MEXICALI.- The state of Baja California is one of the three in Mexico with the safest and most secure prisons, according to the 2012 National Penitentiary Supervision Diagnostic, a study that examines the state of Mexican prisons and published some days ago by the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH in Spanish).

The announcement was made by the state's Public Safety minister, Daniel De la Rosa Anaya, who declared an end to the era of "self-governmening" in sate penitentiaries, or when gangs and crime bosses ruled the prisons from within, a true transformation of the state prison system. Even though it hasn't been an easy task, Baja currently has modern, secure and highly trained staffed prisons, he said.

It was last month when the CNDH announced the three states in Mexico with the highest control over their penal centers, acknowledging Baja California's progress when it comes to security and control of their several "Social Reinsertion Centers" (CRS in Spanish), as the prison system is called.

The evaluation noted weather the prisons had legitimate control and rule over its administration, order and disciplinary activities. Without any of these factors, it would be truly difficult for a prison to be declared safe, and also be an optimal environment for applying social rehabilitation programs on inmates.

Baja California placed third on the list with the highest prison control, after Aguascalientes, which has a total prison population of around 1,400, and also Guanajuato, a state with 1,200 inmates in its facilities. Baja has a prison population above 17,000.

Baja's achievements in safety and control are made even more note worthy since the higher the prison population is, the higher the challenge of guaranteeing the safety and wellbeing of both inmates and the staff working inside the centers, which is why the state has placed its bet on investing more in acquiring state of the art technology like smart customs capable of detecting drugs or weapons through an X-ray system before they enter the facilities.

Likewise, they've installed radio frequency inhibiters for blocking cellphone transmissions, a move aimed at cracking down on extortions over the phone made from within state prisons.

"For us, the most important aspect is to socially rehabilitate our inmates, give them a new opportunity so that they can be productive back in their communities, but in order for these programs to be effective, we must have completely secure prisons and trained personnel with respect to human rights," highlighted De la Rosa.

The 10 states with the highest control and rule over the prisons are:

· Aguascalientes

· Guanajuato

· Baja California

· Queretaro

· Colima

· San Luis Potosi

· Chihuahua

· Jalisco

· Yucatan

· Puebla

Baja California is the state with the third highest prison population in the country, surpassed only by Mexico City and the State of Mexico.

Daniel De la Rosa reported that new Baja California governor, Francisco Vega de Lamadrid, gave specific instructions to continue the efforts to position the state as a trailblazer in this new effective and proven penitentiary system both in the country and abroad.

Editorial@sandiegored.com

jose.sanchez@sandiegored.com