Weekly Report - 16 June 2016 (WR-16-23)

The death of five inmates and a security officer in a fire at Paraguay’s largest prison, Tacumbú, has re-ignited longstanding concerns about the state of the country’s dilapidated prisons. The incident once again puts the spotlight on the issue of severe overcrowding in Paraguay’s prisons and the need for investment in the country’s creaking prison infrastructure. It has also sparked a controversy between government officials.