Uruguay "model jail" to set example for poor prison system Uruguay's prison system has been under scrutiny for its poor conditions and severe overcrowding. A jail opened in 2010 is trying to change that perception. Its 600 inmates spend most of their time outside their cells working on small businesses they’ve created or operating their own radio. The recidivism rate is of just 2% against 50% for the rest of the country's prisons. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES