HOLY SUNDAY.-More than 14 thousand of those deprived of liberty housed in the old model prisons sleep on the floor, in “poor and unhealthy” conditions, despite the fact that no sentence in the Dominican Republic establishes that a citizen in conflict with the criminal law must sleep on the floor, next to a latrine.
This was indicated by the national director of Public Defense, Rodolfo Valentín, who stated that prison inmates are in these conditions in a country that claims to defend human rights, and stressed that it is mandatory for the State to review the treatment they receive. those people. The prisons house 26,565 inmates.
In favor of agreements
The defender pointed out that they are working with the Judiciary and the Attorney General’s Office to reach an agreement with at least 50% of the cases that go to the prosecutor’s offices, to decongest the prison facilities. This prevents overcrowding of prisons, a situation in which they currently find themselves.
Those deprived of liberty, as human beings, must receive treatment based on restorative justice that encourages change in behavior and attitude, and that gives them the opportunity to reintegrate into society.
Law without regulation
The new penitentiary law that came into force in 2021, which is part of the reform of the Dominican Republic Penitentiary System, still lacks a regulation for the application of that legislation.
The new Law 113-21 repeals Law 224 of 1984.
This new norm unifies the New Penitentiary Model and the traditional one.
The defender said that the new law establishes that both systems must be suitable for health, food and other health services.
In the 20 years since the creation of the Public Defense, more than one and a half million people have been served. Every year between 20,000 and 24,000 files enter to be represented by one of the members of the institution.
Activity
– Meeting
The national director of Public Defense, Rodolfo Valentín, spoke during a Christmas lunch aimed at journalists and communicators, aimed at sharing the achievements achieved during the year 2024 of the institution.
