Overview
- The Justice Ministry unveiled the plan Wednesday and directed the prison service to send an initial 5,000 case files to the courts for review.
- Officials estimate about 24,739 inmates could qualify under strict rules that cover minor offenses with sentences under four years, such as failure to pay family support.
- Homicide, contract killing, extortion and terrorism are excluded to keep high‑risk prisoners incarcerated.
- The rollout adds 500 prison staff and speeds work on facilities in Pucallpa, Arequipa, Iquitos and Abancay, with 3,202 new housing units planned.
- A control sweep in Tumbes found crowding at five times capacity, reinforcing officials’ claim that easing numbers could avoid more than S/3,636 million in new prison costs.