This series of five case studies and one policy report explores how government mismanagement, neglect and corruption have made the jails in the region powerful incubators of organized crime.
The Prison Dilemma in the Americas
COLOMBIA
/
16 FEB 2017
Chapter 1
The Prison Dilemma: Latin America’s Incubators of Organized Crime
PRISONS
/
19 JAN 2017
The prison system in Latin America and the Caribbean has become a prime incubator for organized crime. This overview -- the first of six reports on prison systems that we…
Chapter 2
Reign of the Kaibil: Guatemala’s Prisons Under Byron Lima
BARRIO 18
/
26 JAN 2017
Following Guatemala's long and brutal civil war, members of the military were charged, faced trial and sentenced to jail time. Even some members of a powerful elite unit known as…
Chapter 3
Where Chaos Reigns: Inside the San Pedro Sula Prison
BARRIO 18
/
2 FEB 2017
In San Pedro Sula's jailhouse, chaos reigns. The inmates, trapped in their collective misery, battle for control over every inch of their tight quarters. Farm animals and guard dogs roam…
Chapter 4
Colombia's Mirror: War and Drug Trafficking in the Prison System
AUC
/
10 FEB 2017
Colombia's prisons are a reflection of the multiple conflicts that have plagued the country for the last half-century. Paramilitaries, guerrillas and drug trafficking groups have vied for control of the…
Chapter 5
El Salvador Prisons and the Battle for the MS13’s Soul
BARRIO 18
/
16 FEB 2017
El Salvador's prison system is the headquarters of the country's largest gangs. It is also where one of these gangs, the MS13, is fighting amongst itself for control of the…
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BARRIO 18
/
25 JAN 2013
Figures on the number of missing people in El Salvador are hard to come by, and even harder to trust.
COLOMBIA
/
1 JAN 2018
In a September 22 letter to Colombia’s UN Verification Mechanism, Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de…
BARRIO 18
/
19 JUN 2017
The Barrio 18 gang in El Salvador allegedly engaged in large-scale extortion of a community water management project, underscoring flaws…
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