Significant frustration has erupted among families visiting inmates at the Puerto Vallarta Prison, as well as attorneys and citizens with business at the adjacent courts, following the recent concession granted to the Jalisco Institute for Social Rehabilitation (INJALRESO) to charge a 30-peso fee for the public parking lot. To enforce this payment system, authorities have cordoned off surrounding areas and installed signs prohibiting parking in front of the prison and along Highway 544—spaces that were previously available for free parking.
These changes were implemented in mid-February, coinciding with the inauguration of the civil courts. The right side of the prison has been designated exclusively for employees and guards, though these spaces are barely sufficient for staff needs. Meanwhile, the extensive left strip has been closed to general access and can only be entered through a controlled gate where visitors receive a ticket bearing the INJALRESO logo. The ticket includes disclaimers stating they accept no responsibility for damages or complete theft of vehicles.
INJALRESO, a decentralized public organization responsible for training and providing employment opportunities to incarcerated individuals and their families, as well as marketing inmate-produced goods, has not publicly disclosed plans for how the collected parking fees will be utilized.
Bar Association Protest
The Bar Association of the North Coast of Jalisco, AC, led by Fernando Loza Valdez, has voiced opposition to these changes and formally communicated their concerns to the Supreme Court of Justice. In a statement addressed to the legal community and general public, they declared:
“We stand in solidarity with the protests of lawyers who have expressed their categorical rejection of the parking restrictions and fee collection in the dirt area of the new location of the Civil Courts and the Twenty-Seventh Judicial District of the State of Jalisco. We recognize that this measure affects not only attorneys but also individuals seeking justice, as well as officials and civil servants employed by the common courts.”
“Our College remains open to dialogue and communication with Judicial Branch authorities and the general public, particularly for attorneys who frequent these courts daily and truly understand these deficiencies. Our position is clear: we are entirely willing to collaborate in support of the Judicial Branch’s operations in our region to dignify the work of jurisdictional bodies and advocate for the benefit of those seeking justice,” the statement emphasized.