The Secretary of Criminal Affairs of the Ministry of Justice and Security of Santa Fe, Lucía Masneri, announced at a press conference that works will be carried out in penitentiary centers, specifically near the Piñero prison. This is a new infrastructure intended for high-profile inmates with very specific features and high levels of security.
It will consist of four mini-prisons with 288 cells, with 12 pavilions with 24 cells, to house 1,152 inmates in total. Approximately $107,000 million will be invested in the work, which will have a covered area of 46,000 m².
“It will be, without a doubt, the highest security prison in Argentina and probably the highest security prison in Latin America,” said Masneri. The future penitentiary unit will house up to 1,152 inmates in its first stage, including male and female inmates.
As detailed by the Secretary, each cell will be occupied by a single inmate to avoid contact between inmates. In addition, the visits they receive will be controlled and all existing technology will be used to guarantee their safety.
“It will have physical barriers, not only to prevent egress or evasion from the inside but also to be able to repel any assisted evasion,” Masneri explained. Additionally, he indicated that there are currently almost 600 inmates considered ‘high profile’ but this number is growing exponentially.
The construction of the new penitentiary center will have an estimated duration of 20 months from its beginning in January 2025 until its completion. It will be located diagonal to the land where the penitentiary unit is located today on Route 14.
Apart from housing high-profile prisoners, the ultimate goal is to ensure that there are no prisoners in police stations. The new infrastructure will have a place for post-operative care, medical care and visits to minimize the need for inmates to leave the prison.
