With the aim of effectively dealing with the problem of overcrowding in Colombian prisons, a situation which is clearly serious and leads to human rights violations, the National Government has put a number of plans into operation to increase the number of places available and improving inmates' living conditions through the construction, extension and renovation of prisons, and the implementation of special programs on human rights in the penitentiary service.

PRISON OVERCROWDING IN 2001, MONTH BY MONTH

Source: INPEC.

To alleviate overcrowding in prisons, the Infrastructure Expansion Plan made it possible, through the Prison Infrastructure Fund, to finish two new prisons in the past year, increasing prison capacity by 3,800 places. As a result, overcrowding levels went down to 31.74 per cent -2001 annual average-. Overcrowding in Colombian prisons showed a considerable reduction in the last six months of 2001. As a matter of fact, the level of overcrowding fell from 37 per cent in July to 16 per cent in December. Mention should be made of the fact that changes in law enforcement as regards crimes punishable by prison, resulting from the entry into force of the new Penal Code -Law 599 of July 24, 2001, have had significant effects on overcrowding levels. These changes have made the prison population fall at the precise moment in which the number of places available is on the increase. Nevertheless, although the penal institutions' capacity rose in 2001 in relation to the prison population, it is worth noting that this capacity is still insufficient to house all persons deprived of liberty in the country in such a way that their basic requirements for a dignified life throughout their prison terms are satisfactorily met. Government plans will allow this situation to continuously improve.

AVERAGE NUMBER OF PRISON INMATES IN 2001

N.B. In the past six months a decrease in the prison population can be observed as a result of the entry into force of the new Penal Code (Law 599 of July 24, 2001).

CONPES Document 30-86 of July 14, 2000, authorized the Prison Infrastructure Fund to spend 363,000 million pesos over a period of three years for the construction and renovation of jails. An additional 660,000 million pesos were allocated for the construction of eleven new mid-level security penitentiaries. As a result of the Plan, the Valledupar prison started to operate, with 1,600 places. In the year 2001, 2,702 new places were made available in various parts of the country. Special mention should be made of the Girardot National Penitentiary (with a capacity of 400 places), and the Acacías National Penitentiary (with a capacity of 1,600 places).

At present, contracts are being executed for the building of new prisons in the following cities: Montería, Cartagena, Pasto, Neiva, Mocoa, Ibagué, and Espinal. This will increase the number of new places by 1,848. Contracts are also being carried out to extend existing prisons. These are: Palmira (400 places), Cúcuta (404 places), Picota (404 places), Acacías Agricultural Establishment (298 places), Cartagena (660 places), Montería (258 places), and Lorica (50 places). It is expected that 4,800 additional places will be available by the end of 2002 with the opening of three penitentiaries in Bucaramanga, Cómbita, and La Dorada.