Senator calls for probe into conditions at Mayagüez detention center.

By THE STAR STAFF

District 4 (Mayagüez-Aguadilla) Sen. Karen Román Rodríguez has filed a resolution seeking a comprehensive investigation into the conditions at the Western Detention Center (Centro de Detención del Oeste) in Mayagüez.

The move follows multiple complaints from inmates and their families regarding treatment and basic services at the facility.

The senator said the resolution aims to address concerns about medical care, food quality, security and rehabilitation programs available to the incarcerated population.

“We’re talking about human beings who, regardless of the reasons they are there, deserve fair and dignified treatment,” Román Rodríguez said. “We cannot ignore the complaints we’ve received.”

The proposed investigation would examine potential deficiencies in the center’s operations, identify administrative failures, and determine whether the fundamental rights of individuals in state custody are being upheld.

Román Rodríguez stressed that the initiative seeks to promote meaningful reform within the correctional system and ensure that institutions fulfill their responsibility to rehabilitate, not just confine.

The resolution was filed last week, and at press time was expected to be reviewed by the island Senate.