Current situation of the Model Prison in the city of Cúcuta

Abstract

Lack of healthcare, overcrowding, mistreatment, and appalling food service are the main problems faced by inmates at the Cúcuta penitentiary. Like animals crammed into a shed, piled one on top of the other on haphazardly arranged planks or simply lying on the floor, shrouded in the darkness of pestilent dungeons where rats roam freely, the prisoners subsist in overcrowded conditions that would test even the best Tetris player. Due to this news coverage, the project seeks to analyze the current situation at the Modelo Prison in the city of Cúcuta. To this end, a documentary review was first conducted to identify the reasons for and origin of the problems, as well as their underlying causes. Interviews were also carried out with former inmates, yielding important and verifiable information. These interviews confirmed the accuracy of the facts reported in the news and newspapers, revealing the poor conditions in which the inmates are held. Therefore, it is clear that the Modelo Prison in Cúcuta is in a serious and evident crisis. The infrastructure is inadequate to house so many people, and the treatment is inappropriate, considering that these are human beings, not animals.