More than half of the inmates housed in Jalisco’s prisons system could be released if the State Congress finally approves penal reforms first proposed back in 2008.
The legislation greatly reduces the number of offenses that warrant prison terms.
Around 13,000 inmates are currently serving time in the state prison system (known as fuero comun), while 3,300 are housed in federal facilities. Some 55 percent of all prisoners have yet to be sentenced.
But new legislation could release many inmates already convicted of minor crimes, including robbery without violence. Around 60 percent of prisoners are incarcerated for theft but violence – or weaponry – was used by just 13 percent.Those waiting sentence could be released and carry out community service. Other cases could be referred to the recently opened Institute of Alternative Justice, which tries to broker a deal between the affected party and the perpetrator of the crime to avoid jail time.
Jalisco’s prisons operate at 75 percent above their capacity, according to the United Nations (UN). The UN says operating more than 20 percent above capacity can be considered “inhumane” treatment. The worst case in Jalisco is the jail in the coastal town of Ciuhuatlan, which is a staggering 240 percent above capacity.
Each prisoner in Jalisco costs the taxpayer 162.73 pesos a day, according to the State Citizen’s Security Council. The annual saving of reducing the prison population by 55 percent would be 424 million pesos a year.
Jalisco is also moving slowly toward the implementation of oral trials in the state. Under federal government guidelines, the states must have a court system similar to other western nations fully operational by June 2016. Originally, the plan was to begin oral trials in Jalisco by January 2014 but achieving this goal now seems unlikely.