CNDH Issues Recommendation for Irregularities in the Operation of CEFERESOS During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Lack of criteria for allowing visitors to enter during the health contingency.


After analyzing several complaints filed before this National Human Rights Commission (CNDH), it was noticed a lack of homologated criteria for the entry of visitors during the COVID-19 pandemic, since, while in some penitentiary centers —for example, CEFERESO number 4, in Nayarit— family members and lawyers are allowed access, in others — for instance, CEFERESO number 18, in Coahuila— such activity is only permitted to defenders, while in the case of CEFERESO number 12, in Guanajuato, only the entry of family members of certain inmates is allowed.

It also found discrepancies regarding the right to maintain telephone communication with the outside during the health contingency, because in some of them an additional call has been granted to the entitled one; in others, more time has been conceded to make the call and the time period to make the connection also varies, or none of these operates at all. Therefore, this Autonomous Organism considered that the pandemic should not constitute an obstacle to exercise the right to due process and, on the contrary, it should be encouraged those persons deprived of liberty continue in contact with their defenders and family members.

Upon determining that in this case the human rights to social reinsertion and, if applicable, to due process of persons deprived of liberty were violated, the CNDH requested the Head of the Deconcentrated Administrative Body for Prevention and Social Reinsertion (OADPRS) to define and specify in a new action protocol the different possible scenarios of the epidemiological traffic light in each federal entity.

Más información:

https://www.cndh.org.mx/sites/default/files/documentos/2021-05/COM_2021_123.pdf