Medellin’s Metropolitan Detention Center for people awaiting trial is 47% complete and is scheduled to finish in May 2027, according to the city government. The project represents an investment of more than 675 billion Colombian pesos (about US$213 million). It seeks to reduce overcrowding in police stations, where people awaiting judicial proceedings are held in facilities not designed for long-term detention.
Located in Pedregal Alto, in the northwestern district of San Cristobal, the center will accommodate 1,339 detainees. It is Colombia’s first prison infrastructure project developed under a public-private partnership (PPP), with a 15-year concession covering construction, operation and maintenance.
¡La Mega Cárcel Metropolitana para Sindicados ya va en la mitad de avance!
— Fico Gutiérrez (@FicoGutierrez) October 19, 2026Estamos en San Cristóbal haciendo seguimiento a esta obra que tendrá 1.339 cupos, una inversión superior a $675.000 millones y que hoy genera 563 empleos directos, 184 de ellos para personas de la zona. Tendrá seis pabellones, espacios para salud, formación, educación, visitas familiares, justicia, cocina, lavandería y todos los servicios necesarios para su funcionamiento. La estamos construyendo con la mejor seguridad y tecnología: contará con inhibidores de señal celular, un centro de control con vigilancia permanente, garitas de vigilancia y espacios especializados para la custodia y el control de accesos
. Esta obra ayudará a reducir el hacinamiento en las estaciones de Policía y permitirá que más uniformados estén en las calles, cuidando a los ciudadanos. ¡Seguimos trabajando por una Medellín más segura, con obras que generan empleo y soluciones para la ciudad!
Mayor Federico Gutierrez said on Oct. 19 that construction is expected to conclude in May 2027. Authorities will then spend roughly one to one-and-a-half months testing security systems and preparing the facility before transferring detainees from police stations.
Cellphone jammers aim to prevent extortion
The center will use cellphone signal jammers to prevent detainees from making calls that could facilitate extortion, including threats against victims or demands for money.
The complex will also include a monitoring center, guard towers and controlled-access areas. Healthcare facilities, family visiting areas, educational spaces, vocational training programs and workshops will operate within the facility.
The city expects the center to allow police officers currently assigned to guard detainees to return to regular security duties. While the private partner will participate in infrastructure and support services, the division of responsibilities for daily custody and security still requires careful definition.
The project responds to a judicial order
The center is intended for sindicados, the Colombian legal term for people detained while awaiting trial. They have not necessarily been convicted and should not be described as serving prison sentences.
In October 2019, Colombia’s Supreme Court of Justice ordered the creation of an immediate interinstitutional working group to address the detention crisis in Medellin and the wider Aburra Valley. The court cited severe overcrowding in temporary detention facilities and called for a metropolitan center for people held in preventive detention.
The ruling forms part of a broader debate over preventive detention and the treatment of people who have not been convicted. Additional capacity addresses an immediate pressure, but the project’s impact will also depend on how authorities manage detention and transfers.
How the public-private partnership is financed
Carmet Medellin S.A.S., the concessionaire associated with Mexican infrastructure developer Promotora y Desarrolladora Mexicana (Prodemex), is developing the project with Consorcio Intercarceles. The city’s Public-Private Partnership Agency and Security and Coexistence Secretariat are overseeing the initiative.
The 15-year concession includes three years of construction and 12 years of operation and maintenance. The private partner will finance and build the infrastructure and provide contracted support services, while municipal payments are scheduled for the operating period.
In February 2026, Grupo Aval announced the financial close of a 215 billion Colombian peso loan for the project. Banco de Occidente and Banco de Bogota provided the financing, with Aval Banca de Inversion advising the lenders. The loan is part of the project’s total investment, which exceeds 675 billion pesos.
Medellin began feasibility and preparatory work in 2016. Construction formally began on Sept. 3, 2025, when the city reported 3% progress.
Overcrowding will determine the center’s impact
In September 2025, the city reported that police stations had capacity for 778 detainees but held more than 2,000 people—more than 2.5 times their available capacity. These figures reflect conditions at that time and do not establish how many detainees will require accommodation when the new center opens.
The project has also generated local employment. As of Oct. 19, the city reported 563 direct jobs, including positions for residents of nearby communities. Construction continued on the pavilions, roofs, internal networks and buildings for healthcare, education, administration and visits.
Gutierrez said the city expects to transfer about 1,200 people from police stations to the center by the end of July 2027. The schedule relies on timely construction, testing, and preparation.
The project’s long-term value will depend on whether the city can sustain those transfers and prevent police stations from becoming overcrowded again.