Compartir
Secciones
Podcasts
Última Hora
Encuestas
Servicios
Plaza Libre
Efemérides
Cumpleaños
RSS
Horóscopos
Crucigrama
Más
Contáctanos
Sobre Diario Libre
Aviso Legal
Versión Impresa
versión impresa
Redes Sociales
Actualidad

Thirty percent of inmates have been in jail more than once

One percent have been jailed more than five times in the nation's prisons

Expandir imagen
Thirty percent of inmates have been in jail more than once
SANTO DOMINGO. Four thousand four hundred thirty-seven inmates have been in prison more than once, 30% of a total of 15,951 inmates in the 19 prisons of the old jail system, according to a survey carried out by the Director General of Prisons.

Looking at the details of the numbers it is seen that 3,104 inmates -representing 21% of the inmates - have had to visits to prison, while 843 (9%) have been in jail three times.

It is also established that in the prisons of the old penitentiary system 280 prisoners, equal to 2%, have been imprisoned four times.

And the numbers show that 95 prisoners have entered the jails more than four times, which translates to 0.6%.

The report indicates that the prisoners that have been jailed more than five times number 115, representing 1% of the universe that has had more than one entry into a cell. They add that 10,435 inmates been in jail once which is equal to 70%.

Of the 15,951 prisoners counted, there were 486 deportees, from 21 countries, predominantly those that have arrived from the United States, with 271, Puerto Rico with 137 followed by Venezuela and Curaçao with 13 and 12 respectively.

The survey shows that of a total of 7,755 persons deprived of their liberty, those that have been sentenced to 20 years make up the largest proportion, numbering 1,611 persons in the 19 traditional prisons that took part in the survey.

The results show that in the area of health 26% of the population counted suffers from some sickness, with the greatest percentage being attributed to asthma, high blood pressure, kidney problems and diabetes, likewise that of the 4,099 that suffers some illness, 89 are victims of HIV-positive and 197 have tuberculosis.

With relation to the judicial condition, persons in preventive custody represented 47%, against those that had been convicted which were 53%, of which is a population of 6,174 that are sentenced to 5 to 30 years.

The survey regarding the situation of the prisons makes it clear that the population of inmates that remain in prison according to the crime of which they are accused or convicted of is for the most part homicide, which reaches 31% of the prison population.

The greatest percentage of the population is single, 60% of the prisoners are in this condition, followed by those in a "free union" who represent 31.4%, with only 8% being married.

The results show that 50% have been brought up by their father and mother, followed by 27% who were brought up just by their mother. Those who were brought up by grandparents represented 12%.

There were 16.5% of the prisoners who answered that they did not know how to read or write, with a higher proportion being evident in the prisons of Pedernalez Neyba, San Juan, and Km 15 of Azua.

Of a total of 13,440 persons in jail who managed to study some educational level, the study showed that 719 received university level education representing 5.3%.

The crimes of homicide and robbery

The crime of homicide is the most frequent among the population that took part in the census. Of the 4,987 persons that are in prison for this crime, they have in their case files other associated crimes such as robbery, assaults, drugs, kidnappings, rape, family violence and other lesser crimes. Together with homicide there is a population of 894 that also have in their case file the crime of robbery. In some prisons in the provinces there is a high population belonging to other provinces, such as El Seibo, where persons from Hato Mayor, La Altagracia and San Pedro de Macoris nearly triple the population of locals.

A 14% increase in prison population

The census suggests that over the last years the prison population has reflected a considerable increase with a yearly variation which has reached 14.6%.

The study says that this situation increases each day the level of crowding in the traditional model, reaching a level of occupation of 342%, "which is to say the population in these prisons is more than three times the capacity for which they were constructed."

The Dominican Republic is found in the 13th place according to the rate of the prison population per 100,000 inhabitants compared to 24 countries in Latin America. It was observed that the prison population which predominates are those persons between the ages of 25 and 39, with 55% and those of the elderly population of 60 years are more representing just 2% of the population.