President Laura Fernández’s proposal to take students from high-crime neighborhoods on visits to Costa Rica’s new maximum-security prison has opened a national debate over whether fear can keep young people away from organized crime. Fernández raised the idea during a government presentation on the new Centro de Alta Contención Contra la Criminalidad Organizada, known as CACCO. The 5,000-inmate prison is expected to become a central part of the administration’s hard-line security strategy.
The president suggested organizing visits for students from communities where gangs and drug-trafficking groups are actively recruiting young people. She said seeing the conditions inside the high-security prison could show students the consequences of entering organized crime.
The proposal drew immediate criticism from criminologists, educators, opposition lawmakers and child advocacy groups. Critics argue that prison visits are not a proven crime-prevention strategy and could reinforce negative stereotypes about young people from poorer or more violent communities. They also question whether students should be exposed to a maximum-security facility as part of an educational program.
Costa Rica’s College of Criminology Professionals said programs based on taking young people into prisons have not consistently reduced criminal behavior. The organization urged the government to focus instead on education, employment, sports, culture and psychological support in communities most vulnerable to gang recruitment.
Opposition lawmakers also challenged the proposal, saying students would benefit more from visits to universities, museums, national parks and cultural institutions that present opportunities rather than punishment.
Some legislators said the plan risks treating young people from certain neighborhoods as potential criminals because of where they live. They argued that prevention programs should avoid stigmatizing entire communities.
The controversy comes as the Fernández administration moves forward with a broader package of tough-on-crime measures targeting organized criminal groups. The government has promoted longer sentences, new offenses related to gang membership, mandatory work programs for prisoners and expanded powers for law enforcement.
CACCO is being developed to hold gang leaders, drug traffickers and other inmates considered especially dangerous. Its design and strict security model have drawn comparisons with El Salvador’s prison system. The government says the facility is necessary as Costa Rica confronts record levels of violence linked largely to disputes between drug-trafficking organizations.
The administration has not confirmed whether the proposed student visits will become an official Ministry of Public Education program. It has also not explained which schools could participate, whether parental permission would be required or whether visits would be voluntary.
Those unanswered questions are likely to shape the debate as the government decides whether to move the proposal beyond the president’s initial remarks.
