President Rodrigo Chaves-Robles announced plans for the construction of a new $35 million large-scale correctional facility, during a visit to the Jorge Arturo Montero Penitentiary Center, commonly known as "La Reforma," located in the canton of San Rafael, Alajuela province.

“We already have the design satisfactorily underway, and this government has promised that from the day we lay the first stone, it will take 195 days to build,” Chaves told reporters. “We expect to announce very soon the model we’ll follow and the estimated date for breaking ground.”

The proposed facility is expected to house up to 5,000 inmates convicted of serious crimes, including murder, drug trafficking, and terrorism.

Construction is projected to be completed in under seven months, a timeline the president described as a record. The complex will include not only inmate housing, but also administrative offices, parking areas, dormitories for correctional officers, and recreational spaces for prisoners among other places.

Chaves stressed that the project is about ensuring public safety rather than infringing on rights. “This is not about violating anyone’s rights,” he said. “It’s about protecting the rights of victims and their families.”

The Judicial Investigation Organization (OIJ) reported 297 homicides in Costa Rica from January 1 to May 2, three fewer than during the same period in 2024.

According to the Ministry of Justice, Costa Rica’s 11 prisons housed approximately 17,000 inmates.

Chaves also noted that Costa Rica will receive technical advisory support from the Government of El Salvador to help develop the new facility.

In April, Costa Rican Minister of Justice Gérald Campos visited El Salvador to receive direct guidance from Salvadoran authorities on their prison system.

El Salvador has gained international attention for its hardline approach to crime, particularly through the implementation of its anti-terrorism strategy, which allows authorities to detain terrorism suspects without trial.

Central to this strategy is the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT), a maximum-security prison in the Tecoluca District of San Vicente province.

Opened in January 2023 under President Nayib Bukele’s administration, CECOT is the largest prison in Latin America, with a capacity of 40,000 inmates. As of November 2024, Salvadoran authorities reported between 15,000 and 20,000 incarcerated individuals at the facility.

President Chaves previously honored Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele with the Juan Rafael Mora Porras Distinction in November 2024, during an official visit to Costa Rica.

The Judicial Investigation Organization (OIJ), a division of Costa Rica’s Supreme Court of Justice, conducts criminal investigations. Officers in this operational unit have nationwide police authority. 

The Ministry of Justice is responsible for managing the prison system, supporting inmate rehabilitation and reintegration, and representing the state through the Office of the Attorney General.