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This first batch of deportees alone will bring in well over $5 million dollars a year for El Salvador, a sum that Bukele is hoping will increase significantly-and well he might, as El Salvador's prison system is a serious expense for the country, which is both small and far from wealthy. Currently, the government spends over $200 million annually to maintain CECOT and the rest of El Salvador's penitentiaries, over 3 percent of the national budget. The addition of American prisoners, and the American dollars that come with them, serve as a way to subsidize the prison system and reduce its significant drain on the country's resources, freeing up more of the budget for investment and development. The money does also enter the national economy via the salaries of prison guards and administrators and the purchase of food and other supplies for the inmates. https://denverguardian.com/bukele-makes-prison-pay/ Accessed: 18 April 2025 at 1848 PST