Starting May this year, Peru will promote the use of electronic shackles among accused persons and prisoners serving less than 8 years imprisonment, which will help reduce overcrowding in jails.
Announcement was made by the head of the National Penitentiary Institute—INPE Julio Magan, who expects to sign the contract with the wining consortium in April and start using the electronic surveillance device from May.
INPE and the Judiciary must integrate their protocols into the system to put it into operation.
According to Magan, the use of shackles will help relieve overcrowding in prisons by sending about 5% of prisoners, that is, 3,500-5,000 people to their homes.
The pilot project will be implemented in Lima and Callao and each prisoner wishing to take advantage of such benefit will have to pay about S/5.00 (about US$1.45) a day for it.
Those eligible for the benefit include suspects who have just been sentenced to imprisonment without bail. Instead of serving a prison sentence, the person could attend scheduled appearances in court and wear electronic shackles while the process is running.
Those already in custody might also be eligible.
The system would be also used by convicted persons able to claim prison benefits.
(END) ART/RRC/RMB/MVB
Published: 1/21/2016