The Center for Judicial Studies (CEJ), an organization dedicated to research and the promotion of public policy in the areas of justice and human rights, launched the campaign "The Other Face of Pretrial Detention". The initiative, funded by the European Union under the project "Access to justice and human rights for persons deprived of liberty", aims to spark public debate on the consequences of the excessive use of pretrial detention and to highlight the severe overcrowding crisis in Paraguay's penitentiary system.
Data from the Ministry of Justice for 2025 reveals that 60% of the country's prison population, representing more than 11,000 people, are awaiting trial without a final conviction. The total number of inmates in the system reached 19,426 last year, a sustained increase from the 14,370 recorded in 2021.
The average overcrowding in penitentiaries is 147%, with extreme situations in several facilities. The Villarrica penitentiary operates at a rate of 1,225%, housing 649 people in a space designed for just 53. In San Pedro, overcrowding is 1,047%, while in Emboscada it reaches 839% and in Tacumbú, 446%.
The CEJ warns that overcrowding exacerbates the prevalence and sustained increase of diseases such as tuberculosis, HIV, and syphilis in prisons, a point also highlighted by the National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture (MNP).
As part of the campaign, the organization has made available a series of informational materials, including a podcast with mini-stories based on real cases, a kit with recommendations for journalistic coverage of justice and human rights issues, and a citizen's guide on alternatives to imprisonment. The goal is to question the social cost of mass incarceration driven by prejudice and to make visible the consequences of pretrial detention for individuals and for society.