Black people make up nearly 85 percent of custody hearings in Distrito Federal

The Public Defender's Office of Distrito Federal (DPDF) reported that black people represent 84.78 percent of those interviewed during custody hearings in the first half of 2026.

The data comes from the 5th Custody Hearing Report, which analyzed 2,365 interviews with individuals arrested in the act and presented to the justice system in the Brazilian capital region. The report shows that these individuals often face low levels of education and economic vulnerability.

Nearly 49 percent of the interviewed people did not finish primary school, and over 87 percent worked in informal jobs without formal contracts. Public defender Alexandre Fernandes Silva stated that these figures demonstrate the racial and social selectivity of the criminal justice system, as visible policing often focuses on streets where vulnerable people are more exposed to arrest. The findings also highlight specific types of accusations and incidents of police misconduct.

Property crimes without violence accounted for nearly 40 percent of the records, while drug trafficking made up about 28 percent. Additionally, 13.53 percent of the people interviewed reported experiencing police violence during the process. The Public Defender's Office uses these reports to send information to oversight bodies and the Public Prosecutor's Office to monitor police activity.