Of 24,883 inmates, they are waiting for sentence 16,030. The victory remains with the greatest overpopulation.
Santo Domingo.-A total of 16,030 deprived of liberty, of the 24,883 held in the different correction and rehabilitation centers of the country, are found in preventive condition, which is equivalent to 64 % of the prison population. Meanwhile, 8,853 inmates meet sentences for various crimes.
These data correspond to statistics of the Dominican prison system that demonstrate the overpopulation and overcrowding that affects the prisons of the country, as is the case of the Victoria prison, which houses the largest number of inmates.
Of the total inmates, 1,745 are foreigners, including 1,419 of Haitian nationality, 96 Venezuelans, 85 Colombians, 25 Americans, 16 Dutch, 11 Italians, 13 Spaniards and 80 of other nationalities.
The presence of 657 women deprived of liberty in the correction and rehabilitation centers is also recorded, of which 366 are in preventive condition and 281 serve sentences.
Internal (2022-2025).
In 2022, there were 25,711 inmates, of which 15,307 were preventive and 10,404 condemned; in 2023, 26,196 deprived of liberty, with 15,442 preventive and 10,755 condemned; In 2024, 25,319 inmates housed, of which 15,996 in preventive detention and 9,323 condemned.
In 2025, 24,883 deprived of liberty, with 16,030 preventive and 8,853 condemned, this year being the largest proportion of preventive.
La Victoria prison
As every year, the Victoria prison heads the list of enclosures with the greatest number of inmates, currently registering 5,018 inmates, 3,584 preventive and 1,434 condemned.
However, between 2022 and 2023 it came to house 7,523 people deprived of liberty. This figure decreased after the fires that affected three areas of the enclosure, forcing the transfer of more than two thousand inmates to other prison centers.
Deficiencies
In addition to overcrowding, detention centers face multiple deficiencies, including the lack of access to health services, inappropriate hygienic-sanitary conditions and other problems that directly affect the quality of life of the inmates.
The director of the public defense, Rodolfo Valentín, has repeatedly denounced these conditions with the objective of achieving improvements in the prison.
In recent statements, Valentín recalled that one of the principles of the Criminal Procedure Code establishes that freedom must be the general rule, and that preventive detention must be applied as an exceptional and proportional measure.
Other prisons
The Vega prison houses 1,822, of which 1,480 preventive and 342 convicted.
That of Najayo men, with 2,469 inmates, of which 1,464 preventive and 1,005 condemned. Anamuya Higüey, with 1,048, includes 831 preventive and 217 convicted. The San Pedro de Macorís enclosure, with 889, of which 749 preventive and 140 convicted. The Seibo, with 910 deprived of liberty, including 644 preventive and 266 convicted.
Report
– Study
The director of the public defense, Rodolfo Valentín, recently reported that he will soon submit the report of the prisons where he performs a lifting of his deficiencies.
Valentín cares about internal rights
Position. The director of the National Office of Public Defense, Rodolfo Valentín Santos, has shown commitment to the dignification of the living conditions of the private ones.
Among the actions is the distribution of mattresses and sheets for inmates that, due to overcrowding in the centers, are forced to sleep on the ground.
In recent statements, the lawyer expressed his hope that the transformation of the penitentiary system was oriented towards human dignity, respect for fundamental rights and the improvement of prison conditions.
In addition, he emphasized the need to improve detention conditions and strengthen the guarantee of rights in the initial stages of the criminal process.
