This commission was promoted by the parliamentary commissioner for prisons and the National Institution for Human Rights (Inddhh). During the meeting, Delgado stated that “in several of them there are coincidences regarding the alignments to be worked on,” but clarified that it is necessary to focus on the “what,” not the “how.”
Delgado stressed the importance of a comprehensive reform of the penitentiary system, highlighting the proposal to create a Ministry of Justice as a key step to improve prison administration and strengthen reintegration programs. The candidate noted that “it is not good that those who repress, the police of the Ministry of the Interior, are in charge of prisons for rehabilitation or reintegration.” According to Delgado, the tasks of repression and rehabilitation are “different tasks” that should be handled by different ministries.
The candidate said that public security cannot be achieved without repression, but clarified that “repression alone is not enough.” In his view, it is essential to complement repressive measures with a solid system of rehabilitation and social reintegration, mentioning the pilot program “Oportunidades,” which trains people deprived of liberty in various trades to facilitate their reintegration into society. “The State must work on this,” he stressed.
Delgado said that his proposal does not seek to increase bureaucracy, but rather to redistribute existing tasks among different State agencies. “We are redistributing tasks that are in different State agencies that we are going to give a permanent and specific responsibility to,” he said.
The new Ministry of Justice would also coordinate with the Attorney General’s Office and would be responsible for the National Rehabilitation Institute and the National Directorate for Released Prisoners, as well as the reintegration of former prisoners into the workplace. “The State must be very close to this,” he said.
Regarding the issue of prison overcrowding, the nationalist candidate acknowledged that the construction of new prisons, such as the three currently underway, will alleviate the situation, but noted that more investments are needed in infrastructure, especially in maximum security centers. “Our government program also includes the construction of one more prison, especially maximum security ones,” he said, highlighting that the system continues to face challenges. With more than 15,000 people deprived of liberty in the country, the candidate maintained that “the State has to be close” to guarantee a second chance to those who want to reintegrate.
Finally, Delgado defended the support for the police and the repressive measures implemented by the current government, which, according to him, have significantly reduced crime. “This government, unlike all the previous ones, from ’84 onwards, will leave the next one with fewer crimes than it received,” he declared, referring to the management of public security under the government of Luis Lacalle Pou.
