# Peru prison security and reform initiatives

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/peru-prison-security-and-reform-initiatives
> Updated: 2026-09-06T11:41:35.000Z. Sources: 12. Developments: 2.

In August 2026, Peru’s Minister of Justice and Human Rights, Ernesto Álvarez Miranda, proposed a restructuring of the national penitentiary system. The plan aimed to prioritize security and order as requirements for inmate resocialization, including the recruitment of retired military and police personnel to serve as prison agents. The proposal also included building specialized, low-cost prisons for non-violent offenders and potentially establishing a jungle-based prison focused on agricultural rehabilitation.

By September 2026, the government moved toward active security enforcement following a 60-day state of emergency declared for five high-risk prisons in Tacna, Pasco, Lima, and Trujillo. The affected facilities include Challapalca (Tacna), Cochamarca (Pasco), Trujillo Varones (La Libertad), Miguel Castro Castro, and Ancón I (Lima). Under this decree, the National Police and Armed Forces are deployed to secure prison perimeters, with operations extending up to 200 meters around the installations.

The measure aims to prevent criminal leaders from coordinating illegal activities, such as extortion, drug trafficking, and killings, from within the facilities. Authorities are authorized to seize mobile phones, SIM cards, and communication equipment, and to dismantle illegal antennas. To support these efforts, the Ministry of Defense has deployed high-technology equipment to the ‘El Milagro’ prison in Trujillo, including millimeter-wave devices, metal detectors, and X-ray machines to address security deficiencies. This strategy involves direct coordination between the Ministry of Defense and justice authorities to reinforce access controls and prevent unauthorized communications.

## Claims

- The emergency affects prisons in Tacna, Pasco, La Libertad, and Lima. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- The government of Peru declared a 60-day state of emergency in five high-risk prisons. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- The National Police and Armed Forces are authorized to deploy in a 200-meter radius around the prisons. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- The emergency aims to prevent the entry of weapons, communication devices, and prohibited objects. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- Constitutional rights to freedom of movement and assembly are suspended within the security perimeter. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- The Ministry of Defense deployed millimeter-wave devices, metal detectors, and X-ray equipment to El Milagro prison in Trujillo. (single source)

## Timeline

### 2026-09-06: Peru declares emergency in five prisons to combat organized crime

Peru has declared a 60-day state of emergency in five high-risk prisons, deploying the military and advanced technology to prevent organized crime leaders from coordinating illegal activities.

12 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/peru-deploys-high-tech-security-to-trujillo-prison

### 2026-08-12: Ernesto Álvarez proposes military involvement in Peru's prison system

Peru's Justice Minister Ernesto Álvarez proposes recruiting retired military and police to restore order in prisons and building specialized facilities for low-severity offenders.

6 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/ernesto-lvarez-proposes-military-involvement-in-perus-prison-system

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Cite as: Peru prison security and reform initiatives. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/peru-prison-security-and-reform-initiatives