After the release of a report from Mexico’s National Commission on Human Rights (CNDH) regarding prisons there is little wonder how so many have been able to escape Mexico’s prisons in recent years.
According to the commission, 6 in 10 prisons are “self governed” by gangs who use them as a sort of recruiting grounds and maintain connection to keep their rackets running in the outside world.
Since 2010, 14 incidents have resulting in more than 500 inmates escaping from the country’s 430 prisons or jails, 60 percent of which are believed to be controlled by drug gangs with the help of corrupt prison officials.
“The deterioration of prisons in the last few years is undeniable, as demonstrated by the escapes, fights, self-governing and assaults on prison personnel,” said Raul Plascencia, the head of the CNDH.
On top of corruption in the prison system, there is also the problem of overcrowding and lack of prison guards. According to Reuters, as of July, the Mexican prison system is about 25 percent over capacity.
As president-elect Enrique Peña Nieto prepares to take office, he has to live up to the promises he made to reduce Mexico’s crime and violence rate.
