RESUMEN El objetivo de este artículo es plantear una política pública destinada a garantizar un uso adecuado de las medidas cautelares, las unidades de servicios previos al juicio. Estas estructuras administrativas, por un lado, potencian la aplicación de las salidas alternativas a la prisión preventiva, así como, por otro, se ocupan de que su aplicación no sea sinónimo de impunidad e inseguridad. Esta estrategia enfrenta dos problemas centrales de la justicia tradicional, la ausencia de un diagnóstico adecuado para escoger la opción cautelar más adecuada, datos del arraigo social, y el seguimiento al régimen impuesto. La ventaja práctica es que esta propuesta se fundamenta en una metodología probada en el contexto internacional, en el Ecuador y recomendada como una buena práctica por la Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos. De hecho, en Latinoamérica las distintas experiencias cuyos resultados fueron medidos revelan que la aplicación de esta estrategia en diversos momentos alcanzó una efectividad sin precedentes para potenciar medidas sustitutivas y para conseguir la presentación de las personas al juicio. Inclusive, en un momento en el que la prensa y la ciudadanía ejercen presiones para aumentar el encarcelamiento provisional son una respuesta válida, pues el informe emitido transparenta las causas de la resolución judicial adoptada.

ABSTRACT The aim of this article is to propose a public policy intended to ensure an appropriate use of precautionary measures, pre-trial service units. These administrative structures, on the one hand, enhance the application of alternative exits from pretrial detention and, on the other, ensure that their implementation is not synonymous with impunity and insecurity. Specifically, this strategy addresses two central problems of traditional justice: the absence of an adequate diagnosis to choose the most suitable preventive option and the monitoring of the imposed regimen. It specifically focuses on providing verified information about social ties. The practical advantage is that this proposal is based on a methodology proven in the international context, in Ecuador, and recommended as a best practice by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. In fact, in Latin America, various experiences, whose results were measured, reveal that the application of this strategy at different times achieved an unprecedented effectiveness in enhancing substitute measures and ensuring the appearance of individuals at trial. Even at a time when the press and the public exert pressure to increase provisional incarceration, they are a valid response, as the issued report transparently elucidates the reasons behind the adopted judicial resolution.

RESUMEN ¿Por qué no se soluciona la crisis carcelaria en Ecuador? Esta pregunta lleva a explorar la problemática penitenciaria desde sus orígenes hasta llegar al contexto ecuatoriano actual. El objetivo es reflexionar y demostrar que las prisiones y la privación de libertad han mantenido la misma dinámica desde sus orígenes, causando sufrimiento y dolor a los reclusos, en contraposición a la finalidad resocializadora de la pena; el contexto actual demuestra que la gestión penitenciaria no ha evolucionado, pese al desarrollo científico y normativo de esta rama. El enfoque cualitativo y socio-jurídico son la base de la investigación porque a través del diseño narrativo se describe de forma secuencial la historia del sistema penitenciario, el avance normativo y se compara con la realidad social; es decir, se hace un acercamiento del derecho a la sociedad a través de la revisión documental de fuentes secundarias. En definitiva, se concluye que no existe la voluntad política del Estado para abordar el problema de forma técnica y con el personal especializado, tal como sugiere la doctrina; al contrario, la crisis carcelaria en Ecuador tiene un tinte anacrónico, deshumanizante y alejado de la finalidad de la pena; es decir, no hay rehabilitación ni resocialización.

ABSTRACT Why is the prison crisis in Ecuador not solved? is the question that leads us to explore the penitentiary problem from its origins to the current Ecuadorian context. The objective is to reflect and demonstrate that prisons and deprivation of liberty have maintained the same dynamic since their origins, causing suffering and pain to inmates, in contrast to the resocializing purpose of punishment; The current context shows that prison management has not evolved, despite the scientific and regulatory development of this branch. The qualitative and socio-legal approach is the basis of the research because through the narrative design the history of the penitentiary system, the regulatory advance, and are compared with social reality are sequentially described; That is, an approach to the right to society is made through the documentary review of secondary sources. In short, it is concluded that there is no political will of the State to address the problem technically and with specialized personnel as suggested by the doctrine; on the contrary, the prison crisis in Ecuador has an anachronistic, dehumanizing tone and is far from the purpose of the sorrow; That is, there is no rehabilitation or resocialization.

