To give the prison autonomy, the Salvadoran Minister of Public Works, Romeo Rodríguez, declared that two wells were drilled, a 600 cubic meter water supply plant was installed, four cisterns, and eight electric power substations were built.
In order to guarantee electricity, the prison also has fuel-based emergency plants.
A sewage plant was also built.
In front of the cell blocks, there is a control room to operate the water and electricity systems so that inmates do not have the ability to “manipulate” both services, explained the CECOT director, who prefers to remain anonymous.
The pavilions have a curved roof that guarantees natural ventilation for the prisoners.
In the prison, which was built in a record time of seven months, 3,000 people worked and the work was supervised by a Mexican company.
Rigor in cells
Each pavilion has a construction area of 6,000 meters, and in each of its 32 cells equipped with steel bars, “more than one hundred” gang members will be housed, Minister Rodríguez explained.
The inmates have in each cell —about 100 square meters—, two sinks with running water for personal hygiene, and two toilets.
Each cell also has iron sheet cabins without mattresses to sleep 80 people.