Estado de México considers house arrest to ease prison overcrowding

Authorities in the State of Mexico are analyzing the implementation of house arrest via electronic monitoring to alleviate severe overcrowding in the state's prison system. State Security Secretary Cristóbal Castañeda Camarillo stated that the proposal is not intended for mass releases but is targeted at specific groups, including elderly inmates and those with terminal illnesses. Any transition to house arrest would require individual judicial authorization and would not automatically extinguish legal processes or sentences.

The initiative comes as the State of Mexico faces a significant infrastructure crisis. Data indicates that the prison population has grown substantially; in 2023, the inmate population reached approximately 35,826, while the installed capacity was only 14,917, representing an overcapacity of 140.2 percent.