Information Pack for British Prisoners in Bolivia Author British Embassy La Paz Date June 2015
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- Would I have a criminal record in the UK
- Visits How do my family and friends arrange a visit
- How many visits am I allowed
- What can visitors bring
- Arrival at police station
- General prison conditions
What will the Consulate do?We aim to contact you within 24 hours of the notification of the arrest and visit you as soon as possible. We will provide a list of lawyers; give advice on local procedures; liaise with local authorities to flag any medical needs and notify next-of-kin if so desired. Once you are transferred to a prison, we will visit you once every three months, unless there are reasons to visit you more frequently. We can answer questions about your welfare and about prison regulations. We cannot answer questions about legal matters. You should ask your lawyer these questions. Would I have a criminal record in the UK?You should be aware that if you are arrested for certain serious offences, such as sexual assault or drugs crimes, our staff must inform other relevant UK authorities. The information about the criminal offence will be sent to ACPO Criminal Records office in the UK. It is therefore possible that information about this offence may appear if a criminal records check were carried out by a prospective employer for example. VisitsHow do my family and friends arrange a visit?It is important that your family contact us in advance so that we can inform the prison authorities and request additional visits. Consular officers may be able to accompany your family during their first visit to the prison. Visitors should hold a valid photo ID to present to the prison authorities on arrival. How many visits am I allowed?This depends on the prison. Most prisons have set visiting days and times and this is usually twice a week.When family members come from the UK for visits consular staff will try to arrange extra visit days. Any additional visits are at the discretion of the prison governor. Consular visitsWe will visit you every three months. During our routine visits you will have the opportunity to discuss any health issues, security concerns, your treatment in prison and any other general issues that you wish to raise with our Consular staff. At each Consular visit, our staff will complete a "Visit Report Form". If there is any information that you would prefer not to disclose with your next of kin you should let us know during the visit. What can visitors bring?Permitted items vary from one prison to another. Most prisons allow visitors to bring food, comforts, money and toiletries for inmates. Your family should ask for the latest list of permitted items before purchasing items. Prison conditions/servicesArrival at police stationFollowing an arrest detainees are usually taken into police custody for a period of 48 hours (in application of Article 97 of Law 1008). However, this period can actually range from a few hours to one or two weeks. A detainee on remand must be conducted to the competent authority or court within 24 hours. Arrival at prisonAny belongings that are not part of the investigation process or evidence should be returned to you. It is not unusual for some belongings to go missing after an arrest or during prison transfers. The British Embassy cannot store your personal belongings on your behalf. The only property we can keep for you is your passport and driver’s licence however these are usually retained at the courts until the end of your sentence. Please note that your passport might be kept by the courts as evidence of the alleged crime or as a condition for your bail/parole. This measure is taken by the courts to prevent you from skipping bail. General prison conditionsBolivian prison conditions are very poor compared to UK prison standards. You should not expect the same level of sanitary conditions and comforts. Prisons in Bolivia are overcrowded and prison cells/rooms are not always available. You may be expected to pay to use a cell/room. There are two male prisons in La Paz. One is located in the downtown area of the city called Penitenciaría de San Pedro or Panóptico Nacional, and the second is located near the town of Viacha (about 75 kms from La Paz), and is called San Pedro de Chonchocoro. San Pedro Prison: This is an adobe-walled (mud bricks) structure built in the 1890s to house approximately 600 inmates. There are now about 2000 inmates. There are no cells within the prison and the prisoners are assigned to rooms. Although supposedly forbidden by prison officials, most of the time inmates have to pay and purchase a better room. Prisoners can also make improvements to the rooms but must finance all improvements. Food (usually a stew with very little meat) is prepared for all the prisoners in the prison kitchen. Because of the low quality and the lack of sanitary conditions, most foreigners prepare their own meals or have it brought from some restaurant outside the prison, or eat at a restaurant or snack bar concessions located within the prison. Anything other than the “officially” supplied food must be paid for with personal funds. Visitors can talk to prisoners any day of the week but are separated by an iron fence. The official visiting days are Thursday and Sunday, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and relatives and friends are permitted free access inside the prison and the prisoner’s rooms. Visitors are searched when they enter the prison. Prison officials may read post sent to prisoners before it is delivered to the addressee. Attorneys for the prisoners are allowed to visit with their clients all the time (this applies to all prisons). While prisoners are supposedly required to perform some kind of work, it is possible to avoid work, sometimes by making small payments. Recreational facilities within the prison are sparse: a pool table, table tennis, and half-size courts for basketball, volleyball, racquetball and soccer. The courts for many of these games are makeshift. A number of prisoners have small libraries and these books are passed around. San Pedro de Chonchocoro: San Pedro de Chonchocoro prison is totally different from the San Pedro prison. It houses approximately 300 inmates who are usually serving time awaiting trial. It is so-called maximum-security prison, most prisoners are held in connection with narcotics related activities. The prison has a small chapel, a library, and prisoners are required to perform some type of manual activity. Prisoners remain in individual cells at night and are allowed to walk in a large patio during the day. Visitors are allowed on Saturdays only. Cárcel de Mujeres: The women’s prison in La Paz, called Centro de Orientación Femenina or Cárcel de Mujeres, is more modern than the men’s prison, but still crowded. It houses approximately 255 prisoners. Within the prison you still find a large inner courtyard, a small library, a dining area, and sewing area. An outer courtyard is used for visiting days, when the prisoners may be visited by their relatives. During other days relatives are generally not allowed to talk with the prisoners, and are not allowed in to the prisoners’ room. About ten women are housed in large rooms, dormitory style. While food is supplied by the administration, many of the women get food from restaurants outside the prison or prepare their own meals to supplement their diet. Carcel de Mujeres Miraflores: This is a high security system prison in La Paz, although the building was not planned to be one. Located on the corner of Argentina Av. and Francisco de Miranda St., it’s supposedly to house 40 inmates but at the moment there are more than 80. All the basic services are covered, even though they are restricted somehow. There are four bathrooms; one for each block, one is only used by sick internees. Internees are allowed to use the only phone, calls can be restricted. There’s only one TV set per room. Internees are allowed to use only battery radios if they get the respective permission. As some internees are mothers of little children, they are allowed to live with them presenting the respective ID and a birth certificate. Internees are allowed to use sharps with a permission. Visits are allowed on Thursdays, Sundays and/or holidays. Anyone can ask for an interview with an internee any day for an hour, previously asking for permission. Workers and volunteers that have a credential can get into the prison on approved days and hours. Palmasola Prison in Santa Cruz: Palmasola is the biggest prison in the country, it houses around 4000 inmates but it was build to house only 600. It consists of several blocks: one for female prisoners, one maximum-security block, one for inmates with infectious diseases, one for high-profile prisoners and 2 blocks to house the rest of the male inmates. Palmasola conditions are worse than in La Paz, the warm climate and humidity affect sanitary conditions. Inmates are expected to pay for a room or cell, . Visitors are allowed in Palmasola on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. San Sebastián Prison in Cochabamba: An adobe block (mud bricks) building built decades ago. While small in size, it does not differ substantially from the prisons in La Paz. However, the climate is warmer than in La Paz. 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