Ombudsman's Office requests urgent measures in the face of humanitarian crisis in temporary detention centers

On Thursday, the Ombudsman's Office requested an urgent solution to the overcrowding crisis that occurs in temporary detention centers in Colombia, which would be causing a serious violation of human rights to the population deprived of liberty and which would be exacerbated by the covid-19 health crisis.

This was reported by the ombudsman, Carlos Camargo, during the presentation of the report on the current human rights situation of the population in the country's temporary detention centers, who explained that the historic problem of overcrowding was transferred to the URIs of the Prosecutor's Office and Police stations after INPEC prohibited in March 2020 the entry of new convicts and unionees into its prisons.

“Persons deprived of liberty held in these places are subject to serious violations of their rights that prevent any hint of re-socialization and generate threats to the life and integrity of both the deprived of liberty and the public force, who are forced to take on a task that is far from their constitutional mission”, said the defender.

Before INPEC made this determination in the prisons it administers in the national territory, overcrowding exceeded 51.49 per cent, which represented an overpopulation of 41,670 prisoners, however, this figure decreased by about 30 per cent as of March 2022 in prisons administered by the entity, however, this figure fell by about 30 per cent in the prisons administered by the entity. was transferred to the country's temporary detention centers.

In this regard, he noted that by August 2021 there was an overcrowding of 189% in the URIs of the Prosecutor's Office and Police stations in the country, however, by March the figures of overcrowding exceeded 194% with 20,951 persons deprived of liberty in transitional centers with capacity for 7,131 detainees, generating a violation on the rights of these persons that must be urgently addressed.

“These numbers of overcrowding translate into inadequate spaces for sleeping, eating food, facilitating the spread of diseases due to lack of ventilation, and increases stress among the population deprived of liberty, which translates into constant quarrels and attempts at mutiny, one of the reasons we insist on urgency of comprehensive reform of the penitentiary and prison system,” said defender Camargo.

He also indicated that the nine cities with the highest numbers of overcrowding in the country in these centers are: Bucaramanga with 835.6%, Santa Marta with 590%, Bogotá with 553.4%, Cucuta with 491.4%, Riohacha with 333.7%, Medellin with 293.3%, Cali with 274.3%, Valledupar with 268% and Maicao with 208%.

Finally, the Office of the Ombudsman urgently appealed to public entities linked to the country's penitentiary and prison system to take the necessary measures in a timely manner to urge that temporary detention centers comply with a “strict legal destination” and cease to be used as permanent detention establishments”.

“It is concluded from the foregoing that there is a situation of impairment of the fundamental right not to be subjected to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment of persons who must remain inmates in the URIs and Police Stations of Bogotá, under the conditions indicated above, which makes it appropriate to grant amparo and adopt measures aimed not only at overcoming the current situation in these temporary detention centers, but also aimed at preventing the recurrence of similar events, in the face of the latent danger that happens”, concludes in a report by the Ombudsman's Office.

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