December 24, 2019 “Anti-Crime Package” Law (Law No. 13,964)

Brazil's Anti-Crime Package Law (Law No. 13,964/2019), signed on December 24, 2019, is one of the country's most sweeping criminal justice reforms ever enacted. It reshaped sentencing, prisoner management, corporate corruption penalties, and prosecution agreements all at once. You'll find it affects everything from first-time offenders seeking non-prosecution deals to high-risk inmates under stricter disciplinary regimes. There's far more to this landmark law than its headline changes suggest.

Key Takeaways

• Law No. 13,964/2019, Brazil's "Anti-Crime Package," was enacted December 24, 2019, and took effect January 23, 2020.
• The law reformed criminal law, criminal procedure, and penal execution, representing one of Brazil's most sweeping criminal justice overhauls.
• It introduced the ANPP, a non-prosecution agreement for non-violent offenses carrying sentences under four years.
• The Regime Disciplinar Diferenciado was extended to two years, tightening management of high-risk prisoners.
• Whistleblower protections were strengthened, with informants eligible to receive up to 5% of government-recovered funds.

What Is Brazil's Anti-Crime Package Law?

Brazil's Anti-Crime Package Law, formally known as Law No. 13,964/2019, took effect on January 23, 2020, following its enactment on December 24, 2019. It's one of Brazil's most sweeping criminal justice reforms in recent history, touching criminal law, criminal procedure, and penal execution.

The law introduced stricter sentencing rules, reorganized disciplinary regimes in prisons, and created new mechanisms for negotiated justice. Despite its broad public perception as a tough-on-crime measure, it also drew significant constitutional challenges, particularly regarding procedural safeguards and separation of powers.

You'll find its core innovations spread across three areas: pre-trial agreements, harsher execution rules, and stronger anti-corruption tools. Together, these changes reshaped how Brazilian authorities investigate, prosecute, and punish criminal conduct.

The ANPP: Who Qualifies for a Non-Prosecution Agreement

One of the law's most practical innovations, the Acordo de Não Persecução Penal (ANPP), lets prosecutors resolve eligible cases before they ever reach a judge. Think of it as Brazil's structured alternative to traditional plea bargaining—but with strict eligibility criteria.

You qualify only if your alleged offense carried no violence or serious threats and carries a minimum sentence under four years. You also can't be a repeat offender or have benefited from a similar agreement within the past five years. Crimes involving domestic violence are completely excluded.

If you meet these thresholds, prosecutors may offer rehabilitation measures like community service, fines, or asset forfeiture. The confession requirements are non-negotiable—you must formally admit involvement. Once both parties sign, a judge still reviews and homologates the agreement.

Who Is Excluded From ANPP Eligibility

While the ANPP opens a practical off-ramp for many defendants, it doesn't extend to everyone. If you're a reincidente absoluto—meaning you've been previously convicted and sentenced—you're automatically disqualified. The same applies if you've benefited from another non-prosecution agreement or transação penal within the last five years.

Crimes involving violência doméstica are also categorically excluded, regardless of the sentence or circumstances. Beyond that, hediondos crimes and their equivalents fall outside the agreement's reach, even when they don't involve direct violence.

The logic is straightforward: the ANPP targets first-time or low-risk offenders where formal prosecution may be disproportionate. If your profile suggests a pattern of criminal conduct or involves aggravated social harm, you won't qualify.

What Changed for Prisoners Under the Anti-Crime Package

Beyond the ANPP, the Anti-Crime Package reshaped how Brazil manages sentenced prisoners in meaningful ways.

You'll notice the reforms touched prisoner classification and disciplinary measures directly, tightening how the system handles high-risk individuals.

Key changes include:

• Prisoner classification rules were updated to better sort condemned individuals within the penal system
• Regime Disciplinar Diferenciado (RDD) maximum stay extended to 2 years
• Disciplinary measures can repeat if a prisoner commits a new serious infraction
• The reforms markedly impacted Brazil's progressive sentence system

These changes reflect the law's broader goal of stricter enforcement. If you're studying Brazilian criminal law, understanding these prisoner management updates helps you grasp why this package ranks among the country's most substantial execution penal reforms in recent history.

Whistleblower Protections and Corporate Corruption Penalties

The Anti-Crime Package also strengthened protections for whistleblowers, giving individuals who report public-interest violations real legal backing. If you come forward with credible information, you're entitled to confidentiality, protection against retaliation, and potential corporate immunity from civil and criminal liability under qualifying circumstances.

The law also introduced informant rewards, allowing you to receive up to 5% of any funds the government recovers based on your tip.

On the corporate side, companies caught in corruption face serious financial consequences. Under Law No. 12,846/2013, administrative fines range from 0.1% to 20% of a company's gross annual revenue.

When revenue can't serve as the basis, penalties run from BRL 6,000 to BRL 60 million. Additional sanctions include asset forfeiture, suspension of operations, and even compulsory dissolution. Similar to how Afghanistan's 1970 rural radio network used local councils as distribution partners to maximize community reach, effective anti-corruption frameworks rely on structured channels to ensure information and accountability measures reach all levels of society.