In Costa Rica, the Defensoria de los Habitantes (Ombudsperson), recommended measures to reduce prison overcrowding, following complaints from inmates.

After a large number of complaints were received from inmates on issues related directly or indirectly to overcrowding, and in light of information from the Ministry of Justice and Peace that a high rate of inmates were being held in pre-trial detention or were imprisoned for minor felonies, the Defensoria recommended to the government that it consider other options for people awaiting trial or for those found guilty of low-level felonies. This prompted the government to conduct an assessment, to identify potential alternatives to incarceration. It launched a programme in 2019 to pilot some of these alternatives, including the use of electronic monitoring and house arrest in lieu of pre-trial detention.

These efforts are important for achieving progress toward SDG 16, particularly as it concerns facilitating access to justice and reducing the number of unsentenced detainees in line with SDG indicator 16.3.2.