Published on Wednesday, July 1, 2026
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

The Ministry of Justice and Peace has announced that inmates who will be housed at the country's new maximum-security prison, the Center for High Containment of Organized Crime (CACCO), will be required to wear bright orange uniforms.

The new prison, currently under construction in Alajuela Province, is modeled after El Salvador's Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT). Once completed, the facility is expected to house more than 5,000 inmates in five buildings.

Authorities say it will hold members of organized crime groups, violent offenders, inmates eligible for extradition, prisoners considered security risks and individuals requiring special protection.

Justice Minister Gabriel Aguilar announced the new uniform policy Wednesday during a news conference following President Laura Fernández's Cabinet meeting.

Aguilar said reinstating prison uniforms marks a major milestone for Costa Rica's penitentiary system, which has not required standardized inmate clothing in more than 50 years. Currently, prisoners wear clothing provided by family members or received through donations.

The bright orange uniforms will be used in conjunction with additional security measures, including the use of shackles during the transport of high-risk inmates. Aguilar said the policy aligns with international security standards and prison regulations.

According to Aguilar, standardized uniforms will improve prison security, promote equality among inmates and reduce the exchange and trading of clothing inside correctional facilities. He added that the uniforms will also make inmate searches and identification easier in the event of an escape.

The uniforms will be produced at no additional cost because they will be manufactured by incarcerated women at the Vilma Curling Rivera Women's Correctional Facility in San José.

The prison already has sewing machines, and the inmates assigned to the project will receive training from instructors with the National Learning Institute (INA). Officials estimate the program could produce up to 12,000 garments per month.

Aguilar also said private companies will donate the fabric and other materials needed to manufacture the uniforms, as well as the inmates' footwear.


Addressing the initiative, President Laura Fernández suggested using the new uniforms for maximum-security inmates as part of a crime-prevention strategy aimed at Costa Rican youth.


She said young people should visit prisons to see firsthand what life behind bars is really like.

"Hopefully, we'll be able to organize field trips for middle schools and high schools located in some of the country's most dangerous neighborhoods, where there are young people who believe that crime could become their way of life," Fernández said.

In January, then-President Rodrigo Chaves and Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of CACCO, which will become Costa Rica's first maximum-security mega prison.

The Ministry of Justice and Peace is the state-owned organization that oversees the prison system in the country.

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