Quintana Roo prisons exceed capacity by over 100 percent

Prisons in Quintana Roo, Mexico, are operating at more than double their intended capacity. According to data from the federal Monthly Notebook of National Penitentiary Statistical Information by the Secretaría de Seguridad y Protección Ciudadana (SSPC), the state's four correctional centers held 5,431 inmates at the end of August, despite having an installed capacity of only 2,695 spaces.

This represents an overpopulation rate of 101.15 percent, placing Quintana Roo seventh nationally in terms of prison overcrowding. The Cancún penitentiary holds the largest population with 2,302 inmates, followed by Chetumal with 1,698, Playa del Carmen with 1,231, and Cozumel with 190.

In response to the deficit, state authorities are planning to expand prison infrastructure. The proposed project aims to enable more than 700 additional spaces across the centers in Cancún, Chetumal, and Cozumel.