Kicillof y Alak inauguraron el Complejo Penitenciario de Merlo

As part of the Penitentiary Infrastructure Plan, the Governor of the Province of Buenos Aires, Axel Kicillof, led the inauguration ceremony this Monday in Merlo for a new complex that adds 2,300 spaces distributed among cells. He was accompanied by the Minister of Justice and Human Rights, Julio Alak; the President of Grupo Provincia, Gustavo Menéndez; and the local mayor, Karina Menéndez. “When we took office, we found that the prison system was 110% overcrowded,” explained Kicillof, adding: “With the inauguration of this detention center and another in La Matanza, we are now expanding the capacity of prison units and detention centers by 15%.” The complex is located on 80,000 square meters and comprises two penitentiary units (59 and 60) that include vocational schools, a kitchen, a multi-purpose hall, pavilions with day rooms and a courtyard; administrative and search areas; The prison features guard posts on the walls and an internal security detail; a water treatment plant and gardens with storage facilities. Additionally, a new departmental jail was built there for temporary detentions, avoiding the use of holding cells in police stations during the judicial process. In this regard, the Governor emphasized that “despite what some are maliciously trying to suggest, only the Judiciary can detain or release prisoners.” “What we can do from the Executive Branch is expand the prison system and create the conditions so that all those who must serve a sentence have the resources that promote their social reintegration and prevent them from reoffending,” he added. Furthermore, Alak detailed that “in 203 years of history, 24,000 prison spaces have been built in the province: our government will finish its first term having built 12,000 spaces, which is equivalent to having expanded its capacity by 50% in just four years.” “This is part of a series of policies that have allowed us to reduce recidivism from 46% to 24%, thus having a very positive impact on public safety,” he explained. With the inauguration today of a detention center in González Catán, La Matanza district, the second stage of the Penitentiary Infrastructure Plan is complete, reaching 7,500 new spaces, while the third phase continues to reach the goal of 12,000 spaces by December of this year. “We are looking at a very impressive project, which has been completed in record time, and whose main objective is to fundamentally change a very sensitive issue in our society, namely the prison system,” said Gustavo Menéndez, adding: “We will continue working alongside a provincial government that values ​​public policies that improve the lives of our residents.” For her part, Mayor Karina Menéndez remarked: “A year and a half ago, this was just an empty lot. Today, we have a completed project that will allow us to allocate more police officers to patrol the plazas and streets, making Merlo a safer municipality.” During the event, the 30,000th National Identity Document (DNI) was issued to people in detention, with the participation of the Minister of Government, Cristina Álvarez Rodríguez. Distribution of Computers from the Buenos Aires Province Connecting Equality Program Following this, Kicillof visited the Merlo Book Fair and presided over the distribution of 425 computers to students from seven secondary schools in the municipality. “The State exists to put those who start from very different situations on an equal footing, which is why we decided to restore this right to graduating students so that everyone can study, work, and have fun,” the Governor emphasized. Through the collaborative efforts of the Chief of Staff's Office and the General Directorate of Culture and Education, a total of 168,000 students will graduate from secondary school this year across the 135 municipalities of Buenos Aires Province. Those present at the events included National Senator Juliana Di Tullio; Buenos Aires Provincial Senator Gustavo Soos; Provincial Representative Débora Galán; the local Undersecretary of Sustainable Economic Development, Roxana Monzón; the Chief of Staff of the General Directorate of Culture and Education, Pablo Urquiza; the Buenos Aires Provincial Undersecretaries of Penitentiary Policy, José González Hueso, and of Penitentiary Inclusion Policies, Diego Rao; the head of the Buenos Aires Provincial Penitentiary Service, Xavier Areses; the Provincial Director of Penitentiary Infrastructure, Sergio Resa; and representatives of the Judiciary.