La crisis penitenciaria en Ecuador: ¿Un mal sin remedio?

Abstract

The prison crisis in Ecuador is a reflection that contrasts the criteria of penitentiary experts and the prison problems that the country is currently experiencing; It starts with a theoretical account of the issue, the global crisis that has been a constant in the prison environment, with emphasis on Latin America and specifically Ecuador. Although the prison system is supported by international and national standards that guarantee fundamental rights, the treatment of those deprived of liberty and the actions of the prison administration, this has not been enough, since without the political will of the governments of turn, resocialization will not be crystallized. In short, the narrative of this investigation shows the constant violation of the fundamental rights of those deprived of liberty in Ecuador, especially the attack on dignity as the main attribute of the human being. It is a qualitative investigation, whose technique used is documentary observation; In other words, it has started from the analysis of reports from the Ombudsman's Office to the different rehabilitation centers throughout Ecuador, reports from the media and international judgments that have served as a precedent.

The main problems that deepen the prison crisis are: the deterioration of the prison infrastructure, violence, corruption and the indiscriminate use of pretrial detention. In short, while trying to solve the prison problem from a security and control approach, positive results will not be achieved; Thus, the crisis requires a global vision that encompasses security, control and rehabilitation, all with the political will of the State supported by academia.