SANTO DOMINGO.- Attorney General Miriam Germán Brito highlighted the importance of bringing together the experiences and knowledge of the countries of the region with a view to achieving the necessary reforms of prison systems.
The magistrate led the words of welcome at the opening ceremony of a working meeting of the Confederation of Ministers of Justice of Ibero-American Countries (Comjib).
“We have once again the opportunity to see and review all the documentation and experience that has been generated on this subject and establish our work plan for the coming years, having in each specific field a fluid exchange of the experiences that in our countries are has generated in this important topic”, highlighted .
Line 4 of Work of the ministers of justice, put on the table in one of the rooms of the National School of the Public Ministry (ENMP), has as its central theme the “Reform of Penitentiary Systems”.
The secretary general of Comjib, Enrique Gil Botero, participated in the event virtually, stressing that there is no justice without decent and humanized prisons and that in order to achieve this goal, it is essential to achieve alliances with national and international actors.
Also present at the meeting was Luz Entrena Vázquez, Comjib’s technical adviser, and Deputy Attorney General Rodolfo Espiñeira.
Judge Germán Brito pointed out that a new reform must consider the penitentiary systems “as an integral part of the prosecution of crime and, therefore, must be included in the crime prevention plans in our States.”
Also, he emphasized respect for the “humane and dignified conditions” with which a prisoner should be treated, avoiding overcrowding and inadequate spaces.
He considered fundamental the access to timely medical and psychological treatments that people who are in custody in the penitentiary system must have, as well as the importance of having the elements that can contribute to the progressive reeducation of the inmate with the restorative vision that avoids future recidivism. .
He highlighted the importance of the specialization of human talent as a strategic factor, through the establishment of prison educational entities or programs.
Germán Brito said that he hoped that Comjib visitors would feel welcome and at home.
He indicated that “the work of this group will be to achieve recognition of the need for a proactive social consensus to place the issue of prison reform in the interest of our nations, essentially aiming at achieving rehabilitation to return disciplined men and women to society. and productive, respectful of the law and society”.
Among the representatives of the visiting countries were in this first face-to-face meeting after Covid-19, Claudia Sosa, for Paraguay; Nataly Mishel Carrera, for Ecuador; Bruna Nowak and Sandro Sousa, for Brazil; Koritza Mabel Ortez, for Honduras, and María Laura Garrigós, for Argentina.
