More than one-third of Colombian prisoners – 35% – have not been convicted of a crime, according to local media.
Colombia’s prison authority INPEC says that of the some 117,000 people deprived of their freedom, only 75,612 have been convicted of a crime, while 41,425 prisoners are still waiting for their judicial processes to end.
This news comes as reports depict Colombia’s 138 prisons as severely overcrowded, with INPEC claiming that the rate of overcrowding is around 53% nationally.
Guards who work in the prison system have repeatedly gone on strike to protest their work conditions, the overcrowding, and recent lay-offs.
MORE: Over 1k Colombia prison guards to go on strike
Systemic problems with prisons and corruption have led to calls from Congress to dismantle INPEC and replace it with an entirely new institution.
MORE: Coalition wants Colombia’s prison authority dismantled amid ongoing scandals
Sources
- Sobrepoblacion en centros carcelarios es de 53% a nivel nacional (El Espectador)