Eight Playa del Carmen Detainees to Continue Cases at Liberty Under Second Chance Program

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — Eight people held at the city’s municipal detention center have won changes to their precautionary measures and will continue their criminal cases at liberty, city councilwoman Xel Ha Dehesa said.

The cases are being handled through Segunda Oportunidad (Second Chance), a program in which 10 lawyers review the case files of a first group of 20 detainees. Dehesa, the city’s eighth councilwoman and the program’s driving force, said the review aims to identify people with no criminal record who face charges for crimes that are not considered high-impact, or who may have received an inadequate defense.

The goal is to find legal alternatives that allow the lawyers to request changes to the measures keeping those detainees in custody. Dehesa stressed that the lawyers analyze each file and file the requests they consider appropriate, but it is up to the judiciary to rule on them. The changes obtained allow the detainees to continue their cases outside the detention center and do not amount to an acquittal.

Program launched in late September

The initiative began in late September and calls for continuing to review cases, including weighing the behavior of those in custody. Dehesa said the legal support is intended to help detainees reintegrate into society through options allowed under the law.

She added that the program also promotes sports and cultural activities and is seeking to bring in the National Center for Higher Education Evaluation (Ceneval) so detainees can certify their high school studies. The aim is for those who regain their liberty to have stronger educational credentials when they return to the community.