Country COSTA RICA
Ministry responsible Ministerio de Justicia y Paz
Prison administration Direccion General de Adaptacion Social
Contact address 2do piso del edificio del Ministerio de Justicia, 400mts Sur del Banco Popular, San Jose, Costa Rica
Telephone/fax/website tel: +506 2256 6700 (ext. 262)
fax: +506 2222 0661
web: adaptacion.mjp.go.cr
Head of prison administration
(and title)
(Lic.) Reynaldo Villalobos Zuniga
Director General de Adaptacion Social
Prison population total
(including pre-trial detainees / remand prisoners)
14,963
at 31.7.2012 (national prison administration)
Prison population rate
(per 100,000 of national population)
314
based on an estimated national population of 4.77 million at end of July 2012 (from CELADE figures)
Pre-trial detainees / remand prisoners
(percentage of prison population)
22.4%
(31.7.2012)
Female prisoners
(percentage of prison population)
7.1%
(31.7.2012)
Juveniles / minors / young prisoners
incl. definition (percentage of prison population)
2.0%
(31.7.2012 - juveniles)
Foreign prisoners
(percentage of prison population)
14.2%
(31.12.2006)
Number of establishments /
institutions
33
(2009 - 17 Centros de Atencion Institucional, 2 Modulos Institucional, 11 semi-open facilities and 3 juvenile institutions)
Official capacity of prison system 8,536
(2010 - capacity of closed institutions for adults)
Occupancy level (based on official
capacity)
117.0%
(occupancy level in closed institutions for adults)
Recent prison population trend
(year, prison population total, prison population rate)
1992 3,443 (107)
1995 3,490 (100)
1998 6,004 (160)
2001 7,649 (191)
2004 8,890 (209)
2007 9,211 (207)
2010 12,110 (261)

World Prison Brief supplied by the International Centre for Prison Studies, maintained by Roy Walmsley
Please send new or updated information to admin@icps.essex.ac.uk