The Central Electoral Board (JCE) in coordination with the Prisons’ Authority has begun the process of issuing national identity cards (cedulas) in La Victoria prison so that remand prisoners can vote in the next elections.
There are 8,039 people in La Victoria of whom 5,178 are on remand. The prison holds 32% of the 24,719 inmates nationwide. Of this total, 36% have not yet been found guilty and sentenced.
The process of issuing cedulas began last week with the installation of 20 machines.
La Victoria prison director, Tomas Holguin La Paz, said that not only will this process allow inmates on remand to vote, it will also ensure that their true identity is known as many are concealing their true identities.
During a breakfast meeting with Listin Diario yesterday, Monday 31 August 2015, Prison Authority statistics director Maria Pelegrin said that they are issuing around 300 identity cards a day and expect to complete the process in around three weeks. Inmates who say they have not had their births registered and cannot be issued with a cedula are still having their biometric data taken.
http://www.listindiario.com/la-republica/2015/08/31/386236/la-jce-y-prisiones-inician-cedulacion-en-carcel-la-victoria