First of all thank you for visiting this blog. I am creating it to be a voice for the inmates and small children who reside there. There is some old information about this prison online that is no longer true. I want this blog to be useful and accurate.

Like many things that have to do with governmental institutions in Ecuador, the beginning of the year means changes. This is true with resident visas, procedures for a RUC, and this year in particular at El Inca Prison.

In the coming days, weeks, and months the standard of living in the prison is about to change drastically for the residents there, and it won’t be easy for the women who are used to how life has been for them there. They have already started a transition. The goal is to make the prison more like a typical western prison. One example is no more weekly farmers market. Soon visitors can no longer bring in care packages on visitation days. You will still be able to give food, toys, candy, toiletries, etc. But only on non-visit days. I will update this new information as soon as it becomes available. As of right now visitation days are Saturday, Sunday, and Wednesday. Mondays and Tuesdays and likely Thursdays, and Fridays will be days you can drop off items. This rule will be implemented to attempt to decrease the alcohol and drugs that find their way inside. Also there will be no more cooking inside the prison walls. And no more wearing civilian clothes or shoes. This will be replaced with prison uniforms. This might not sound like a big deal, but it is when you get one meal a day. One prisoner I met refuses to eat food that is made from cow udders. There are other animal products used, but it is not necessary to go into the details at this time. If you have questions regarding this issue, feel free to contact me.

I will start a gofundme.com account soon if you want to donate. But I want to encourage anyone in the Quito area to visit. When I visited the prison today, which was my first time, I met a lady from Canada who has been there for a year and three months and has never had a visitor. So I told her I was there to see her. There are women there from America, Canada, Europe, New Zealand, Philippines, Thailand, and Indonesia, as well as many other countries. The women are up front about why they are there. Most of it is drug traffic related. Some will tell you they got caught, and others will tell you that drugs were planted in their luggage before flying. In both cases they have accepted the reality of where they are. Almost all are doing an eight year sentence.

Here is how you can visit. Visiting hours are from 9 a.m. to 12 and 1 to 4. Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. I would suggest trying to get there early. If you want to get in at 9 then get you should arrive at 7 or 8 a.m. It is a 2 minute walk from the corner of De Los Toronjas and Avenida El Inca. Along the street there are two lines. One is for male visitors and the other is for female visitors. Both are on the same sidewalk and lead to the main gate. The mens line goes up the hill to the gate and the women’s line goes down the hill to the gate. Across the main gate is a restaurant that will hold your belongings that you cannot bring inside the prison. eg shoelaces on your shoes, sunglasses, wallet, purse, cell phones, etc. You need to have your passport or cedula to go inside.

While you are waiting in line a policeman will write on the inside of your right forearm a number. This is how they keep track of people to avoid persons cutting in line. once you have your number you can leave the line if you need to go to that restaurant/store across the street. When you get to the outside gate they will check that number and then let you inside. The next step is giving your cedula or passport to a different guard. He/She will ask for the first and last name of the inmate you want to visit and will ask your relationship with her(family member or friend). They keep your ID and stamp your forearm. Then you go inside a little more and they do a weak pat down check on you and look inside any bags that you are bringing in and then you get another stamp on the forearm. As of today you are allowed to bring in gifts for the prisoners but this may change very soon. If the rules do change in the future, then if you want you can give a little money. It is NOT required because the girls will be happy enough just to have a visitor to talk with them. Next you go inside the prison area a little more and another guard will ask you something. I am learning spanish and I am not really sure what she asked me. She could tell I did not understand her and just let me in. When you first walk in there will be one or two prison girls who will ask, who are you there for. they will then lead you to whoever and will want a quarter for helping you. I have a first and last name and permission to give it out here for the guard and to whoever helps you to find her in the prison. It is the Canadian lady I spoke of before. Her name is Karen Dupont.

After your visit you just walk back to where they have your ID and out that main door. If you had stuff at the restaurant across the street, you give them a dollar and the plastic token they gave you and that’s it.