Prison Over-Crowding Leads to Riots Resulting in Dozens of Deaths

“The latest in a series of bloody riots in” Venezuela’s severely overcrowded prisons where inmates often freely obtain weapons and drugs with the help of corrupt guards” has resulted in at least 5 dozen deaths.

“Venezuela currently has 33 prisons built to hold about 12,000 inmates, but officials have said the prisons’ population is about 47,000.

In April and May, a prison uprising in La Planta prison in Caracas blocked authorities from going inside for nearly three weeks. One prisoner was killed and five people were wounded, including two National Guard soldiers and three inmates.

Two months later, another riot broke out at a prison in Merida, and the Venezuelan Prisons Observatory reported 30 killed.

In August, 25 people were killed and 43 wounded when two groups of inmates fought a gunbattle inside Yare I prison south of Caracas.”

 

Worldwide, prison’s are overcrowded and in need of serious reform.  This latest tragedy, leaving at least 5 dozen people dead, makes plain how great the need for reform.

*Written by, Michelle Sicignano, LMSW, SJS Staff Writer