Ministry of the Interior signs contract for the construction of a women's rehabilitation center in Punta de Rieles

Statement from the Ministry of the Interior of Uruguay

This is an automated translation of the press release issued in Spanish

On Tuesday, October 22, the signing of the extension of the public-private partnership (PPP) contract for the construction of the new women's rehabilitation center in Punta de Rieles took place.

The event was attended by the Minister of the Interior , Nicolás Martinelli, the director of the National Rehabilitation Institute, Luis Mendoza, and other key representatives of public and private institutions involved in the project.

The new centre, which will be built by the company Teyma , will be specifically designed for the rehabilitation of women deprived of liberty, with an initial capacity of 846 places, which can be expanded to a total of 1,015; 66 of which will be allocated to pre-releases and 30 to the trans population.

The facility will have various areas focused on rehabilitation and reintegration, including social-labor spaces, educational workshops, a sports center and specific areas where the gender perspective will be considered, being the first center in the country to offer this type of care.

Minister Martinelli highlighted the inter-institutional work that made the project possible and underlined the importance of improving conditions for people deprived of liberty, linking rehabilitation efforts with the reduction of rates of violence and recidivism.

Construction is expected to begin within the next 15 days, with completion estimated for the first half of 2026.

This project is part of a series of initiatives promoted by the Ministry of the Interior and other institutions to improve the conditions of the penitentiary system, with the aim of achieving "zero overcrowding" in the country's rehabilitation centres.