Secot Prison, El Salvador

Secot Prison Overview

• Secot prison in El Salvador is the world's largest prison by capacity.
• The prison was constructed to imprison high-profile criminals.
• Inmates who enter Secot are destined to remain there for life.
• The prison was built in 2022 and consists of eight modules on 410 acres.

Security Measures

• Each pair of modules is enclosed by two 3-meter high walls with razor wire.
• The entire facility is surrounded by a 9-meter high wall with a 3-meter high electric fence carrying 15,000 volts.
• Nineteen watchtowers ensure constant surveillance.
• Jammers block all signals within a 2 km radius.
• Over 600 soldiers work to secure the perimeter.
• The facility has its own infrastructure, including electrical and sewage systems that can maintain operations for up to a week.

Crackdown and Arrests

• The prison addresses gang dominance in El Salvador.
• A crackdown started in March 2022 under President Nayib Bukele's administration.
• Over 70,000 individuals, about 2% of the adult population, were arrested within 16 months.

Inmate Processing

• In the registration room, fingerprints and photographs are taken for enrollment.
• Inmates lose all contact with loved ones, as family visits are strictly forbidden.
• A small number of innocent people were mistakenly imprisoned.

Prison Life

• 1,000 staff members work inside Secot.
• Inside the module, there are over 2,500 inmates.
• Each cell holds between 80 to 150 inmates.
• Each inmate has only 0.5 square meters of personal space.
• Prisoners do not have ventilation rights or courtyards.
• Each inmate receives a white sheet, uniform, socks, slippers, and a towel.
• The prisoners spend their entire days on four-level bunk beds.
• Inmates are shaved every two weeks.
• MS13 and Barrio 18 gang members are housed together in the same cells.

Hygiene and Sanitation

• The prison has shared toilet areas with two toilets for up to 80 inmates.
• Showering and cleaning occur in the same area as the toilets, using plastic dippers in a shared basin.
• There is no running water in the cells; prisoners rely on a blue barrel for drinking water.

Gang Tattoos

• Tattoos signify gang affiliation and criminal history.
• MS13 tattoos include the initial letters or the number 13.
• Barrio 18 uses symbols like 18 or 666.
• A spiderweb tattoo represents being caught in the web of justice.
• Devil horns tattoos represent worship of the devil.
• A teardrop tattoo signifies that the person has ended someone's life.
• "Laugh now, cry later" masks or clown tattoos signify staying strong in the face of hardship.

Surveillance and Control

• Guards watch over the inmates from a catwalk area.
• Cameras observe every corner 24/7, and the modules are kept lit all day and night.
• Inmates cover their eyes with towels to block the light when they try to sleep.

Activities

• Inmates participate in activities such as Bible lessons and physical exercise for 1 hour per week under armed guard.
• Gang members attempt to send orders to the outside.

Food

• Inmates get three meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
• Breakfast is beans and rice.
• Lunch is white rice and pasta.
• Dinner is similar to lunch, with a change in the drink.
• There is no nutritious food like chicken or meat.
• Inmates must eat with their hands and clean their plates.

Isolation Cells

• Inmates who break rules can be sent to isolation cells for up to 15 days.
• Isolation cells have sealed doors and a grid for observation and for the staff to apply restraints.
• The cells contain a concrete bed, a water bin, and a toilet.
• The only light and fresh air come from a small hole.

Interview with "Psycho"

• Marvin Ernesto Montano Vasquez, known as "Psycho," is interviewed, revealing his 34-year criminal history as a high-ranking gang member.
• He joined the MS13 crime organization in 2004, starting his criminal record at age 11.
• To join the organization, he had to end someone's life, starting with a relative.
• He estimates responsibility for more than 50 deaths.
• He feels bad about not seeing his son, who he last saw at age 5 and is now 21.
• His motivation is to change his later life and seek forgiveness from God.

Impact and Results

• El Salvador once had the highest rate of homicides.
• Previous administrations agreed to a truce with gangs.
• By 2023, the homicide rate dropped to 2.4 per 100,000 people.
• El Salvador is now among the safest countries in the world.