In Chiriquí, the new prison has a capacity for 950 detainees, however it has 1,409. In Colón, the male division of the Nueva Esperanza prison has 2,564 detainees and its capacity is 1,322. This January, the number should decrease following the reduction of sentences granted to 476 detainees, who regained their freedom on January 7. The measure benefited 335 men and 141 women from all prisons in the country, and was formalized in two executive decrees signed by President José Raúl Mulino and the Minister of Government, Dinoska Montalvo. There are provinces where overcrowding is extreme. For example, in Bocas del Toro, there are 1,004 detainees for a capacity of 292. In Las Tablas, a similar situation exists with a jail designed for 80 inmates currently holding 452. The prison population managed to stay below 25,000 detainees in 2025, while the authorities of the Ministry of Government continue to implement measures aimed at the re-socialization of those deprived of liberty. At the end of last year, there were 10,354 prisoners in a system that only has capacity for 14,695 inmates. La Nueva Joya, the largest prison in the country, is already overcrowded by 73 inmates. At the La Joya complex in Panama, three prisons were built with a combined capacity for 9,909 inmates. Those convicted represent 64%, while 36% are being prosecuted. Overcrowding in prisons is a reality that remains latent. Among women, the prison population decreased by 72 inmates in one year, from 1,138 to 1,066. The male population increased by 609 detainees in one year, going from 23,167 in 2024 to 23,776 in 2025. Last year ended with 24,842 arrests, of which 15,313 have received sentences and 8,463 are being prosecuted. On January 15, the Government inaugurated the new women’s prison called “La Esmeralda”, which will help reduce the overcrowding that existed in the Women’s Rehabilitation Center on the Tocumen Road. In this province, a new prison is being built on the same site as the current one. Similarly, the percentage remains at 65% of those arrested who have already been convicted and 35% who are still being prosecuted. The percentage of convicted women is 75%, compared to 25% awaiting trial. This government also announced its interest in building a prison for central provinces, although its planning is not yet known. Also planned is the construction of a maximum security prison that will be located in the east of the province of Panama and will be built through a Public Private Partnership (PPP). Currently, they hold 15,118, which is 52.5% over capacity.
