Santo Domingo.- President Luis Abinader has enacted Decree no. 186-24, establishing a commission to oversee the prison reform plan, as previously announced by the president. This move signifies the central government’s commitment to supporting the Attorney General’s Office in safeguarding the well-being and dignity of incarcerated individuals, while also aiming to mitigate the negative impacts of their incarceration and promote their social reintegration for the betterment of the nation.

The commission, chaired by Dr. Jorge A. Subero Isa, will include the director of the National Office of Public Defense, the ombudsman, and the deans of engineering faculties from various universities across the country, such as the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD), the Pedro Henríquez Ureña National University (UNPHU), the Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM), the Technological Institute of Santo Domingo (INTEC), and the Ibero-American University (UNIBE).

According to the decree, the commission’s responsibilities include collaborating with relevant authorities to complete the legal, administrative, and logistical procedures necessary for authorizing the new “Las Parras” prison facility, as well as adapting salvageable infrastructure at the La Victoria national penitentiary, among other specific tasks designated by the presidency of the Republic.

In the decree’s rationale, President Abinader emphasizes the government’s commitment to implementing measures aimed at improving the quality of life for incarcerated individuals in the country’s prisons. This necessitates a concerted effort from various social and governmental stakeholders to effect a true paradigm shift in the penitentiary system, aligning with commitments outlined in the legal framework.

The commission is tasked with reinforcing the ongoing efforts led by the Attorney General’s Office of the Republic, in coordination and collaboration with it, particularly regarding the adaptation of different penitentiary centers to facilitate correction, rehabilitation, and societal reintegration of individuals deprived of liberty.

Presidential or inter-ministerial commissions, as delineated in Article 36 of Law no. 247-12, are instrumental tools through which the President of the Republic can establish working groups comprising public officials and specialized individuals to examine and address matters specified in the decree of its creation.

In the case of the Commission for Monitoring the Penitentiary Reform Plan, it will be administratively linked to the Ministry of the Presidency, and the participation of its members will be voluntary.