Abstract There are global neoliberal pressures on the academy that are more or less faced by anthropologists around the world. To what extent are anthropologists required to publish in English in SSCI-ranked journals to keep their jobs and get promoted? But there are also distinctly national and local pressures to some extent counteracting or eclipsing these global pressures. In this article I explore these counteracting pressures in the context of Hong Kong. In Hong Kong, my home society, neoliberalism has reigned supreme, with a remarkably short-term mentality. Yet despite this, anthropology has been flourishing, and has operated with great freedom and generous funding that is quite exceptional by global standards. However, this may be coming to an end. In China there is direct government control over anthropology. Hong Kong, following the protests of 2019 and the advent of the national security law in 2020, may be following suit, with many democratic political figures and some journalists now in jail. In light of this ongoing narrowing of room for freedom of inquiry, what will happen to Hong Kong academics and to anthropology?

Resumo A linguagem compreende aspectos ligados tanto à essência, quanto ao uso. O uso da palavra está associado ao seu significado e à sua adoção, ou seja, entende-se o significado de uma expressão quando é possível compreender as regras de seu uso. Os jogos de linguagem apresentam regras constituídas a partir de um uso coletivo, ou seja, da sua prática geral determinada por uma comunidade em que as palavras estão inseridas. O objetivo deste estudo é investigar que aspectos dos jogos de linguagem podem auxiliar na identificação de formas de representar o conhecimento na linguagem carcerária. A pesquisa foi desenvolvida na Penitenciária Masculina de Florianópolis, utilizando a técnica da observação in loco, e está caracterizada como descritiva, exploratória e bibliográfica. Os termos foram coletados por meio de entrevistas realizadas com 26 pessoas privadas de liberdade. A partir da análise aqui realizada, é possível afirmar que os jogos de linguagem estão presentes nas prisões e são formas manifestas de representação do conhecimento. essência adoção seja entendese entende se coletivo inseridas carcerária Florianópolis loco descritiva bibliográfica 2 liberdade realizada

Abstract Language comprises aspects linked to both essence and use. The use of a word is associated with its meaning and its adoption, that is, the meaning of an expression is understood when it is possible to understand the rules of its use. The use of words, in this research, is being defined through language games. These language games present rules constituted from collective use, that is, from their general practice determined by a community in which the words are inserted. Given this, the objective of this study is to investigate which aspects of language games can help identify ways of representing knowledge in prison language. The research was developed at the Florianópolis Men’s Penitentiary, using the on-site observation technique, and is characterized as descriptive, exploratory and bibliographic. The terms were collected through interviews carried out with twenty-six people deprived of their liberty. Based on the analysis carried out here, it is possible to affirm that language games are present in prisons and are clear forms of knowledge representation. adoption inserted Mens Men s Penitentiary onsite site technique descriptive bibliographic twentysix twenty six liberty here representation

Resúmen: El propósito del artículo es explicar las enormes necesidades que tuvieron las autoridades y los habitantes de Tijuana de contar con profesionales e instituciones de salud mental. La precondición necesaria de tales servicios fue que los psiquiatras y no psiquiatras enfrentaran un problema de la dinámica de la ciudad: el hecho de que criminales, migrantes e indigentes, deambulaban por las calles. Ello representó un riesgo para la moral pública por las enfermedades mentales que algunos de ellos padecían en un contexto histórico de “guerra contra las drogas”. De este modo, el artículo explorará las prácticas de encierro, de una cárcel pública al primer hospital psiquiátrico municipal. Una de las fortalezas de este trabajo es rescatar algunas fuentes específicas sobre la historia de la salud mental para la segunda mitad del siglo XX, especialmente, para un espacio limítrofe como Tijuana.

