After visiting the Penitentiary, organizations and the Ombudsman highlight the authorities' openness to resolve health and overcrowding issues
The Permanent Committee for the Defense of Human Rights confirmed alarming health and overcrowding issues in the Litoral Penitentiary following a recent inspection.
Recently, the Permanent Committee for the Defense of Human Rights (CDH) conducted an extensive inspection of the Litoral Penitentiary, revealing significant human rights concerns affecting inmates. The delegation spent four hours examining various areas of the facility, focusing on the conditions in pavilions 5 and 7. The inspection's outcomes were backed by judicial actions and advocacy from families and human rights organizations, underscoring the urgency of the situation.
Fernando Bastias, a representative of the CDH, emphasized that the issues identified are deeply rooted and systematically undermine the rights of incarcerated individuals and their families. Despite repeated denunciations, the fundamental problems persist, pointing to a long-standing failure to address the dire conditions within the prison. The organization's findings are expected to pressure authorities to take more decisive actions to remedy these critical issues affecting inmate welfare.
In response to the findings, preliminary actions have been announced, including the transfer of inmates who are suffering from severe health complications. This move is seen as a necessary step towards alleviating some of the burdens caused by overcrowding and inadequate health services. Nevertheless, the road ahead for meaningful reform appears challenging, as it will require sustained commitment from both the judicial system and governmental agencies to ensure the health and human rights of those incarcerated are upheld.