Mexico ships 273 inmates to island prison

The federal inmates are serving sentences for drug trafficking and organised crime, the Tamaulipas state government said.

The inmates were being held at prisons in Nuevo Laredo, Miguel Aleman, Reynosa, Matamoros, Ciudad Victoria and Altamira.

The inmates will finish serving their sentences in the legendary Pacific penal colony.
Prisoners sent to the Islas Marias federal penal colony work, take classes, participate in recreational activities and are given an opportunity to learn a trade so they can become productive members of society.

The four islands in the Pacific archipelago are located about 60 nautical miles off the coast of Nayarit state.

The government operates an open prison program at the Islas Marias penal colony, allowing criminals with similar profiles to live with their families.Prisoners work on the penal colony's farm and ranch, as well as in workshops.