Abstract: This article seeks to explain the enormous need for the authorities and inhabitants of Tijuana to have mental health professionals and institutions. The necessary precondition of these services was that psychiatrists and non-psychiatrists faced a problem involving the dynamics of the city: the fact that criminals, migrants, and homeless people roamed the streets. This posed a risk to public morality due to the mental illnesses suffered by some of these people in the historical context of the “war on drugs”. This article will therefore explore the practices of confinement at institutions ranging from a public jail to the first municipal psychiatric hospital. One of its strengths is that it revisits specific sources on the history of mental health in the second half of the 20th century, particularly in a border area such as Tijuana.

Abstract. The results of the oriented research project “Daily life and access to rights in prison” are presented here. Traces of senses” whose central objective was to deepen the knowledge and analysis of the conditions of daily life in the prisons of the central zone of the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Through collective qualitative investigation, it was proposed to identify and characterize the traces in the subjective construction of the people who pass through the academic and extension programs of the National University of the Center of the Province of Buenos Aires as a way of assessing the presence and task of the University in this territory. As an emerging issue, aspects related to access to work in detention and its projection to return to life in freedom were identified.

Resumen. Este trabajo presenta resultados del proyecto de investigación orientada “Vida cotidiana y acceso a derechos en la cárcel. Trazas de sentidos”, cuyo objetivo central fue profundizar en el conocimiento y análisis de las condiciones de la vida diaria de las cárceles de la zona centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina. Con un corte cualitativo, se propuso identificar y caracterizar las trazas en la construcción subjetiva de las personas que asisten a los programas académicos y de extensión de la Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires como modo de valorar la presencia y tarea de la universidad en este territorio. Como tema emergente, se identificaron aspectos vinculados al acceso al trabajo en la detención y su proyección al regreso a la vida en libertad.

Resumen Los Chichos fueron uno de los grupos musicales más populares durante la Transición y la década de los ochenta. La cultura popular asocia esta formación con canciones sobre la cárcel y la drogadicción; no obstante, hemos comprobado en la discografía analizada (1973-1989) que la temática más habitual está protagonizada por la mala mujer. En este artículo el objetivo es estudiar la personalidad de la mala mujer: cómo es, qué actos desarrolla y sus consecuencias. La metodología empleada es el análisis de contenido mixto, con técnicas cuantitativas y cualitativas. Hemos analizado 43 canciones donde aparece la figura de la mala mujer. La conclusión más importante es que la mala mujer engaña y abandona a su pareja, y esto supone un grave atentado a la ley gitana, en la que la familia es el pilar social más importante. Otra de las conclusiones relevantes es que la conducta de la mala mujer la lleva a la perdición, jamás podrá ser feliz en el futuro. La consecuencia más extrema es la violencia de género, el asesinato de la mujer que traiciona.

Abstract Los Chichos were one of the most popular musical bands during the Spanish Transición in the 80's. Pop culture usually links the band with jail and drug thematics, but from we can tell in the analyzed discography (1973-1989), the femme fatale figure is actually their main focus. In this article, we will revisit this archetype; what it is, what sort of events come out from it and their consequences. The methodology used it's that of the mixed content analysis with quantitative and cualitative techniques. We have analyzed 43 songs where the figure of the femme fatale appears. The main take away from this essay is that the bad woman lies and abandones her partner, in dire conflict with the Gipsy Law where family is the most important pillar. Another one is that the bad woman behaviour will ultimately lead her to her own demise, to never be happy in the future. The most extreme result of this statements is violence and murder against that traiturous woman.

