The 'mega prison' in El Salvador's gang crackdown
STORY: It looks like a sea of skin and tattoos.These images released by El Salvador's government shows the transfer of about 2,000 inmates, stripped to their shorts and with their heads shaved, to what's been dubbed the country's new "mega prison."It just opened. It's believed to be the largest...
Sat, February 25, 2023 at 9:50 AM EST
STORY: It looks like a sea of skin and tattoos.
These images released by El Salvador's government shows the transfer of about 2,000 inmates, stripped to their shorts and with their heads shaved, to what's been dubbed the country's new "mega prison."
It just opened. It's believed to be the largest prison in the Americas, with a capacity for 40,000 people, and it's the latest step in a controversial crackdown on crime that's caused the country's prison population to soar.
Human rights organizations have reported that innocent people have been caught up in the law enforcement campaign.
That includes dozens, they say, who have died in police custody.
Last year, the country's president asked congress for emergency powers to temporarily suspend some constitutional rights after a massive spike in murders attributed to gang crime.
It includes that arrests can be made without a warrant and detainees no longer have right to a lawyer. Private communications of citizens can also be accessed by the government.
Since then, about 64,000 suspects have been arrested and murder reports fell about 57% last year.
