Overpopulation in Costa Rica jails skyrockets

October 12^th, 2012 – Jail overpopulation in Costa Rica went from 6% in 2009 to 32% this year, in part due to faster sentencing made possible by the Flagrancy Courts.

Fernando Ferraro, Minister of Justice, said that the overpopulation problem has increased five-fold in the last three years.

The Costa Rican prison system has capacity for 9,813 prisoners. As of last month, 12,987 people were behind bars in the country.

According to official information, 204 out of 100,000 inhabitants in Latin America are currently behind bars. In Costa Rica, that number is now 293 out of 100,000.

According to international standards, the maximum overpopulation permitted, in order to guarantee prisoners’ human rights, is 20%, or 2 out of 10 inmates without a bed.

3 jails in Costa Rica have a rate of overpopulation much higher: San Sebastian, with a 79.5% overpopulation rate, followed by the “Reforma” (Costa Rica’s main prison), with 65%, and the jail in Cartago, which is 54.7% beyond capacity.

Ofelia Taitelbaum, Inhabitant’s Rights defender said, “Currently, many inmates must sleep on the floor, under the bunkbeds, next to the bathrooms and in the halls, as there is no space in the dorms.”

She said that the current overpopulation situation “violates the human rights of the prisoners,” and “facilitates the spreading of infectious and contagious diseases.”

The government hopes to expand prison capacities next year, adding 2,700 beds, financed with a $72 million loan from the Interamerican Development Bank.