A proposal to ban the early release of people convicted of crimes against life, sexual assault or organized crime opens the discussion between legislators and criminal lawyers.
The initiative, led by Mario Redondo, legislator from Alianza Democrática Cristiana (ADC), is an amendment to the draft law on the National Penitentiary Service and Conditional Execution of the Penalty, which is processed in the Legislative Assembly.
According to the legislator, people who commit such crimes must not leave prison before having served their sentence.
The legislator also proposed to force prisoners to work as a method of rehabilitation and to discount the maintenance costs incurred by the State.
In addition, he stated that in order to avoid the extortions and blackmails, it is necessary to install technologic devices in prisons to block the cellular signal.
However, legislators from Liberación Nacional (PLN), Unión Social Cristiana (PUSC) and Acción Ciudadana (PAC) parties are not convinced by the proposal, which is supported by Movimiento Libertario.
Ronny Monge, from PLN and chairman of the Legislative Assembly’s Committee on Security and Drug Trafficking, believes that far from prohibiting the anticipated release of prisoners, the duration of the criminal year should be established and it must be respected. That means that if a person is sentenced to 30 years in prison, that sentence should be effectively served.
He remembered that people go to prison not only to serve a sentence, but also to rejoin society.
PAC legislator Marco Vinicio Redondo believes in the benefits for convicted people depending on their conditions and, as consequence, a process must be followed.
The official emphasized that the condemned are entitled to a second chance and in prisons there are people and they have to be treated as such.
However, Mario Redondo insists that the draft Law on National Penitentiary Service and Conditional Execution of the Penalty is designed only to guarantee the rights of criminals and no one thinks of victims or society, who are threatened by those people.
Legislator Otto Guevara supports the zero-tolerance argument against delinquency.
Criminal lawyer Ewald Acuña thinks that Mario Redondo’s proposals are valid and should be discussed.
Regarding prohibiting the early release of people convicted of crimes against life, sexual assault or organized crime, he recalled that in Costa Rica there are only two types of punishment (imprisonment and fine) and that there is an urgent need to expand the range of sanctions.