Rights agency says overcrowding in Mexico's prisons at 25 pct; 1 in 4 prisoners without a bed

MEXICO CITY – A new report by Mexico's National Human Rights Commission says the country's prisons have been overpopulated by about 25 percent continuously during the past 10 years.

The commission's Ruth Villanueva said Wednesday that Mexico's prisons are in a serious crisis.

Twenty-eight of the 388 prisons are at least 40 percent beyond planned capacity. Some are 100 percent over capacity. One of every four of Mexico's 254,000 prisoners does not have a bed.

Overcrowding is most intense in Mexico City. Three federal prisons built for a combined 1,200 prisoners and expanded to hold 6,000 now house 13,000.

The report says 76 prisons are governed by the prisoners themselves. In general, prisoners receive little to no health care.