Exploring the world or prisons

hilarious_petal | Elite Scholars Academy A | United States of America

This post was written by a student. It has not been fact checked or edited.

Prison Emergency in Ecuador

As of January 9’th 2024, Ecuador has declared a state of emergency after the most wanted gang leader “Fito”. Many might be thinking, why would Ecuador declare a state of emergency for one person? And future more questions, how did the most dangerous gang leader escape a prison full of guards and has yet to be caught? This leads me to the topic I will be discussing from this standpoint, Are prisons a safe and secure place to keep people who have committed serious crimes and why aren't law enforcement able to catch these men and stop these crimes? Lastly, do these prisons help stop these crimes, or do they give prisoners more reason to be angry and do even worse things when their sentence is completed.

To begin, there are on average 330 deaths each year inside prisons. These deaths aren’t from old age though, these deaths are from bad conditions inside the prisons. Some of these bad conditions include nasty cells, poor air quality, nonedible foods, and more. These conditions contribute to one of the bigger issues Ecuador is facing, prison escapes. To continue, on average there are 2,231 prison escapes each year, and on average, law enforcement is not able to catch these men after they escape. And moving on to our last question, about 44% of inmates who complete their sentences end up back in prison once again.

Using the evidence and data from above, I feel the escape of Ecuador's most wanted gang leader, Fito, and the subsequent declaration of a state of emergency underscore the pressing need for reforms within the prison system and law enforcement agencies. The alarming statistics of deaths within prisons, frequent escapes, and high rates of recidivism highlight systemic failures in ensuring the safety of inmates, preventing criminal activities, and facilitating successful rehabilitation. Addressing these challenges demands comprehensive reforms that prioritize humane treatment, effective rehabilitation programs, enhanced security measures, and improved law enforcement strategies. Only through concerted efforts to rectify these issues can prisons fulfill their role in promoting public safety, deterring crime, and fostering rehabilitation, ultimately leading to a more just and secure society.