Santo Domingo.-Criminal recidivism in the Dominican Republic is directly related to the abandonment of the traditional prison system, where inmates do not receive the necessary attention for their rehabilitation and social reintegration.
This was stated by the director of the National Office of Public Defense for Penitentiary Reform (ONAPREP), Roberto Santana, who explains that two penitentiary systems coexist in the country, the reformed model, which began in 2003 and has 21 centers, and the traditional model, where serious deficiencies still persist.
According to Santana, in reformed centers recidivism is less than 10%, while in traditional ones it is significantly higher.
“The difference is in the work that is done or not done with them. In the reformed model they are educated, they have to work, they are monitored, there are psychologists, psychiatrists. In the traditional model there is nothing.
“They um on the ground,” emphasized the specialist.
Santana announced that, as part of the penitentiary reform promoted by the Presidency, four traditional centers will be transformed this year and ten more in 2026. “There is no turning back from that,” he assured after revealing that the tenders have already been awarded.
In addition, he highlighted that most of the new centers have land for agricultural production, which will allow the development of self-sustainability programs so that prisoners can work, train and generate income.
New plans
Santana also revealed plans to strengthen the self-sustainability of the prison system through agricultural, livestock and hydroponic projects.
He mentioned that centers are being prepared in San Juan, San Francisco de Macorís, Dajabón, Elías Piña and other parts of the country, where open-air and hydroponic crops will be carried out, even on the roofs of buildings.
One of the most ambitious projects is aquaculture, in collaboration with the Dominican Agribusiness Board, which contemplates the creation of 40 ponds capable of producing between 3,000 and 3,500 fish weekly, reported the prison authorities and representatives of the JAD.
Problem in enclosures
— Overcrowding
Overcrowding in prisons is one of the concerns, since most prisons exceed capacity. Soon the authorities will transfer part of the inmates from La Victoria to the Las Parras prison.
Inmates receive little assistance
Health. Last week Roberto Santana expressed concern about the deterioration of the mental health of the Dominican population, especially those deprived of liberty, who often do not receive due care and treatment. He indicated that 90% have conditions.
According to Santana, Dominican prisons only have 53 active psychologists, a figure well below the real demand, which is around 300 professionals to be able to care for the more than 25,000 inmates distributed in the different penitentiary facilities in the country. He said that the prison issue is a page that must be turned, an issue that must be resolved.
