The Colombian government on Wednesday announced the construction of six “megaprisons” after overcrowding caused tensions inside the country’s penitentiaries.
“We need to build more retention centers, which is why we will construct six megaprisons that will allow the 26,000 new placements,” Justice Minister Ruth Stella Correa told Congress in a debate.
The minister had been called to Congress to respond to reports that prisoners had gone on hunger strike and riots had broken out in prisons due to the overcrowding.
According to opposition lawmaker Ivan Cepeda, the country’s prisons have reached an overcrowding of 200%.