On Thursday, minister of Justice and Peace Marcia González talked before the legislative committee of Security and Drug Trafficking.
One of González’s plans is the creation of three thousand new prison spaces, which would be added to the 1,600 that will be delivered at the end of this year from the managements made during the administration of Solís Rivera (2014-2018).
González explained some details related to the prison policy published at the end of last year. Some of her priorities are Human Development (to refine skills for reintegration), improve infrastructure conditions, and strengthen the prevention of the risk of violence.
Confinement in itself is not the solution for security, but prevention (…) But, we recognize that with current crime rates we must strengthen the prison system and thus improve reintegration systems,”
said Gonzalez.
The words of the minister fit with the reality of the 603 murders by the end of 2017.
The civil servant assured that her management will be centered in five points: improvement in the management of the penitentiary subject, the design of a national strategy of penitentiary infrastructure, the development of a program of penitentiary labor occupation, the improvement of the processes of health in the population (through actions) and the prevention of violence.
Gonzalez said that one of the proposals is the strengthening of the National Institute of Criminology (INC), a body attached to Justice and in charge of managing transfers from prisons to semi-open or open regimes (in freedom).
The official explained that there is pressure on the criminal centers from the mega operations carried out by the Ministry of Public Security (MSP) , which result in many arrests for criminal links.