Latin America prisons breeding ground for COVID-19

BOGOTA, Colombia

Unsanitary, overcrowded prisons in many Latin American countries and the Caribbean are an incubator for the novel coronavirus that has killed more than 175,000 people globally.

The conditions have prompted governments to adopt alternatives to detention, including early release, for inmates who do not threaten public safety.

Argentina

Prisons in Buenos Aires are overcrowded by about 50%, where inmates in high risk groups with diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis and diabetes desperately ask for a way out.

Three days after total confinement began March 20, prisoners in different facilities began to revolt, demanding steps to prevent the virus from entering the penitentiary system. Riots ended with the deaths of five prisoners.

A month later, authorities confirmed the first prisoner tested positive.

Judges are granting house arrest in minor offense cases. In 20 days, a total of 1,183 inmates have left prisons. However, there is an aggravating circumstance: there are no ankle monitoring bracelets. Those who do not qualify are included on a waiting list. Those convicted of serious crimes, including murder, rape, kidnapping or gender violence will remain detained.

Colombia

Overcrowding has been a serious problem in the country’s 132 prisons that have a capacity of 80,000 inmates but house 124,000.

The government of Ivan Duque announced it would grant 4,000 prisoners house arrest to contain the pandemic after a deadly riot exposed dramatic overcrowding in prisons, and the deaths of two prisoners infected with COVID-19 were reported.

"It makes a great humanitarian sense that people who may be exposed with greater vulnerability to the virus, may be able to get out of intramural prison and move to home confinement, improving their protective conditions in terms of health," Duque said April 15.

The measure will be granted to inmates older than 60, those with sentences of up to five years, pregnant women, women with children under 3 and patients with cancer and other diseases. The move does not apply to inmates convicted of drug trafficking, forced displacement, kidnapping and rape.

Brazil

The government is promoting the installation of containers to house prisoners with the virus as an alternative to release recommended by the National Council of Justice to reduce the risk of infection for the more than 700,000 inmates nationwide.

Two inmates died from COVID-19-related causes in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, while in Brasilia there are 50 inmates and prison employees infected.

About 30,000 prisoners have been released in several states.

More than 1,200 prisoners escaped four prisons in Sao Paulo last month following revolts against a ban on inmates who have day-release privileges.

Venezuela

In Venezuela, more than 80 inmates escaped March 18 during a violent jailbreak amid new restrictions because of coronavirus.

A total of 283 inmates were later released by Minister for Penitentiary Affairs Iris Varela to prevent the spread of the virus.

Nicaragua

The Daniel Ortega's government still denies the effects of the pandemic but released 1,700 prisoners April 8. The measure did not include 70 political prisoners.