Prison crisis in Venezuela becomes political football
A child watches the troop activity from a window near the El Rodeo II prison in Guatire, Venezuela, Monday, June 20, 2011. Thousands of National Guard troops stormed the adjacent El Rodeo I prison complex last June 17 seeking to disarm prisoners days after a bloody riot, setting off gunfights with resisting inmates that have left at least one inmate and two soldiers dead, and more than 18 wounded.
Fernando Llano/AP
These comments are not screened before publication. Constructive debate about the above story is welcome, but personal attacks are not. Please do not post comments that are commercial in nature or that violate any copyright[s]. Comments that we regard as obscene, defamatory, or intended to incite violence will be removed. If you find a comment offensive, you may flag it.
If you have questions about comments or comment policy, check out our FAQ page . When posting a comment, you agree to our Terms of Service .Prison Gang Riots - News
The inmates resisted, led by powerful gang leaders known as “pranes," and since then they have been battling with some 4000 troops sent to restore order. This latest outbreak follows the death of 19 inmates in riots in the adjoining Rodeo I prison the
In an interview with TV Patrol, de Lima lamented that prison gangs, and not the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), have been running Bilibid facilities. "Totoo po iyon na may banta ng riot, although ang plano ko talaga after ma-dismantle, ay hintayin ko na
For instance a “supergrass” has emerged who could put several UVF members in prison. In addition, up to half a dozen UVF members have been charged with serious crime arising from police investigations of the UVF Mount Vernon gang in north Belfast run
MANILA, Philippines - Lawmakers on Tuesday uncovered more anomalies inside the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City including the use of special "kubols" (cubicles) for wealthy inmates and how prison gangs control
I have no idea whether the riots were organized — it seemed dreadfully disorganized in my view — but in the months that followed the police did crack down mightily on the Clark Park Gang, and there was general agreement among the public that this was
Behind the Venezuelan Prison Riots: the State of Venezuela's ...
Merida, June 21st 2011 (Venezuelanalysis.com) – Five days into a deadly prison riot at one of Venezuela’s most notorious urban prisons, government officials today continued their efforts to bring the riot and kidnapping to a close through dialogue. Having already transferred the majority (2,500) of El Rodeo Prison’s inmates to nearby prisons, authorities said they are negotiating directly with the Pranes prison gang in an attempt to secure the release of the remaining 1,000 prisoners.
Since clashes began late Thursday night, the official death count includes four prisoners and two members of the National Guard. In addition, 38 people have been wounded- 18 prisoners and 20 members of the security forces. According to a National Guard spokesman, 36 inmates were “rescued” from “violent prisoners” on Monday afternoon, though gunshots were reported late Monday night.
At midday Tuesday, the names of the 2,500 transferred prisoners were made public so as to calm uncertainty among prisoner’s families.
Violence in Venezuela’s Prisons
According to the International Centre for Prison Studies (ICPS), the 43,461 people currently held in Venezuelan prisons place the country’s prison population rate at 149 prisoners per 100,000 inhabitants. Countries in the region with higher prison population rates (based on the same per 100,000 figure) include the United States (743), Chile (305), Guyana (284), Brazil (253), Mexico (200), and Colombia (181).
While Venezuela’s per capital prison rate is lower than some in the region, violent clashes are commonplace; with figures from an Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) hearing that refer to 476 dead and 967 wounded in 2010 alone. A year earlier, the Venezuelan Prison Observatory (OVP) published their 2009 report placing the total number of prisoners killed and wounded that year at 366 and 635, respectively. While these figures are troubling, they can be considered an improvement if compared to prison violence in 2008 (422 dead, 854 wounded) and 2007 (498 dead, 1,023 wounded).
Overcrowding appears to be a major factor triggering Venezuela’s levels of prison violence. According to InsightCrime.com , Venezuela has the capacity to house 14,500 inmates in a total of 34 prisons nationwide, but with almost 44,000 prisoners the country is nearing three times as many prisoners as capacity to house them.
El Rodeo I and II, for example, were originally designed to house 750 prisoners, one fifth of the actual 3,500 they were holding at the time riots began on Thursday. In late April of this year, prisoners at El Rodeo also took 22 officials hostage in what they claimed was a protest against a tuberculosis outbreak in the prison.
Prison Gang Riots - Bookshelf
Governing prisons, a comparative study of correctional management
An examination of the prison riots of 1951-1953 inspires what, from the sociological perspective, is a heretical speculation; namely, that the prison gang ...Small Arms Survey 2010, Gangs, Groups, and Guns
The Danger of Dungeons PRIsoN GaNGs aNd INCaRCeRated MILItaNt GRouPs ... prison riots sparked by clashes between jailed members of rival Central American ...Crime & justice, an introduction
Prison Riots in the 1990s. Richard Hawkins and Geoffrey Alpert contend that there ... a more dangerous and destructive force has emerged, the prison gang. ...The U.S. federal prison system
A number of riots occurred in the mid-1990s, including one at Leavenworth and ... the common explanations for riots, such as overcrowding, prison gangs, ...Behind the walls, a guide for family and friends of Texas inmates
racism, riots, and gangs A Time cover story in the early 1980's declared the East Texas prison unit of Eastham “America's Toughest Prison,” a distinction ...Daily Article Directory
SAVE A LIFE - Foreign Prisoners Support Service
Relatives mourn prison-riot deaths. Guatemala gang: Prison weapons ... Gang members blame rivals for prison riots. News images from the Riot. CLICK HERE TO RETURN ...
YouTube - Rival Gangs Riot in Mexican Prison
A riot between rival gangs has broken out at a jail in Mexico. The conflict killed two and injured at least seven. Here's more. A standoff at a prison in the...
Mexico's drug war: A fierce battle between rival drug gangs ...
A soldier stands guard at the prison in Ciudad Juarez during the riot. ... A fierce battle between rival drug gangs at a prison in the Mexican border city of Ciudad ...
Prison Gangs - Articles
Find information on Prison Gangs, including articles, training and products for corrections officers and facilities.
Twenty killed in rival gang prison riot - FRANCE 24
Twenty people died and at least 25 more were injured in a prison riot involving rival gangs in the northern Mexican state of Durango on Friday, a security official ...