💡 hacinamiento
Also known as: sobrepoblación carcelaria, sobrepoblación penitenciaria, superpoblación carcelaria
Condición en que una unidad penal aloja más personas de las que su capacidad permite, vulnerando derechos fundamentales.
Overcrowding occurs when the number of incarcerated people housed in a penal unit exceeds its physical and operational capacity. This means each person has access to less space, services, and resources than the minimum required by national and international human rights standards.
This situation worsens detention conditions across multiple dimensions: it deteriorates physical and mental health, hinders access to education, work, and recreational activities, and increases levels of violence inside prison walls. Bodies such as the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the UN Committee against Torture recognize overcrowding as a form of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment when it reaches certain thresholds.