“Y ellos, vivían de nuestros impuestos”: Impacto y distribución del presupuesto de la Cárcel de Belén en la Ciudad de México (1863-1871)

This article aims to analyze the economic impact and budgetary distribution of the Belén Prison in Mexico City during the period from 1863 to 1871. Its purpose is to understand the economic and social burden that this penitentiary facility represented within the context of the Mexican capital. To do so, it examines how much was allocated to the prison’s budget, how those resources were spent, and who the beneficiaries were. This analysis explores aspects such as the prison workforce, material conditions of the facility, and the types of crimes punished within its walls. The study concludes that the main areas of expenditure were food and salaries; however, the sustained increase in the prison budget during the period analyzed is primarily attributed to the expansion of the workforce and a nominal—but not real—increase in wages.