Life imprisonment with the possibility of parole in El Salvador: A criminological and criminal justice perspective

Abstract

This essay analyzed the transition of the criminal justice system in El Salvador, focusing on the proposal to implement the reviewable life imprisonment sentence under the administration of President Nayib Bukele. It examined how the Salvadoran State evolved from a scenario of anomie and territorial control by criminal structures toward a national security model based on "political will" and "deterrence by incapacitation." Through a bibliographic and documentary analysis, the pillars of the Territorial Control Plan, the Exception Regime, and the symbolic and factual function of the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) were explored. The results indicated that reviewable life imprisonment did not represent an isolated event but rather the closure of a legal cycle aimed at guaranteeing control over the "biological time" of high-risk subjects. It was concluded that this paradigm shift prioritized the protection of victims and social defense over previous models of failed rehabilitation, simultaneously aligning with international standards through the reviewability clause. Legal firmness was identified as the foundation of the new lasting peace in the country.