New prison in Ecuador to feature work areas for inmates, capacity for over 15,000

Ecuador's Interior Minister, John Reimberg, announced on June 19, 2026, that the government will construct a new high-capacity prison featuring dedicated work areas for inmates. The facility is slated for completion within 19 months and will accommodate 15,120 individuals, significantly expanding the country's correctional capacity.

The new prison's design includes workshops intended to allow inmates to generate income. Minister Reimberg stated that these earnings would help offset the costs of their incarceration and contribute to the maintenance of other facilities, such as the "Cárcel del Encuentro." He emphasized that the state should not bear the full financial burden of housing prisoners, asserting, "The state should not fully assume the costs of maintaining those deprived of liberty. They must work to generate what it costs us to have them in prisons and a little more."

This project draws inspiration from the "Cárcel del Encuentro," a facility built under President Daniel Noboa's administration, which itself mirrors the controversial prison model implemented by El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele. The "Cárcel del Encuentro" currently houses around 800 inmates, including leaders of criminal organizations and political figures. The new, larger facility aims to address Ecuador's severe prison overcrowding, which currently exceeds 10,000 inmates beyond capacity.

“

The state should not fully assume the costs of maintaining those deprived of liberty. They must work to generate what it costs us to have them in prisons and a little more.