On Monday, the prison system registered 15,000 inmates, a record incarcerated population rate that the parliamentary commissioner for prisons, Juan Miguel Petit, describes as a “sub-state,” due to the number of people, the resources used and the isolation.

Every 200 Uruguayans, one is imprisoned. That makes the country the tenth in the world with the highest rate of prisoners.

According to Petit, the trend is upward, although releasing prisoners, some 26 a day, is problematic for those who have lost family ties, lack resources or are under threat in their neighborhoods.

The parliamentary commissioner and the Minister of Social Development, Martin Lema, agree on the need to give the recently released prisoners a card to buy food, in order to avoid their receiving or join the army of those who live in street conditions.

The poor living conditions in the penitentiary system and the absence of rehabilitative policies are Petit’s claims and of public knowledge.

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