I go to visit the Najayo jail, a women’s prison in San Cristóbal, just west of Santo Domingo. As one walks through the front door, it becomes apparent that the prison is nothing like most of the jails in Latin America. A large plaque in the entrance displays the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a charter that is routinely ignored in most of the continent’s penitentiaries. Artwork by inmates hangs on the corridor walls, and in the reception area there are trophies for singing, dancing, and dominoes that prisoners have won in contests against other local jails. In a quiet room to one
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