Resumo Neste artigo apresentamos os resultados preliminares de pesquisa cujo objetivo é investigar o controle social e a resolução de conflitos em um território Kaingang, tendo como problema central a compreensão da gênese e dos atuais sentidos punitivos da cadeia indígena utilizada por este povo no contexto interno do território em que habita. Trata-se de estudo que vem sendo realizado a partir do diálogo intercultural e da troca de saberes com discente indígena, bem como por meio da etnografia e da história oral, que se justifica na medida em que os desafios teórico-empíricos suscitados estão a confluir com as demandas da comunidade em questão. Kaingang habita Tratase Trata oral teóricoempíricos teórico empíricos questão

Abstract In this paper we present the preliminary results of a research project whose objective is to investigate social control and conflict resolution in a Kaingang territory, with the central problem of understanding the genesis and current punitive meanings of the indigenous jail used by this community. This study is being carried out based on intercultural dialogue and knowledge exchange with an indigenous student, as well as through ethnography and oral history, which is justified insofar as the theoretical and empirical challenges raised are in line with the demands of the community in question. territory student history question

Resumen Con el objetivo de estudiar el recurrente uso de la cárcel como un medio de prevención del delito o de cualquier otra conducta humana en sociedad, se realiza una revisión de esta y de sus métodos o técnicas de captación y enclaustramiento de personas a propósito de la prevención o rehabilitación del criminal. Se recurre a una revisión documental de experiencias desarrolladas a nivel regional, que permite entender la intención perseguida y el internamiento penitenciario, así como las evaluaciones existentes. También se revisa documentación estadística y políticas públicas en materia de uso de la cárcel como una instancia de prevención especial del crimen. Es una investigación descriptiva y racionalizadora del uso de la sanción de privación de libertad y del alojamiento de personas en sitios de encierro total. Como hallazgo principal, muy pocos países en de América Latina y el Caribe contemplan en sus planes de trabajo a la población que tiene en sitios de aislamiento, en la atención a sus problemas de socialización y de criminalidad. En Costa Rica, desde hace algunos años se les ha prestado atención a estas personas que, por múltiples circunstancias, terminan siendo habitantes de los denominados espacios carcelarios de «máxima seguridad». A manera de conclusión, la atención profesional y la implementación de un plan de intervención se hace necesario ante el aislamiento o la segregación total. Esta alternativa de atención facilitaría, en el futuro próximo, la integración al medio carcelario compartido y a la sociedad como destino final de estas personas.

Abstract With the aim of studying the recurrent use of prison as a means of preventing crime or any other human behavior in society, a review of this and its methods or techniques of recruitment and confinement of people regarding prevention or rehabilitation of the criminal is carried out. A documentary review of experiences developed at the regional level is used, which allows to understand the intention pursued and the prison internment, as well as the existing evaluations. Statistical documentation and public policies on the use of jail as a special crime prevention instance are also reviewed. It is a descriptive and rationalizing investigation of the use of the sanction of deprivation of liberty and the accommodation of people in places of total confinement. As a main finding, very few countries in Latin America and the Caribbean contemplate in their work plans the population that is in isolation sites, in attention to their socialization and criminality problems. In Costa Rica, for some years attention has been paid to these people who, due to multiple circumstances, end up being inhabitants of the so-called “maximum security'' prison spaces. In conclusion, professional attention and the implementation of an intervention plan are necessary in the face of isolation or total segregation. This care alternative would facilitate, in the near future, the integration into the shared prison environment and into society as the final destination of these people.

