The Justice Studies Center of the Americas (CEJA), in collaboration with the University of Talca, held the International Seminar on Violence and Organized Crime in Latin American Prisons — a regional forum that convened authorities, scholars, and specialists to examine whether prison systems in Latin America are effectively dismantling or inadvertently sustaining organized criminal structures.

The seminar featured the participation of Rafael Collado, Undersecretary of the newly established Ministry of Public Security in Chile, who emphasized that “organized crime has not succeeded in taking control of Chilean prisons,” and underscored that the State is implementing concrete measures to prevent that from changing. In this context, he outlined the government’s strategy against organized crime, which includes strengthening the prison system (Gendarmería) by providing better tools and increased capacity to effectively control criminal networks both inside and outside correctional facilities.

Nataly Ponce, Executive Director of CEJA, also participated in the seminar, where she underscored the urgent need to generate robust empirical evidence on the structural and operational linkages between prison systems and organized crime in Latin America. She highlighted that one of the region’s foremost challenges lies in designing and implementing evidence-based interventions aimed at dismantling criminal networks embedded within correctional facilities, while simultaneously upholding fundamental rights. Ponce advocated for strengthening prison governance through a comprehensive, rights-based approach that combines security imperatives with the development of long-term management and policy capacities.

The discussion also emphasized that prisons must fulfill their essential purposes, particularly the rehabilitation and social reintegration of people deprived of liberty. This requires effective and sustained social programs within prison facilities. 

The seminar provided an opportunity to share diagnoses, international experiences, and policy proposals to address the phenomenon of organized crime within incarceration contexts, helping to consolidate a regional perspective on one of the most urgent issues on the security and justice agenda in Latin America. 

Watch the International Seminar: Violence and Organized Crime in Latin American Prisons here.