Last insular penal colony in Latin America: Marias Islands, Mexico (1905-2010)

Abstract

There is a lack of studies about the insular penal colonies of Latin America, which date from the mid-19th and 20th centuries. This article studies the last insular penal colony, the Federal Penal Colony Islas Marias, in Mexico, founded in 1905 and closed in 2010. Due to the vast period of operation, 105 years, we only study two aspects: Its founding process (1905) and its legal justification for the penalty of relegation (1908), which gave shape to the model of insular penal colony to operate it. The objective of this research is to support the historical knowledge of these insular penal colonies that served for the work of the penitentiary in Latin America. The qualitative and historical research type method was applied. The results provide that in Mexico, like in other young Latin American republics from the 18th century, were replicated the European models, specifically the Spanish model of the 19th century, for the creation of their insular penal colonies.