Some 5,000 detainees they could be released from social rehabilitation centers until the end of the year.
The President Guillermo Lasso signed on Monday, February 21, a decree accelerating the pardon for certain persons deprived of liberty (PPL), during the presentation of the public policy of social rehabilitation (2022-2025), which has a $27 million budget.
To access this benefit, detainees must meet the following requirements: guilty verdict for robbery, theft, fraud, breach of trust; have served at least 40% of the custodial sentence freedom in the case of those sentenced under the Penal Code and Code of Criminal Procedure and having served at least 60% in the case of those sentenced under the Organic Comprehensive Criminal Code; what do not hold other convictions or precautionary measures in force; that he does not have a criminal proceeding under prior investigation against him; and that the person deprived of liberty has not been punished disciplinary from his admission to the center of deprivation of liberty.
In Ecuador, according to the Government, in the prison system there are 34,821 people when the installed capacity is 30,169 seats.
Technical careers and work in companies, some axes for the rehabilitation of persons deprived of liberty (PPL), according to the Government
Lasso, in an interview broadcast this Tuesday, February 22, and broadcast from the Government Palace, in the center of Quito, said that seeks to reduce prison overcrowding and also to protect many innocent citizens who have committed petty crimes.
The president maintained that the mechanism they found in consultation with the Constitutional Court (CC) and the Prosecutor’s Office is that, through a decree, the conditions for that pardon are established and let them be judges who resolve under the established parameters.
15 prisoners were transferred from the Turi prison to a prison in Loja
“I aspire for them to go free. at least 5,000 people deprived of liberty, end the overcrowding until the end of the year and thus have a much more favorable environment for security and for social rehabilitation work inside the prisons”, he explained.
The initiative to pardon certain prisoners has generated reactions for and against. The debate has even taken place through digital platforms.
Alexandra Zumárraga, former director of Social Rehabilitation, said she was surprised that those who could be pardoned include those who committed the crime of robbery, since this in itself implies violence. She considers that the decree contains a “patch” solution, since the underlying problem is not addressed, which is, in her opinion, the lack of a social rehabilitation policy.
“There are no rehabilitation programs. In other words, there are very few programs inside prisons. There are no workshops, there are hardly any schools. Yes, there is the issue of universities, but that attends to 1% or 2% of the prison population, which in fifteen years rose to 400%”, she stated.
Steven Reyes, a criminal lawyer, mentioned that it is important for the government to be adequately informed about the requirements that those who would benefit from the pardon must meet so that there is no fear among citizens or the general idea that all those deprived of their liberty would be released from jail. prisons under this figure or that will be able to access it.
“The main thing here will be that they carefully review the beneficiaries’ files, because if the requirements set out in the decree are not met, they should not be released from jail, because it is most likely that they will be a PPL (person deprived of liberty) who He has not been rehabilitated and is sure to continue committing crimes,” said the legal professional.
In the case of crimes of fraud or breach of trust, Reyes indicated that the integral relationship with the victims must be fulfilled, since only in this way will the latter feel that they have been compensated for the damage committed. (I)
Source: Eluniverso
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