Itaúna new prison to open in late 2026

A new prison in Itaúna, Minas Gerais, is expected to be inaugurated in the second half of 2026, potentially in October. The project, costing approximately R$ 31.1 million, features a 3,597.70 square meter facility designed to provide 306 vacancies. This new structure will replace the existing facility on Rua Santana, which currently holds only 68 inmates.

The inauguration has faced delays; while originally scheduled for June 2025, the Department of Penitentiary of Minas Gerais (Depen-MG) cited the complexity of such projects as the reason for the schedule adjustments. Leonardo Badaró, the director-general of Depen-MG, stated that adjustments are often necessary during construction and final preparation.

The new facility includes administrative areas, entrance gates, and spaces dedicated to work, professionalization, and study to comply with sentencing laws. Once operational, inmates from the old facility will be transferred following an operational plan monitored by judicial and control bodies. However, legal experts have noted that while the new capacity is an improvement, it may not fully address the systemic issue of prison overcrowding in the state.