Mexico Refuses To Take Back Their Criminals

Federal inmates from the 97 treaty nations number roughly 43,000, and account for one in five federal prisoners, according to the IG. That number is on the rise. Federal prisons housed 10,000 fewer inmates from treaty nations a decade ago. Less than one percent of those inmates from transfer treaty nations — 0.6 percent — go home, partly because nations like Canada and Mexico in particular often refuse to take their criminals back.

“It really comes down to a question of numbers,” DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz said in a statement. “Transferring more foreign national prisoners to serve the remainder of their sentence in their home country would not only help reduce overcrowding in the federal prison system, but also lower costs.”

The DOJ reviews inmates from treaty nations who request a transfer, and approves them if a transfer wouldn’t thwart justice for a victim’s family or endanger the public, among other requirements.

DOJ-approved Mexican inmates, who make up 54 percent of the DOJ-approved population, are costing the U.S. $7.2 million a year, according to the IG. DOJ-approved inmates from Honduras, who make up 16 percent of the approved population, cost the U.S. $2.1 million a year, and DOJ-approved inmates from Canada make up 7 percent of that approved population and cost the U.S. $900,000 a year.
Mexican officials often deny transfers because they say their prisons are overcrowded too, the IG says.

The IG said “there are no enforcement measures within transfer treaties.”