Mexico prisons still dirty but less dangerous and crowded

MEXICO CITY – Mexico's state and federal prison systems are understaffed and dirty, but are no longer so dangerous and overcrowded.

The governmental National Human Rights Commission says in a Thursday report that 84 percent of the 165 state prisons inspected have insufficient staff, 76 percent don't adequately separate convicted inmates from people awaiting trial, and 72 percent are unhygienic.

But prison killings fell from 104 in 2017 to 31 in 2018. Overcrowding was reported at 34 percent of state prisons and none of the 21 federal prisons.

Inmates control at least some activities at 45 percent of state prisons and extort other inmates at 40 percent.

The commission criticized this year's decision to close the Islas Marias penal colony, noting the island facility was the highest-rated among all federal prisons.