Judge Roy Murillo set a deadline of 18 months for Justice Department to fully evacuate San Sebastián prison.
He described the place as “a deteriorating human cage. It is terrible and humiliating”.
Overcrowding and facilities’ poor conditions and the absence of natural light and air cinrculation have turned that space into a dungeon,
said the judge.
San Sebastian prison, built 35 years ago, was designed to accommodate up to 559 people in custody, but it currently has a population of 1.278 prisoners, of which only 134 have been convicted.
Murillo highlighted that some sleeping sectors are only one meter square and many of them do not have a mattress or a foam rubber to sleep in, as consequence prisoners have to rest on the pavement.
In some cell blocks there is only one bathroom with one toilet for 25 inmates, which creates uncomfortable and degrading conditions.
Due to overcrowding and hygiene issues, diseases such as colds, allergies and skin diseases have increased, according to judicial inquiries.
Political and media sectors harshly attacked the measure and demanded the dismissal of the judge for allegedly putting public safety at risk.
However, Sánchez received President Luis Guillermo Solís’ support and remains in office.