To the former Attorney General of the Republic Jean Alain Rodriguez he is not concerned about the audit that the Chamber of Accounts performs on the prison of The New Victory. Quite the contrary. “I am the first person interested in completing these audits,” Rodríguez assured.
After the riots in the old prison of The victory in the middle of last January, Free Journal contacted the former prosecutor to talk about his Plan for the Humanization of the Penitentiary System, which includes a new facility for inmates of The victory. Jean Alain Rodriguez He is the main suspect in the investigation of the Public Ministry called Operation Medusa, and is under preventive detention in Najayo.
— In addition to overcrowding in The victoryWhat other situation was sought to be resolved with the humanization plan?
The Penitentiary System Humanization Plan seeks to solve two major problems that, in turn, constituted its two main axes: on the one hand, the dignified treatment of inmates, focusing the system on one oriented towards rehabilitation and reintegration into the society of those deprived of liberty.
The New Victory It has been one of the most emblematic initiatives of the penitentiary system, a back debt that we have been carrying for more than 70 years, obtaining the worst qualifications in terms of human rights and international regulations on penitentiary matters.
“Not only does it not bother me, but I am the first interested in these audits being concluded.”Former Attorney General of the Republic
The second axis sought to respond to the historical and unfortunate overcrowding in prisons that had affected the system for more than seven decades. We could not speak of effective treatment if we did not have the basic conditions and infrastructure to provide such treatment.
To this end, eight of the current correction and rehabilitation centers under the new model were expanded, in accordance with the needs of the provinces where they are located. The Puerto Plata, Elías Piña, Dajabón, Rafey Hombres, San Pedro de Macorís, Najayo Mujeres, Najayo Hombres, and Najayo Sancristobalense centers were expanded, with six of them in operation.
— How did you guarantee the security of the prison? The New Victory built as part of the Penitentiary System Humanization Plan?
As part of the security elements that were acquired and delivered new and with their guarantees to the current management, I can mention tens of kilometers of fiber optics that link the more than 100 buildings of the complex, all with routers Y switches of the latest generation in each building that are used to transmit data, emergencies and other security applications.
It also includes an underground wired communication system, a closed circuit with hundreds of cameras in all buildings and pavilions, hundreds of wireless communication radios, metal detectors and state-of-the-art scanners to prevent the entry of prohibited substances, weapons and telephones.
Likewise, the facility has accommodation for more than 1,000 prison officers, a riot unit, a fire station with its truck to be used not only against fires, but also to alleviate riots, it has a heliport and an internal and external corridor for patrolling.
Likewise, for the first time in the penitentiary system, anti-vandalism showers, sinks and toilets were installed so that the inmates do not destroy them or make knives with these devices.
Dozens of control towers, multi-screen monitoring center, patrol vehicles, including pickup trucks, grasshopper engines, 4 buggies all new, 12 adult kennels of different breeds imported from Colombia already trained in attack, detection of money and drugs with their space for accommodation and training. In addition to seven gates and walls and special lighting for the entire complex, which make it one of the safest prisons in the region, far exceeding the average security requirements for a complex like this one.
6.3One billion is the investment contemplated for the construction of La Nueva Victoria in the municipality of Guerra.
In the same way, the modernization that was proposed is comprehensive in all its areas, since the number of agents was doubled, strengthening their technical training and dignifying their salaries at all levels to avoid bad practices that for years dragged on payment of tolls and bribes to obtain privileges.
— What is your response to the accusations that this plan was a “fraud”?
For me it is absurd. It is the greatest imputation of the request for a measure of coercion and the one that attributes the greatest weight to the fact that today, I continue to be deprived of liberty.
It is absurd, because I tell you: to carry it out, tenders were held for more than 80 works, being published for more than six months in accordance with what has been established by law.
Seeking to guarantee the transparency of the process, public tenders were carried out, processes that are open, participatory and public for all interested parties.
During these contracting processes there was not a single challenge or judicial submission to the process, and additionally, to guarantee equal opportunities and plurality of participation in the construction sector, it was not allowed to award to any natural or legal person more of a lot included in the Plan and thus have more companies awarded without a monopoly.
Upon my departure and under the new administration headed by Judge Miriam Germán Brito, 11 addenda were signed for the 11 main works, through which he ratified all the contracts that I signed, extending the delivery time to an additional six months from the signature, so these works had to be delivered and completed by March 2021, two months before he was arrested and accused of alleged fraud of the Humanization Plan.
That is to say, as of the date of completion of the addenda signed by the current attorney Miriam Germán, which is March 2021, today the guarantee of hidden defects is still in force, but the Pepca play the guarantees expire and then blame me for the loss of hundreds of millionswhen in reality they are responsible for stopping and abandoning the works unnecessarily.
That ratification of Miriam Germán Brito shows that she reviewed the contracts that I signed, that she showed sensitivity in favor of those deprived of liberty and that she tried to put all the works into operation, but the Pepca It has been prevented, to audit, and they must audit, they do not have to stop a work generating millions of pesos in loss.
— Why was it not completed? The New Victory during your tenure?
At the end of our management on August 16, 2020, it was ready in its first phase and in days it would be fully ready. The COVID-19 pandemic affected the delivery schedule for several months, as the closure forced work to be suspended as a precaution.
At that time, a commitment had been made by the contractors to deliver the works in their entirety within the following 30 days. However, the Pepca He ordered the work to stop despite the fact that attorney Miriam Germán Brito signed addenda in December 2020 that committed the contractors to deliver the works with certain modifications in March 2021.
Now, even with the delays caused by the closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, on August 10, 2020 we were able to deliver to the country the first stage of this great work of the Plan for the Humanization of the Penitentiary System, which was started two years earlier. , so that together with the other works already in operation, our men, women and adolescents in conflict with the law, serve prison with dignity and can access special programs for their rehabilitation and reintegration into society in the most appropriate way possible, considering which is one of the most suitable means to combat crime and delinquency in the country.
It is a pity that the reform plans that were initiated and that the system and the country so badly need for revenge are not given continuity, putting at risk the lives of thousands of inmates who deserve better conditions and an opportunity for reintegration.
Even the more than 50 marble signs indicating that these works had been carried out in the 2016-2020 administration were destroyed throughout the national territory in the first three months of the administration. A damage to the State and a real affront to the treasury. The evidence is of what was delivered and the current state of deterioration and abandonment of the buildings.
— The New Victory is audited by the Chamber of Accounts, does this process bother you?
The role of an Attorney General is not to audit or build works, but to plan, propose, manage and require each department to fulfill its duty, ensuring that they fulfill their responsibilities. The audits are called to identify breaches and if breaches are identified, it is the contractors who are responsible for making the repairs, if any, this not being a criminal act, but an administrative one, which is solved by demanding faithful compliance with them.
Another aspect that any works audit can bring is an overvaluation that I do not believe exists, since they always won the best technical and economic offers with highly prestigious and experienced companies that would not lend themselves to that.
For all this, not only does it not bother me, but I am also the first interested in seeing these audits completed and, if non-compliances are identified, requesting these repairs from the contractors before the guarantees expire.
