According to a report from the General Directorate of the Penitentiary System, until March 3, in-person visits will be suspended, although family members will be able to take parcels or valuables and deliver them to the checkpoints.

The measure is taken after the confrontation between gangs and the shooting that left two dead in La Joya and Nueva Joya prisons last Friday.

The authorities have assured that they intend to implement a millionaire security system in the penitentiary centers, in addition, the dismissal and separation of officials have been confirmed.

In statements to the press, the Minister of Government, Roger Tejada, regretted what happened, assuring that together with the Ministry of Security and other authorities they visited the prisons and were able to review the reports on the entry of prohibited articles, and although there has been a decrease, the objective is to bring it to zero, he remarked.

Tejada added that there is a technological plan, with the intervention of international organizations, although he acknowledged that there is a problem of corruption.

On the other hand, he emphasized that the day before a director of a penitentiary center was dismissed and the director of internal security was separated due to anomalies.

He added that in the last two weeks they have dismissed at least 12 officials, among them guards, psychologists, social workers and members of the Prison Technical Board.

These dismissals are related to the introduction of articles, concessions to prisoners. In prisons there can be no perks, favors nor special treatment’, he indicated.

He also confirmed the dismissal of National Police agents and advanced details of the plan for the re-socialization of detainees and the construction of a model prison.

mh/jav/lam/ga