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Prisons
Painting the picture of the least understood, and potentially most potent, part of the criminal underworld.
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Will Soaring Arrests in El Salvador Overwhelm its Prisons?
NEWS
/
16 MAY 2022
As part of his sweeping gang crackdown, El Salvador President Nayib Bukele has overseen the mass imprisonment of tens of thousands of people, potentially jeopardizing recent efforts to mitigate overcrowding…
Ecuador's Smaller Gangs Making Deadly Statements in Large-Scale Massacres
NEWS
/
10 MAY 2022
Ecuador has seen its sixth large-scale prison massacre since the start of 2021, with at least 44 prisoners being killed during a riot at a jail west of Quito.
Colombia's Prison Corruption Exposed as Top Trafficker Strolls Out
NEWS
/
21 MAR 2022
A top Colombian drug trafficker walked out of a maximum-security prison in Bogotá without ever being challenged, exposing deep-seated corruption and threatening important criminal cases.
Venezuela Judicial Woes Exacerbated as Prison Guards Extort Inmates
NEWS
/
17 MAR 2022
The families of Venezuelan detainees have complained that prisoners are being extorted by guards and officials in order to simply be taken to their court hearings, further worsening Venezuela's critical…
Uruguay Asks Difficult Questions About Italian Mobster's Jailbreak
NEWS
/
16 MAR 2022
Rocco Morabito’s story has all the makings of a great film script. The Italian mob, tons of cocaine, exotic destinations, a daring prison escape. But as his legal wranglings finally…
GameChangers 2021 – No End in Sight for Ecuador's Downward Spiral
NEWS
/
24 DEC 2021
Ecuador's descent into violence followed a common path: more cocaine led to more cash and more weapons for the gangs. But it happened faster than anywhere else.
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