Prison population in Argentina’s federal jails rises 3% in two months

The number of inmates held in Argentina’s federal prisons rose 3.2 percent in September from December 2024, according to new data from the Attorney General’s Office.

A report by the Procuraduría de Violencia Institucional (Prosecutor's Office for Institutional Violence, PROCUVIN), led by prosecutor general Alberto Adrián María Gentili, said the increase represents 366 more prisoners than previously recorded. 

Gentili noted a “sustained upward trend” in the incarcerated population, with 12,062 people held in federal custody as of September 2025.

The report traced the evolution of inmate numbers over the past four years and 10 months: 11,543 in December 2020; 11,283 in December 2021; 11,349 in December 2022; 11,311 in December 2023; 11,696 in December 2024; and 12,062 in September 2025.

One of the main concerns highlighted by PROCUVIN was prison overcrowding. 

The latest update showed a 4.6 percent increase in September, with 529 inmates held beyond the official capacity of detention facilities. “However, that figure fell compared with August – when there were 545 inmates above capacity – following the addition of new places,” the report said.

Of the total, 7,300 people are serving sentences, while 4,771 are being held on remand. The report also said that federal prisons housed 952 women and 33 trans or travesti people as of September 2025.

PROCUVIN noted that the number of women prisoners rose 8 percent this year – an increase of 67 inmates – and that the number of mothers and children living inside prison facilities has tripled, reaching 15 in total.

– TIMES/NA