NewsWhore
05-31-2006, 03:10 PM
The director general of the Dominican prison system, General Juan Ramon de la Cruz Martinez, told a television audience that the Dominican prison system needs 8,000 beds, and that the system itself is "vulnerable." According to de la Cruz, there are 12,000 persons currently incarcerated, and new jails are needed to house them properly. As an example, the general talked about the la Victoria prison, dating from the Trujillo Era. Originally designed to hold 1,200 inmates, it currently holds 3,700. Prisoners sleep on the floor on in make-shift devices called "goletas". The general also revealed that to a certain degree all of the state prisons are susceptible to escapes and there is not one facility within the system that has total security. General de la Cruz Martinez said the President and Attorney General's attention could contribute to things getting better. He said the DR has a long way to go before it has a model penitentiary system where the prisoners are educated, fed and have beds and workshops.
Link To Original Article (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#8)
Link To Original Article (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#8)