Résumé Dans le but d'étudier le récurrent usage de la prison comme moyen de prévention du délit ou de toute d'autre comportement/conduite humain(e) dans la société, on a effectué une révision de la prison et de ses méthodes ou techniques de capture et d'enfermement de personnes en vue de la prévention ou de la réhabilitation du criminel. Pour se faire, on a fait une révision documentaire des expériences développées à niveau régional afin de comprendre l'intention et la détention pénitentiaire ainsi que des évaluations qui existent. On a aussi examiné les statistiques et les politiques publiques au sujet de l'utilisation de la prison comme instance de prévention spéciale du crime. Il s'agit d'une recherche descriptive et qui analyse l'utilisation de la sanction de privation de liberté et de l'isolement carcéral des personnes. Concernant, la principale découverte, on peut dire que très peu des pays d'Amérique et des Caraïbes envisagent dans leurs plans de travail la population en isolement et l'attention à leurs problèmes de socialisation et de criminalité. Au Costa Rica, depuis quelques années le système est en train de faire attention à ces personnes qui, du fait de multiples circonstances se trouvent dans ces espaces dans les prisons désignées « sécurité maximale ». En guise de conclusion, on peut mentionner que l'attention professionnelle et la mise en place d'un plan d'intervention est nécessaire dans l'isolement total. Cette alternative d'attention faciliterait, dans le futur proche, l'intégration de ces personnes à l'espace pénitentiaire partagé et à la société en tant que destination finale.

ABSTRACT Internal watershed infarcts (IWIs) occur at the junction of the deep and superficial perforating arterial branches of the cerebrum. Despite documentation in the radiology literature, IWIs are rarely encountered at the time of autopsy. Here, we report the case of a 59-year-old incarcerated male who was brought to the emergency department after being found unresponsive on the floor of his jail cell. Initial examination and imaging demonstrated right-sided hemiplegia, aphasia, right facial droop, and severe stenosis of the left middle cerebral artery, respectively. Repeat imaging 4 days after admission and 26 days before death demonstrated advanced stenosis of the intracranial, communicating segment of the right internal carotid artery, a large acute infarct in the right posterior cerebral artery territory, and bilateral deep white matter ischemic changes with a right-sided “rosary-like” pattern of injury that is typical of IWIs. Postmortem gross examination showed that the right deep white matter lesion had progressed to a confluent, “cigar-shaped” subacute IWI involving the right corona radiata. This is the first well-documented case of an IWI with radiologic imaging and photographic gross pathology correlation. This case uniquely highlights a rarely encountered lesion at the time of autopsy and provides an excellent visual representation of internal watershed neuroanatomy. (IWIs cerebrum literature Here 59yearold yearold 59 year old cell rightsided sided hemiplegia aphasia droop respectively 2 intracranial territory rosarylike rosary like “rosary-like confluent cigarshaped cigar shaped “cigar-shaped radiata welldocumented well documented correlation neuroanatomy 5

Abstract Inca Garcilaso de la Vega’s Historia General del Perú (1617) recounts an odd story taken place during the struggle between Mariscal Alonso de Alvarado and Francisco Hernández de Girón, when a group of prisoners refused to abandon jail after their dismissal without prejudice. However, this behaviour makes perfectly sense from an approach that takes fully into consideration the ne bis in idem principle. This paper analyses the above-mentioned episode, assessing the historical and legal reliability of Inca Garcilaso, and suggests that the ne bis in idem principle was forged as a shield against any exercise of the State’s ius puniendi and not only against the judiciary.

Resumen La Historia General del Perú del Inca Garcilaso de la Vega (1617) recoge un extraño suceso durante el enfrentamiento entre el Mariscal Alonso de Alvarado y Francisco Hernández de Girón, en el que unos prisioneros se negaron a salir de prisión tras ser puestos en libertad sin sentencia. Sin embargo, este comportamiento cobra todo su sentido cuando se contempla a la luz del principio non bis in idem. El presente trabajo analiza este episodio, valorando la fiabilidad histórica y jurídica del Inca Garcilaso, y concluye identificando el principio non bis in idem como un principio acuñado contra cualquier manifestación del ius puniendi del Estado y no sólo frente al poder judicial.

