SANJOSE Chile wins the concession for the El Arenal Prison in Copiapó
26/02/2026

The Chilean Ministry of Public Works, on behalf of the Ministry of Justice, has awarded Sociedad Concesionaria de Copiapó the construction, maintenance, and operation of the new El Arenal Penitentiary in Copiapó (Atacama Desert) under a 20-year concession.

The new prison infrastructure, with a built area of 76,575 square meters and approximately 600 employees, will have a total capacity for 2,160 inmates distributed across 15 modules. The work consists mainly of the construction, using BIM methodology, of the entire prison facility with all its installations and equipment; fences and security perimeter for the concession area; cleaning, escarpment and earthworks; as well as exterior works such as access roads to the concession area, drainage works for rainwater evacuation, and exterior public lighting for security.

The concession, which will have an operating term of 20 years once construction is completed, includes the maintenance and operation of the new prison facility, as well as the provision of services such as food, health, laundry, and social reintegration support for inmates.

This project, which is part of the process initiated by the Chilean government to open new prisons to meet the country's needs and the sharp increase in the prison population in recent years, consolidates Grupo SANJOSE's position in the concession business in Chile, especially in the prison sector, where it currently manages the Talca Penitentiary in the Maule Region, with an area of 63,570 square meters and a capacity for 2,320 prisoners distributed across 14 modules.