓN
I. Problemáticas de las iniciativas legislativas que han pretendido instaurar la pena de prisión perpetua en Colombia A. No hay relación entre el problema social que se pretende resolver y la prisión perpetua como solución B. No hay evidencia empírica que justifique una medida tan lesiva como la prisión perpetua C. Las iniciativas de cadena perpetua son expresión de una política criminal reactiva y no de prevención social del delito D. Reiteración de una iniciativa históricamente derrotada E. La prisión perpetua es una medida regresiva que va en contra de la tendencia mundial hacia la atenuación punitiva
II. Levantar la prohibición de prisión perpetua implica una sustitución de la Constitución A. Dignidad humana B. Libertad C. Igualdad D. Protección E. Imprescriptibilidad de las penas
III. Incompatibilidad de la propuesta con algunos de los principios del derecho penal moderno A. Principio de la legalidad estricta de la pena B. Proporcionalidad C. Culpabilidad D. Resocialización de la pena
IV. Perpetuación del estado de cosas inconstitucional carcelario
V. Insostenibilidad fiscal
CONCLUSIONES
BIBLIOGRAFÍA