ABSTRACT This article examines the historical-biographical conditions that led to the creation of Trilce (1922 [1987]), by César Vallejo, one of the most significant works of Latin America’s early 20th-century avant-garde. The emphasis of the reading suggested here is on the writing conditions of this poetry, which were fundamentally determined by the prison printing press in Lima and the experience of jail in the city of Trujillo. Conclusion: The rhetorical and typographic innovations proposed by Trilce can be understood not only from the traditional reading of the work based on pain, death, orphanhood, and eroticism, but also as a substantive part of the work where writing and typography are directly related to the closed world of prison.

RESUMEN El presente texto analiza las circunstancias histórico-biográficas de producción que determinan la escritura y publicación de una de las obras más relevantes de la vanguardia latinoamericana de comienzos de siglo XX: Trilce (1922 [1987]) de César Vallejo. El énfasis de la lectura que aquí se propone está puesto en las condiciones de escritura de esta poesía determinada, fundamentalmente, por la experiencia de la cárcel en la ciudad de Trujillo, así como por las condiciones materiales de producción en una imprenta de la cárcel de Lima. Se concluye que las innovaciones retóricas y tipográficas que propone Trilce pueden entenderse no solo desde la tradicional lectura de la obra a partir del dolor, la muerte, la orfandad y el erotismo, sino que también como una parte sustantiva de la obra en donde la escritura y la tipografía se relacionan directamente con el mundo cerrado de la cárcel.

Resumo: Objetivo: Descrever a experiência da gestação no ambiente prisional de mulheres inseridas no tráfico de drogas Método: Estudo descritivo-exploratório com abordagem qualitativa, realizado em Cadeia Pública mato-grossense. Os sujeitos da pesquisa foram as mulheres em regime de detenção provisória ou condenadas que estivessem com gestação em curso de 12 a 36 semanas. A coleta de dados ocorreu em 2019, por meio de entrevista, semiestruturada, áudio gravada, com posterior análise de conteúdo. Resultados: Todas as mulheres foram detidas por tráfico de drogas, e utilizavam substâncias psicoativas anteriores ao encarceramento devido a ruptura dos laços familiares e/ou influência de parceiros afetivos. A gestação atual não foi planejada, e foi acompanhada da separação dos outros filhos, além da ansiedade e angústia que as cercam pela expectativa do parto e amamentação no ambiente prisional, seguidos da separação da criança que irá nascer após a lactação. Isso fez verbalizassem o anseio por buscar mudanças e melhoria de vida no futuro. Conclusão: É necessária a incorporação de práticas assistenciais humanizadas no cuidado às mulheres que vivenciam a maternidade em situação de prisão, que poderão auxiliar para a efetivação da ressocialização, além de contribuir para o fortalecimento familiar.

Abstract: Objective: To describe the experience of pregnancy in the prison environment of women involved in drug trafficking. Method: Descriptive-exploratory study with a qualitative approach, carried out in a public jail in Mato Grosso. The research subjects were women in provisional detention or condemned who were with gestation in course of 12 to 36 weeks. Data collection took place in 2019, through semi-structured recorded audio interviews, with subsequent content analysis. Results: All women were arrested for drug trafficking and used psychoactive substances prior to incarceration due to the rupture of family ties and/or the influence of affective partners. The current pregnancy was not planned and was accompanied by the separation of the other children, in addition to the anxiety and anguish that surround them with the expectation of childbirth and breastfeeding in the prison environment, followed by the separation of the child who will be born after lactation. This made them expresses their desire to seek changes and improve their lives in the future. Conclusion: It is necessary to incorporate humanized care practices in the care of women who experience motherhood in a situation of prison, which may help to carry out resocialization, in addition to contributing to family strengthening.

