The State spent more than Q22 thousand for each prisoner in 2023, according to the Rapporteurship – Publinews – 2024-04-05 21:37:59

According to the Office of the Rapporteur against Torture, in 2023, the Penitentiary System spent approximately Q22,516.58 for each prisoner in its custody. While analysts see the need to move from evaluations to actions to create a true mechanism for social reintegration and also attack the crime that originates in prisons.

Carlos Solórzano, chief rapporteur against Torture, explained that last year the General Directorate of the Penitentiary System had Q570 million 300 thousand available for the guard and custody of those deprived of liberty, which amounted to approximately 25 thousand people. The rapporteur, whose administration ended on Monday, March 25, estimates that the daily expenditure for each inmate was Q62.50 and monthly expenditure of Q1,876.38.

“The State could achieve cost savings of one hundred million quetzales by granting alternative measures to prison to five thousand inmates,” Solorzano assured. He added that the current capacity of the penitentiary centers is insufficient to house the inmate population, since it was designed for 6,900 people and currently houses 23,096 inmates.

Recommended

Possible solutions?

The rapporteur recommends the creation of occupational workshops with the assistance of technical instructors, through public-private alliances, using extensions of land in existing prisons to build modules for those serving sentences, preventive detention and building maximum security prisons for serious crimes and attacking with This is extortion and “talachas”.

In addition, he mentioned the formation of the penitentiary career to dignify and promote professionalization with degrees and commands within the Penitentiary System. Finally, he mentioned that in telematic control, its “relevance” is minimal compared to the State’s investment cost.

“Improving is a matter of public policies, training and updates to direct or responsible actors in a way that privileges controlled freedom and favors the family, community and society in general; In addition, it contributes to reducing overcrowding, it also rewards the State for the investment made by the capital disbursed,” he concluded.

From evaluation to action

Lizandro Acuña, from the Institute of National Problems of the University of San Carlos of Guatemala (Ipnusac), considered that sufficient evaluations of the shortcomings and possible solutions to overcrowding in the country’s prisons have been carried out in the country, so it is necessary take action.

He expressed that the first step is to analyze the national penitentiary reform policy, which expired this year and develops 10 axes of the problems faced by the prison system, as well as 10 sub-axis that complement each other. At the same time, the articulation and commitment of the entities involved in the issue must be improved.

He considered it urgent to carry out a population census of those deprived of liberty for their proper classification by dangerousness and criminal organization that allows their relocation, with the support of several institutions, including the Office of the Rapporteur against Torture and students of the faculties of Legal Sciences, as well as joint work. with the Judicial Branch and the Institute of Public Criminal Defense to seek alternatives to the imprisonment of several inmates.

“A commission is needed to evaluate the public policy for national reform of the Penitentiary System, update it and implement it. The fundamental issue is the responsibility of the State to channel the funds so that it can be implemented. Otherwise, there is no point in spending money on diagnoses; The Penitentiary System is more than overdiagnosed, the policies remain black and white,” he pointed out.

Acuña recognized the searches by the Ministry of the Interior and the creation of a special team to detect illegal acts that try to enter prisons, but stressed the importance of addressing the underlying problem. Likewise, there is an urgency to install signal inhibitors that the portfolio in charge of security must coordinate with the telephone companies.

“Another problem is corruption. It is not possible for the same guards to occupy management positions, that is regrettable and what has been seen in previous governments is a lack of will to invest in the prison system,” he lamented.

He also mentioned the importance of promoting the penitentiary career and implementing actions supported by technology and the construction of maximum security prisons for a population of approximately 10 thousand prisoners.

Preventive prison

For Walter Menchú, from the National Economic Research Center (CIEN), regarding the issue of prison overpopulation, it is necessary to reduce the proportion of the population deprived of liberty that is in preventive detention.

“To achieve this, several actions are necessary, such as the streamlining of criminal processes in the courts, the implementation of substitute measures, such as telematic monitoring and the release of inmates who have already served their sentence, but for various reasons are still in prison. prison,” he added.

He explained that the majority of these actions must come from the Judicial Branch and from the application of the law by judges.

IN NUMBERS

1. – Capacity of the country’s 22 prisons: 6,900 people
2. – Current estimated population: 23 thousand 96
3. – PNC prison capacity: 973
4. – Daily cost in a prisoner: Q62.50
5. – Monthly cost in a prisoner: Q1 thousand 876.38
6. – Annual cost in a prisoner: Q22 thousand 516.58

*Estimates prepared by the Office of the Rapporteur against Torture