Overview
- Mexico’s incarcerated population reached 256,127 in December 2025, about 30% higher than in 2018, with 18 states now operating overcrowded prisons.
- Unsentenced detainees in Mexico climbed to 133,214 (52.01%), reflecting heavier use of preventive detention and persistent judicial delays.
- Analysts cited reinforced prisión preventiva oficiosa and recent security operations, along with pressure to show security gains, as key drivers of the rise in detentions.
- Argentina recorded 121,443 inmates as of December 31, 2024, up 7.1% in a year, with facilities running at 130.2% capacity and 62% of people under final sentence.
- Local responses include added beds and limited alternatives such as electronic monitoring, while courts and the CNPT urge structural reforms; Córdoba leads national incarceration rates and is expanding facilities.