Resumen: Objetivo: Describir la experiencia del embarazo en el ámbito carcelario de mujeres involucradas en el tráfico de drogas. Método: Estudio descriptivo-exploratorio con enfoque cualitativo, realizado en una cárcel pública de Mato Grosso. Los sujetos de investigación fueron mujeres en prisión, provisional o condenadas, que se encontraban en gestación en curso de 12 a 36 semanas. La recolección de datos tuvo lugar en 2019, mediante entrevistas semiestructuradas grabadas en audio, con posterior análisis de contenido. Resultados: Todas las mujeres fueron detenidas por tráfico de drogas y consumieron sustancias psicoactivas antes de su encarcelamiento por ruptura de lazos familiares y/o influencia de parejas afectivas. El embarazo actual no fue planeado, y estuvo acompañado de la separación de los otros niños, además de la ansiedad y angustia que los envuelve con la expectativa del parto y la lactancia en el ambiente carcelario, seguido de la separación del niño que nacerá luego de la lactancia. Esto les hizo expresar su deseo de buscar cambios y mejorar sus vidas en el futuro. Conclusión: Es necesario incorporar prácticas de atención humanizada en el cuidado de las mujeres que experimentan la maternidad en situación de prisión, que puedan ayudar a llevar a cabo la resocialización, además de contribuir al fortalecimiento familiar.

This paper attempts to deal with Covid-19, fake news and vaccines and is the product of a talk the author gave at a contact session of the Northern Theological Seminary of the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa. This presentation was given a few weeks after South Africans were confronted by the eruption of public violence, "apparently" sparked by the jailing of President Jacob Zuma. The author, although requested to share ideas on Covid-19 and vaccines, felt that there was some political nexus between public violence, the feeling of being left out systematically, the unintended consequences of the lockdown, and the spark-the Constitutional Court's decision to jail the then president. This article does not discuss the Constitutional Court's decision or the jailing of the then president but tries to academically think about the causes of the eruption of public violence. The author explores the politics surrounding the vaccines and the unintended consequences of the lockdown, discusses "what the Church has become" since the outbreak of this virus, and deliberates the impact of "fake-news" in the era of a pandemic.

Resumen Costa Rica ha sido señalado como un caso excepcional en Centroamérica, especialmente por la temprana abolición del ejército, su institucionalidad democrática y el apuntalamiento de la legislación de derechos humanos en la región. No obstante, estos reconocimientos no se han visto reflejados en otros campos, como el de la legislación punitiva y las prisiones. Fue a partir de la década de 1990 cuando las cifras de población carcelaria en Costa Rica empezaron a aumentar hasta llegar a colocarse en los últimos años entre los primeros veinte países con mayor encarcelamiento. En este articulo elaboro una explicación sobre este fenómeno a partir de la revisión documental de los expedientes de cuatro reformas legislativas con mayor impacto en el aumento de la población penitenciaria costarricense. Al atender los debates, las decisiones de los agentes legislativos y su inclinación hacia las soluciones de mayor extensión y severidad penal, fue posible hallar una tensión no resuelta entre el ímpetu reformista, la desconfianza hacia la cárcel como método de control social y la imposibilidad de pensar en medidas alternativas. Así, la novedad que buscaban los legisladores terminó en una «inercia del pasado» donde la innovación consistió en regresar a un ya conocido modelo penal intransigente y severo.

Abstract Costa Rica have been recognized like an exceptional country in the Centro American region, especially for the early decision to abolish the army, for its democratic institutions, and the leading of the human rights legislation on the region. However, these recognitions do not be reflected in other arenas like the punitive legislation and the prisons. Since the 1990 decade, the prison population rate in Costa Rica begun to arise until become in nowadays in one of the top-twenty countries in the world with highest incarceration rate. In this paper I analyze this problem by a documental research strategy of the records of four legislative reforms which had have more impact in the increase of Costa Rica’s penal population. By attendance these debates, the decisions of the legislators, and their preference of more length and severity punitive solutions, I found a no-resolved tension between the impetus for something new, the disbelief on the jail like a social control strategy, and the impossibility to think in alternative ways. In this sense, the novelty which the legislators were seeking for, become in a «inertia of the past», where the innovation has turned in a coming back of the well-known intransigent and severe penality model.