A group of deputies in the Dominican Congress have suggested that Beata Island, a 28 km2 island that is seven kilometers off the very most southern tip of the Dominican Republic, Cape Beata, be turned into a high-security prison. They see the new jail as a solution to the very serious issue of overcrowding in the nation’s penal system. There are some 43 prisons in the country: 19 jails and 24 correctional centers. The current population is around 27,000 inmates.
The legislators envision building an enormous jail for 10,000 inmates on Beata Island. The island was once used as a political prison during the Trujillo dictatorship. The legislators, nevertheless, apparently are not aware that the yet-to-be-used Nueva Victoria jail is under much criticism for being a large jail.
The proponents of the Beata jail say the facility would only be used for persons who are given sentences of more than five years. It also stems for the massive overcrowding situation that exists in every location that currently serves as a prison.
This island is part of the Jaragua National Park, an environmentally protected area.
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Hoy
4 July 2022