Santa Fe moves 380 detainees into new Recreo prison in under 24 hours

Less than 24 hours after its inauguration, about 380 detainees were transferred to Santa Fe’s new Unit No. 9 prison in Recreo. The detainees had been held in several police stations, including the Sub Segunda, 10th, 7th, 9th and 27th precincts.

Governor Maximiliano Pullaro opened the prison on Thursday. The facility has 891 places in 475 cells, divided between two men’s units with 640 places and one women’s unit with 251. The provincial government invested $80 million in the project.

“

The most modern prison in Argentina.

The prison is part of Santa Fe’s prison infrastructure plan, which projects more than 7,000 additional places. The government says the wider program will eventually raise total detention capacity to more than 14,000 places, improve the classification of inmates and free police officers to patrol and prevent crime.

“

Tired of prisons controlling the streets.

Pullaro said the new complex was “the most modern prison in Argentina,” with the walls, security staff and technology needed to improve security. At the inauguration, he said residents were “tired of prisons controlling the streets” and criticized what he called “that foolish legalism” that, in his view, had harmed the country by treating criminals as victims and society as perpetrators.

The governor said his security plan would continue beyond the new facility, with the goal of making Santa Fe Argentina’s safest province.

“

That foolish legalism.