El Salvador Jails
Overflowing
El Salvador jails are
filled to the brim at
over 19,400 prisoners, a
record that could spur
outbreaks of violence,
warned humanitarian
Institutions in the
country.
Benjamin Cuellar,
director of the Human
Rights Institute of the
Central American
University explained
that this number of
prisoners is too large
and is an example of the
failure of the criminal
policy of El Salvador.
According to official
statistics the jails are
prepared to only admit
about 8,000, explained
Gilberto Caceres,
director of Penal
Centers.
Referring to the
government Mano Dura
(Strong Hand) anti gang
plans, about 5,900
prisoners belong to the
Mara, Salvatrucha and
Mara-18 gangs, the most
violent operating in the
country.
Overcrowding is one of
the most frequent causes
of riots in the jails
that often lead to
killings, such as one in
2007 in the Apanteos
prison where 21
prisoners were killed,
on of the most violent
prisons in El Salvador.
Last June five prisoners
were killed in a
Cojutepeque prison.
The direction of Penal
Centers has estimated
that by the end of the
year there will be at
least 20,500 inmates.
Nelson Flores,
observation member of
penal affairs of the
Foundation for the study
of Legal application
stated that the problem
of overcrowding could
become worse with the
proposal of the
Executive to Congress to
approve amendments to
the Penal Code.
One of the points
outstanding in these
amendments is
provisional detention,
which can last up to
four years. |
