Mexico - Mexican Jails

The Mexican judicial system is based on Roman and Napoleonic law and presumes a person accused of a crime to be guilty until proven innocent. There is no trial by jury nor writ of habeas corpus in the Anglo-American sense. Trial under the Mexican system is a prolonged process based largely on documents examined on a fixed date in court by prosecution and defense counsel. Sentencing usually takes six to ten months. Bail can be granted after sentencing if the sentence is less than five years. Pretrial bail exists, but is never granted when the possible sentence upon conviction is greater than five years.

Mexico has the highest number of arrests of Americans abroad-over 2,000 per year-and the highest prison population of U.S. citizens outside of the United States-about 425 at any one time. If you get busted in Mexico, contact a consular officer at the U.S. embassy or the nearest U.S. consulate for assistance. U.S. consular officers cannot serve as attorneys or give legal assistance. They can, however, provide lists of local attorneys and advise you of your rights under Mexican law.

http://www.state.gov/www/global/human_rights/1998_hrp_report/mexico.html