Dominican Republic prison system exceeds capacity by 42%

prison overcrowding pre-trial detention human rights penitentiary system ONDP report

The National Office of Public Defense (ONDP) has released its 2025 Report on Detention and Prison Conditions, highlighting a severe crisis within the Dominican Republic's penitentiary system. The report reveals that the prison population reached 23,270 individuals at the end of 2025, significantly exceeding the system's capacity of 16,357 available spots. This results in an occupancy rate of 142.26%, meaning the system is overcrowded by 42.26%.

A critical driver of this overcrowding is the high rate of pre-trial detention, which accounts for 64.57% of the total inmate population. ONDP Director Rodolfo Valentín Santos emphasized that pre-trial detention should be an exceptional measure rather than the standard rule.

The report documents substandard living conditions, noting that many inmates are forced to sleep on floors, in hallways, or in improvised structures known as 'goletas'. Furthermore, the ONDP identified significant deficiencies in essential services, including shortages of medical staff, essential medicines, mental health services, food, and water. Security vulnerabilities were also noted in facilities such as Puerto Plata and Najayo, where infrastructure flaws allow prohibited items to be introduced via packages thrown from outside.

Entities

Ciudad del Niño · Dominican Republic · Elizabeth Rodríguez · Enmanuel Contreras Medina · Franklin Romero · Najayo · National Office of Public Defense · Oficina Nacional de Defensa Pública · Puerto Plata · Rodolfo Valentín Santos · San Felipe · Supreme Court of Justice

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 3 SOURCES] Approximately 64.57 percent of inmates in the Dominican Republic are in pretrial detention. diario55.com · primermomento.com · elviajero.com.do
[● 3 SOURCES] Inmates in some facilities sleep on floors, in hallways, or in improvised structures called 'goletas'. diario55.com · primermomento.com · elviajero.com.do
[● 4 SOURCES] Prison overcrowding in the Dominican Republic exceeds capacity by 42.26 percent. diario55.com · primermomento.com · elviajero.com.do · www.horacerodigital.online
[● 8 SOURCES] The ONDP released the 2025 Report on Detention and Prison Conditions. diario55.com · primermomento.com · elviajero.com.do · www.prensa-latina.cu · dominicanaaldia.com · +1 more
[● 4 SOURCES] The Dominican prison population reached 23,270 at the end of 2025. diario55.com · primermomento.com · elviajero.com.do · www.horacerodigital.online
[● 5 SOURCES] The report identifies deficiencies in healthcare, medication, food, and water supply. diario55.com · primermomento.com · elviajero.com.do · www.horacerodigital.online
[○ 1 SOURCE] Security flaws in Puerto Plata and Najayo allow the entry of prohibited items via packages thrown from outside. dominicanaaldia.com
[● 4 SOURCES] The prison system has 16,357 available spots for a population of 23,270. diario55.com · primermomento.com · elviajero.com.do · www.horacerodigital.online
[● 4 SOURCES] Inmates are sleeping on floors, in hallways, and in improvised structures called 'goletas'. diario55.com · primermomento.com · elviajero.com.do · www.horacerodigital.online
[● 4 SOURCES] Prison facilities face shortages of medical staff, essential medicines, and mental health services. diario55.com · primermomento.com · elviajero.com.do
[● 4 SOURCES] The prison system's occupancy rate is 142.26%, exceeding capacity by 42.26%. diario55.com · primermomento.com · elviajero.com.do · www.horacerodigital.online
[● 4 SOURCES] Pre-trial detention accounts for 64.57% of the total prison population. diario55.com · primermomento.com · elviajero.com.do · www.horacerodigital.online