In Costa Rica, the Defensoria de los Habitantes (Ombudsperson) dedicated a section of its 2021-2022 Annual Report to gender discrimination in the national prison system, the findings of which were based on inspections of womens prisons.

Periodic inspections of womens prisons by the Department of Women at La Defensoria identified various challenges and discriminatory conditions faced by women inmates. These included a lack of detention facilities dedicated to women (2 compared to 14 for men) and a lack of nursery facilities, both of which were found to limit the ability of female detainees to enjoy the right to private and family life.

Based on these findings, La Defensoria recommended creating more regional detention facilities for women; establishing nurseries within them; ensuring adequate medical services for female inmates, including gynaecological services and access to contraception; and providing additional work opportunities and female surveillance personnel.

These recommendations, and the discriminatory conditions identified in this investigation, were highlighted in the 2021-2022 Annual Report of the Defensoria, which included a section on gender discrimination.