El hacinamiento carcelario frente al derecho a la integridad física de los privados de libertad en Ecuador, 2025

Abstract

Abstract: The prison crisis has violated the right to physical integrity of those deprived of liberty, as the majority of pretrial detention centers and social rehabilitation facilities are overcrowded; they lack the extensive infrastructure needed to accommodate most inmates and provide the resources required for their subsistence. Shortages of food and medicine are among the primary causes of the tensions and systematic violence arising within these rehabilitation centers. The research employed a qualitative approach combined with legal-exegetical and doctrinal-legal methods, enabling an in-depth analysis of the regulations and legal theory surrounding the prison crisis in Ecuador. Key findings reveal that the problem persists and has not been eradicated, thereby undermining the constitutional guarantees and principles protecting individuals deprived of liberty who are classified by the Constitution as a group requiring priority attention. Although they are entitled to specialized assistance and full protection of their rights to ensure genuine social rehabilitation, this remains an unrealized ideal rather than a reality.