Costa Rica's
Prison
Overpopulation A
Serious Problem
With No Easy
Solutions
The rise in
crime and the
efforts by
police to combat
it has meant an
overpopulation
of Costa Rica's
jail, that has
become a serious
problem and one
that is being
tackled by the
Costa Rica's
ombudswoman,
Ofelia
Taitelbaum.
The head of the
Defensora de Los
Habitantes is
criticising the
governments
handling of the
overpopulation
problem and is
calling for a
new public
ciminal policy,
according to the
needs of the
country.
Currenlty there
is a capacity
for only 8.225
prisoners in the
country's prison
system. However,
the number
prisoners at
current count is
9.304, or 1.000
more than
capacity.
The ombudswoman
points out that
between December
2008 and
December 2009
only 330 new
spots were
created in the
penitentiary
system,
meanwhile the
number of
prisoners grew
by 1.079, or
three times
more.
Taitelbaum
points out that
the prison
shortage problem
is not just the
responsibility
of the
Ministerio de
Justicia, the
government
agency that runs
the penitentiary
system, but that
of other
government
agencies to
reduce crime and
better economic
and social
conditions.
"Less poverty,
less crime",
said Taitelbaum.
According to
figures by the
Departamento de
Investigación y
Estadística de
la Dirección
General de
Adaptación
Social, of the
15 country's
prisons, 11 are
overpopulated.
The Liberia
prison is the
most
overpopulated
with a prison
population
exceeding
capacity by 24%.
while the
Puntarenas
prison is the
least
overpopulated,
with only 8%.
The only prisons
that are not
overpopulated
and has space
for criminals is
the women's
prison, El Buen
Pastor and the
prison for the
elderly, the
Centro de
Atención
Institucional
Adulto Mayor.
The Defensoría
argues that the
overpopulation
means that many
prisoners, for
lack of beds,
have to sleep on
the floors on
bad deteriorated
foams, under
beds of other
prisoners and in
the bathrooms.
The
overpopulation
also raises the
question of
health risks,
many prisoners
claiming that
they have to
wait months for
medical
attention.
The
overpopulation
also causes
problems with
nutrition and
feeding,
including the
amount of food
that each
prisoner
receives, and
job
opportunities
within the
school prison
system and
problems of
cohabitation,
with arguments
and fights
breaking out
between inmates
being confined
together in
close quarters.
The
overpopulation
problem has
increased the
number of fights
between
prisoners for
being confined
together in
close quarters,
and and increase
in suicides.
Last week alone,
two inmates at
the La Reforma
prison killed
each other in a
fight. Prison
officials say
that on average
two inmates per
month take their
own lives, while
another two are
murdered.
The rise in
crime and the
efforts by
police to combat
it has meant an
overpopulation
of Costa Rica's
jail, that has
become a serious
problem and one
that is being
tackled by the
Costa Rica's
ombudswoman,
Ofelia
Taitelbaum.
The head of the
Defensora de Los
Habitantes is
criticizing the
governments
handling of the
overpopulation
problem and is
calling for a
new public
criminal policy,
according to the
needs of the
country.
Currenlty there
is a capacity
for only 8.225
prisoners in the
country's prison
system. However,
the number
prisoners at
current count is
9.304, or 1.000
more than
capacity.
The ombudswoman
points out that
between December
2008 and
December 2009
only 330 new
spots were
created in the
penitentiary
system,
meanwhile the
number of
prisoners grew
by 1.079, or
three times
more.
Taitelbaum
points out that
the prison
shortage problem
is not just the
responsibility
of the
Ministerio de
Justicia, the
government
agency that runs
the penitentiary
system, but that
of other
government
agencies to
reduce crime and
better ecomomic
and social
conditions.
"Less poverty,
less crime",
said Taitelbaum.
According to
figures by the
Departamento de
Investigación y
Estadística de
la Dirección
General de
Adaptación
Social, of the
15 country's
prisons, 11 are
overpopulated.
The Liberia
prison is the
most
overpopulated
with a prison
population
exceeding
capacity by 24%.
while the
Puntarenas
prison is the
least
overpopulated,
with only 8%.
The only prisons
that are not
overpopulated
and has space
for criminals is
the women's
prison, El Buen
Pastor and the
prison for the
elderly, the
Centro de
Atención
Institucional
Adulto Mayor.
The Defensoría
argues that the
overpopulation
means that many
prisoners, for
lack of beds,
have to sleep on
the floors on
bad deterioated
foams, under
beds of other
prisoners and in
the bathrooms.
The
overpopulation
also raises the
question of
health risks,
many prisoners
claiming that
they have to
wait months for
medical
attention.
The
overpopulation
also cuases
problems with
nutrition and
feeding,
including the
amount of food
that each
prisoner
receives, and
job
opportunities
within the
school prison
system and
problems of
cohabitation,
with arguments
and fights
breaking out
between inmates
being confined
together in
close quarters.
The
overpopulation
problem has
increased the
number of fights
between
prisoners for
being confined
together in
close quarters,
and and increase
in suicides.
Last week alone,
two inmates at
the La Reforma
prison killed
each other in a
fight. Prison
officials say
that on average
two inmates per
month take their
own lives, while
another two are
murdered.
The ministro de
Justicia y
Gracia, Hernando
París, admits
that the system
is in "crisis".
What is in store
for the future?
Increased
overcrowding, a
result of
Presidenta Laura
Chinchilla's
push to tighten
security and
combat crime.
The presidenta's
plan includes
introducing two
new courts to
quickly try
criminals "en
flagranti" -
caught in the
act.
There are plans
to build new
prisons in
Limón,
Puntarenas,
Liberia,
Alajuela and
Pérez Zeledón,
which would
house up to 700
prisoners and
plans are in the
works to
renovate the
current prison
to allow for
1.300 more beds.
But, like many
government
plans, the
process is slow
and the prison
problem is not a
subject that
many politicians
want to tackle.
One of the major
stumbling block
to the increase
the prison
system is one of
finances. The
country is
barely getting
by with the
current
resources, with
the problems of
road and bridge
infrastructure
and many other
social issues,
the prison
problem takes
second seat.
However, if
anyone
understands the
problem faced by
ministro Paris,
is presidenta
Chinchilla
herself, for she
once held the
post as the
country's
ministra de
Justicia y
Gracia.
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