The Minister of Government of Panama, Roger Tejada, announced the construction of three new penitentiary centers in the country, a male penitentiary will be established in the province of Colón, as well as two women’s prisons in the province of Panama.

Tejada confirmed that this week the opening ceremony will be held for the construction of a Confinement Center for cases of drug trafficking and gangs in the province of Colón.

In addition, he reported that the construction of a women’s penitentiary center will begin in the district of Las Garzas, called La Perla, and another called La Esmeralda, which will be located in Pacora. The minister did not provide details about the cost of the new prisons or their capacity.

According to the statistics of the General Directorate of the Penitentiary System until November 2023, Panama has 23,342 inmates, of which 22,158 are men, and 64% of them are sentenced. There are 1,184 women prisoners, of which 75% have already been convicted. The report highlights a total overpopulation of 8,751 inmates.