No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeTopicsCrimePHOTOS: Faces from La Reforma prison

PHOTOS: Faces from La Reforma prison

Located in San Rafael de Alajuela, La Reforma prison is the biggest in Costa Rica. It’s built to house 2,197 inmates but right now it holds 2,912, making it 32.5 percent over capacity.

Infrastructure is old and damaged, and prisoners contend with unsanitary, often waterless bathrooms, lack of beds, bad food, foul-smelling cells and common areas and few educational or job training opportunities.

Inside, drugs and alcohol are easily available, inmates say, and many prisoners suffer aggression from others. Some incidents have resulted in death.

The Tico Times was invited to visit the prison this week as part of a government effort to bring attention to overcrowding and put pressure on the Legislative Assembly to include more funding for the prison system in next year’s budget. The following are portraits of some of the inmates at La Reforma.

See also: A look inside Costa Rica’s San Rafael Prison

 

Popular Articles

Costa Rica Celebrates EU’s Low-Risk Deforestation Classification

Costa Rica just scored a big win for its farmers and exporters. The European Union classified the country as low-risk for deforestation under its...

Costa Rica’s Journalists’ Day: Press Freedom in Crisis

Every May 30, Costa Rica marks National Journalists’ Day, a time to honor the vital role journalists play in upholding democracy. Established in 2010...

Costa Rica’s Southern Infrastructure Push Raises Biodiversity Concerns

Costa Rica’s southern region, home to the Osa Peninsula and Corcovado National Park, boasts some of the planet’s richest biodiversity. Jaguars, tapirs, and scarlet...
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest Articles