Overcrowded prisons in Peru mix drug traffickers, petty criminals

Published: 2005-12-30

LIMA, Peru (CNS) -- Peru's Callao Penitentiary is overcrowded and reeks of urine and rotten food. Three times over capacity, the prison's overpopulation often causes violent outbursts and brawls. Callao is full of foreigners incarcerated for drug trafficking, but inmates were also picked up for petty crimes and low-level drug deals. In Peru, it normally takes at least six months until a case is brought to trial, said Danzia Jimenez, a social worker. Available statistics indicate that only about 21 percent of Peru's inmates have seen a judge and are legally incarcerated. Prisoners beg for cigarettes and money to call people on the outside. They all complain about the unending noise, horrendous food, lack of privacy and constant threat of assault. Bishop Miguel Irizar Campos of Callao said the situation in Peru's prisons is serious. Three years ago, the Callao Diocese launched a $150,000 project with funding from the Basque region of Spain, where Bishop Irizar is from. The money enabled them to set up a team of lawyers, psychologists, social workers and medical personnel for prisoners. "We called it the ministry of hope, because we must give back hope to those who have lost it," the bishop said.

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