San Pedro prison in Bolivia

[paxmao]

Perhaps not that many people have heard of the San Pedro prison . This prison is in Bolivia. The Government simply does not have the resources to cope with the inmate population and have simply given up.

San Pedro does not have guards. The inmates are simply thrown into it and the gates close behind them until their time is served or the body has to be buried. There is an internal system of "delegados" that is supposed to be the law where no law is present.

Is this a symptom of a failed state? Can a state simply renounce to their duty of custody to those in jail?

[target]

They're up to punish the criminals so they take it to the extremes. Bolivia isn't so much of a rich country, they do have a salt sea which was a terrible disaster already. I'm sure they do need a President like Duterte who does impose law that men will be force to be a law abiding citizen.

[CristianOff]

Seeing children, kids in prison gives me a feeling of
disgust. Not only their parents are people without a future,
but their children are convicted to have the same future
as their parents. Do these children attend schools?
Seems like such a beautiful geographically country
is run by the wrong people. I don't think one good person
would ever make a great change. Bolivia needs a change
in their entire system of law, politics and economic.

[kenzawak]

It's a self-run prison, inmates make the laws. Guards (police officers) are only here at the gates.
If you wanna survive (food, shelter...), you need to give money to the Narcos.
Imagine being sent there as a foreigner. That's what happened to a French guy who went there for stealing 13 euros. He spent two years there.
The place is just a dump. I guess the State doesn't want to finance it and prefers to benefit from the corruption that goes with it.