The country that built prisons

The general recommendation by most analysts is that there is no way to build enough prisons and jail enough criminals to end the violent crime problem in Latin America. The issue must be resolved more strategically. That's my opinion too. However, that does not mean no country will attempt precisely that.

Picture a scenario in ten years in which a mano dura leader comes to power who believes that he can build enough prisons. He will not only imprison tens of thousands more people in his own country, every person who has committed a crime, but also take on some of the overrun from neighboring countries who face overcrowding in their prisons. What if that country can actually make a profit though the system by charging neighbors for using the prisons?

There are a lot of ugly human rights issues in doing this and it may be a huge strategic mistake. For me, this falls under the worst case scenarios heading. However, if it could be accomplished logistically and if the region cooperated to create this sort of country with a prison specialty, it certainly might be attempted. Mano dura has a cyclical appeal in parts of Latin America and this prison building would ease one of the major effects of such a policy.