Inpec tries to help alleviate overcrowding in prisons
In an effort to alleviate some of the overcrowding in Colombia’s prisons, Inpec announced it ordered the transfer of 2,938 inmates from 142 facilities over the past six months. This week Justice Minister, Ruth Correa, began touring the country’s main facilities to assess overcrowding which, in some cases, is as much as 200 percent, causes health problems and makes coexistence between inmates more difficult. Correa said the biggest problems are in La Modelo and La Picota, in Bogotá; Vistahermosa, in Cali; and Bellavista, in Bello.
Transfers have been made to facilities in Jamundí, Valle; La Colonia and the Acacías Penitentiary in Meta; Tierralta in Córdoba, among others that report vacancies. The possibility of asking municipal jails to take in some interns, pending mayoral approval, is also under consideration.
Overcrowding in La Cuarenta, in Pereira, is at 144 percent, because its capacity is for 676 inmates and 1,630 are currently housed there. In Vistahermosa it’s 200 percent, there are 5,040 inmates in a prison with capacity for just 1547.
