Their reality is a 4x4-meter cell of cement and iron, where only a few rays of sunlight enter each day and where sleep comes on concrete beds. Among the inmates are leaders of rival drug gangs that have launched a violent turf war in the streets of San José’s southern and western neighborhoods, leaving a toll of 165 deaths in only nine months. Here's a look.
Esteban Ramírez, known for his films "Caribe" (2004) and "Gestación" (2009), was inspired by his father's documentary "Los Presos" (1973), about the everyday life of the inmates of a prison once located in what is now the Children's Museum in San José. The new film depicts the life of modern-day Costa Rican inmates, including positive changes that have taken place since the days of the 1973 film.
Located in San Rafael de Alajuela, La Reforma prison is the biggest in Costa Rica. The Tico Times recently visited the prison and took portraits of some of the inmates.
Authorities did not say how long the pigeon had been flying high in its life of crime, but it will now spend its days behind bars at an animal rescue center.
In 2005, the country’s prisons were 4 percent overcrowded. Today there are an additional 4,793 people behind bars, bringing the overcrowding rate to 54 percent. There are a total of 13,923 people in prison in Costa Rica.
