In his work “The prisonsthe last link of Criminal Justice System “the former Attorney General of the Republic, Radhamés Jiménez Peñadraw an radiography of Penitentiary system Dominican. Through a historical and legal journey, a persistent reality places on the table: the structural crisis that affects the country’s prisons, marked by overcrowding, abandonment and institutional fragility.
The analysis starts from the origins of the national prison system, with the emblematic Ozama fortressbuilt between 1502 and 1507. Although initially conceived as a military installation, it soon became Detention Center. Its walls welcomed the key figures of Dominican history and the continent: from Cristóbal Colóny his brothers Diego and Bartolomé, until Juan Pablo DuarteRamón Matías Mella, Francisco del Rosario Sánchez and other heroes of Independence. Even presidents like Jacinto Peinado and Horacio Vásquez went through their cells.
Centuries later, the face of seclusion would take a much more raw form. The National Victory Penitentiaryinaugurated the August 16, 1952it would become one of the main symbols of penitentiary collapse. During the “twelve years” of the government of Joaquín Balaguer, the penalty reached notoriety under the label of “Cemetery of living men“. Designed to house 1,200 inmates, it came to concentrate in critical moments more than 7,000 people, according to Jiménez Peña. An overpopulation that still persists, transforming the center into a nerve point of the challenges facing the system.
Another key link in this chain is the Azua 15 penaltya prison with more than eight decades of operation. Built in 1940, this enclosure welcomes inmates considered High dangermostly repeat offenders, from different provinces. According to the exprocter, the conditions within the prison, characterized by high temperatures and a hostile environment, make it a scenario where the vulnerability of the inmate is constant and palpable.
Beyond the physical conditions of detention, in “the prisons, the last link of the Criminal Justice System “, They also attract attention to a fundamental issue: the Right to health. Jiménez Peña underlines that, despite her situation of deprivation of libertyinternal people retain their fundamental rights, including access to a dignified medical care and quality. In fact, the responsibility of the State increases by assuming the custody of these citizens, and must guarantee adequate conditions both in the physical and the mental level.
The text indicates that this obligation is not optional or discretionary. It is backed by International treaties and by his own Dominican Constitutional Framework.
Consequently, inmates should not only receive the same medical attention that the rest of the population, but also require differentiated treatment, to recognize their situation.
Current prison system
As of March 2025, the country’s prisons housed 24,671 people deprived of libertyabove the installed capacity, which barely reaches 15,701 places.
- Of that population, 15,276 people They were in pretrial detention, representing more than 60 % of the total number of inmates, and exceeding those who comply with a sentence.
The government is currently working on the conclusion of the first prison stage The Parrasto which the prison prisoners will take The victory.
This month, he also announced the opening of a public bidding process for the construction of ten new centers Penitentiary in different provinces of the country, with an estimated investment of 7,541,853,662.80 pesos. The measure is part of the official plan to face prison overpopulation and improve penitentiary infrastructure.
