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Venezuela The Prison System
The Venezuelan prison system, which consisted of twenty-five
institutions, suffered from overcrowding and understaffing as well
as from graft and corruption. In the mid-1980s, the annual average
prison population was about 15,000, exceeding the intended capacity
of the system. As a result, prison conditions generally were
inadequate, and prisoners commonly endured hardship and sometimes
were subjected to physical abuse. As the national crime rate rose
during the 1980s, the problems of the prison system became more
acute.
The twenty-five prisons were essentially of three kinds: seventeen
judicial detainment centers, seven national jails and
penitentiaries, and the National Institute of Female Orientation
located in Los Teques. Ostensibly, the prisons were designed to
house those awaiting trial, those convicted, and women,
respectively. In fact, however, several of the prisons had separate
wings for each kind of inmate, although Los Teques housed the
majority of female inmates and contained no males. Minors were
interned in separate institutions. Prisons were staffed by civilian
employees of the Ministry of Justice, although exterior guard duty
was entrusted to National Guard personnel.
By law the rehabilitation of convicted criminals was based on
their having meaningful work, an opportunity to receive at least a
minimal education, and adequate medical assistance and living
conditions. In fact, however, the overcrowded conditions precluded
rehabilitation efforts. The idleness of many inmates, it is
theorized, led to corruption, drug abuse, and homosexuality, all of
which were growing problems in the prisons. One large Caracas
prison had an entire wing that housed homosexuals exclusively.
Conditional liberty was granted to prisoners who had served at
least three-fourths of their sentence and had a favorable conduct
record. Prisoners who reached seventy years of age and had
completed half their sentence were eligible for conditional
liberty. Several organizations existed to help prisoners who had
been released to find jobs and readjust to society. Nevertheless,
the ex-convict encountered a generally hostile society on the
outside, and the high rate of criminal repeaters was attributed
largely to the stigma attached to the ex-convict.
The criminal justice system represented a glaring example of an
area that lagged behind the many other comparative advances in
Venezuelan society during the latter half of the twentieth century.
Given the government's emphasis on reforming the bureaucratic
structure that underlay the nation's economic shortcomings, it did
not appear that judicial reform would be accorded a high priority
during the 1990s. As with most of Venezuela's problems, however,
the resources existed with which to effect reforms. Only the
political will and the legislative procedure remained to be
hammered out.
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Aside from the section on Venezuela in Adrian English's Armed
Forces of Latin America, there is no comprehensive source in
English on the Venezuelan armed forces. Good historical background
can be gleaned from Winfield J. Burggraaff's The Venezuelan
Armed Forces in Politics, 1935-1959. David J. Myers's
Venezuela's Pursuit of Caribbean Basin Interests is an
excellent overview of the country's strategic situation and
thinking. Jacqueline Anne Braveboy-Wagner in The VenezuelaGuyana Border Dispute: Britain's Colonial Legacy in Latin
America and John D. Martz in his article "National Security
and Politics: The Colombian-Venezuelan Border" effectively address
Venezuela's border disputes. Robert E. Looney has produced good
studies of Venezuelan military expenditures from an economic
standpoint. Several periodicals occasionally report on technical
and organizational developments within the FAN. These include
Jane's Defence Weekly, Military Technology, and
Defense and Foreign Affairs. (For further information and
complete citations, see Bibliography.)
Data as of December 1990
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