CAF approves historic USD 800 million program to modernize Peru's justice and penitentiary system

The Board of Directors of CAF, Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, approved a credit line for USD 800 million to finance Peru's "Program to Improve and Close Gaps in the National Penitentiary System," the most ambitious of its kind in South America, which seeks to radically transform the conditions of people deprived of liberty in the country .

The program, which has a total amount of USD 1 billion and will be implemented by the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, represents a comprehensive response to the challenges faced by the Peruvian prison system. The initiative is framed within Peru' s National Penitentiary Policy to 2030 and the Penitentiary Emergency Sector Strategy 2025-2026 and is complemented by CAF's Strategic Framework for Security and Justice for Development.

"This program marks a milestone in our commitment to social transformation and human development in Latin America," said Sergio Diaz-Granados, CAF's executive president. "We believe that social rehabilitation and readaptation along with crime prevention are fundamental pillars for building fairer and safer societies. With this historic investment, we are contributing not only to increase security and strengthen the Peruvian social fabric, but we are also betting on crime prevention and successful social reintegration."

The program will allow for the renovation of prison infrastructure, and includes the construction of modern facilities, incorporating sustainable infrastructure measures, including solar energy systems, water reuse and recycling, and security and crime prevention measures. It will also equip the new facilities with furniture and advanced technological systems to modernize prison management.

This initiative positions Peru as a regional benchmark in the modernization of prison systems, which is based on a model of justice that combines comprehensive security, rehabilitation and environmental sustainability, thus contributing to the construction of a fairer and more inclusive society.