On Wednesday the Peruvian government approved an emergency decree that aims to improve security and expand capacity of the country’s jails.

According to Peru21, the new decree would add room for 5 thousand more inmates across the country, and hire 1,000 new prison employees.

The decree would also reduce the timeframe for signing contracts, and would allow for public-private partnerships – managed by ProInversion – that would allow for improved security measures in prisons, such as the jamming of cell phones inside prison blocks.

Construction of the new Cochamarca prison would also be sped up, reported Peru21.

The new prison, located in Pasco, would house 1 thousand maximum-security inmates, and would occupy about 20 acres of land.

The decree would also benefit prisons in Chiclayo, Trujillo, Piura, Juanjui, Yurimaguas, and Satipo, among others.

According to the new law, five million soles would be used to improve prison fences.

The new decree was announced days after 17 inmates escaped from the Challapalca prison, last Sunday.

According to local media reports, 15 of the fugitives have been captured.