The Paraguayan prison system has taken a radical step against corruption: since May 2026, cash has been completely banned from the country's new detention centers. In its place, inmates have started using virtual electronic wallets, accessed exclusively through fingerprint reading.
The technology is already in operation at the Emboscada Social Reintegration Center (known as Comple) and the Minga Guazú penitentiary. The next unit to receive the system will be the Martín Mendoza prison, according to the Deputy Minister of Criminal Policy, Rubén Maciel.
To avoid security risks, inmates do not have access to cell phones, cards, or any physical payment device — items prohibited in maximum-security regimes. The operation is 100% biometric: each inmate has a virtual account with credit, and when purchasing products in the canteens, they simply place their finger on the reader to verify the balance and authorize the deduction.
“This guarantees not only transparency and traceability, but also avoids situations of coercion by staff against inmates, and vice versa, any attempt at bribery. It provides a lot of control, as we can know which product is purchased and how often,” Maciel explained.
The deputy minister also addressed the risk of wallets being used to receive money from telephone scams carried out within prisons. He classified any attempt in this regard as “absolute stupidity,” since monitoring is real-time and the system records the name and data of whoever makes each transfer, facilitating the work of the Public Prosecutor's Office.
The platform imposes strict limits on deposits. Only authorized family members can transfer funds, and there is a maximum ceiling per transaction. “It's not that you can deposit 10 million, there are limits,” Maciel stated.
In addition to family assistance, the electronic wallet has also become the official channel for paying “pecuniary rewards” — salaries paid by private companies partnering with labor reintegration programs in penitentiaries.