Islas Marías Federal Prison

The Islas Marías Federal Penal Colony is a penitentiary establishment of the Federal Government of Mexico, administered through the Federal Secretariat of Public Security. It is located on Isla María Madre, the northernmost island of the largest of the Marías Islands archipielago.

Built in 1905, under the government of Porfirio Díaz, the prison of las Islas Marías was "the pride of the government" becoming the most modern prison model of its time, "escape proof", which operated as an alternative to house the delinquents, who due to their profile and background, could not be held in the prison of Lecumberri. The common delinquency that occurred in Mexico during the first decades of the twentieth century was enough to supply the prison colony.

Until 1950 this prison colony was known as a feared detention center, due to violence, disease, and forced labor. It is calculated that the total number of prisoners to be housed there is above 29 thousand.

During the government of Ernesto Zedillo the government decided to modernize the prison system and Islas Marias was deactivated. On 27 November, 2003 it was declared a biosphere reserve but with the prison system still existing.

The prison situation in Mexico becd in 2004 that they were reactivating the Islas Marias prison to transfer 2,500 prisoners from prisons all over the country. [http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2004/10/13/048n1soc.php?origen=index.html&fly=1]

Prison Escapes

The prison has had at least 70 escapes in the last 25 years of which 29 took place in 1986 alone. According to newspaper reports the causes are minimum vigilance, shortage of guards and equipment. Among the most dangerous to escape were criminals sentenced for drug trafficking, 28 murderers, and kidnappers. Of the 70 escapees from the Islas Marías only four have been recaptured. According to one source [http://www.esmas.com/noticierostelevisa/investigaciones/447268.html] 95% of the escapes are due to corruption.

On 25 October 1986, an entire family of kidnappers escaped. The Reyes Servín brothers, from Michoacán have never been caught.

On 16 January 2006, three drug dealers managed to escape. These were José Abraham González Salas, Fernando Méndez del Fierro and Luis Rey López Barrera. González Salas and Méndez del Fierro were sentenced in California, United States. Through the program of interchange they were transferred to the state o Michoacán. González Salas had been sentenced to 24 years for traffic of methamphetamines and heroin. Méndez del Fierro had been sentenced to 18 years for possession and distribution cocaine. Coming from San Luis Potosí, López Barrera entered the Islas Marías on 7 October, 2000. He had been sentenced to 11 years and three months for possession and transport of marihuana.

Administration

For many years the prison was administered by the Secretariat of the Interior. Over the years the prison population has fluctuated from 300 to 3000 prisoners.

In addition to prisoners, on Maria Madre island, there are employees of diverse institutions of the federal government, such as the Secretariat of Public Education, the Secretariat of the Environment, the Secretariat of Communications and Transport, Post Offices, and the Secretariat of the Navy.

Another group of settlers is made up of religious ministers and acolytes of the Catholic Church, nuns of the Order of Social Service, and invited teachers, technicians and their relatives.

The colony is governed by a state official who is both the governor of the islands and chief judge.

The military command is independent of the government and is exercised by an officer of the Mexican Navy.

External links

* [http://www.esmas.com/noticierostelevisa/mexico/419382.html Las fugas de las Islas Marias]
* [http://www.esmas.com/noticierostelevisa/investigaciones/447268.html La corrupción y las grandes fugas]
* [http://www.senadoraesquivel.com/columnas.HTML Proposal by Senator Rita Esquivel to change prison]