The Association of Volunteers for the Reintegration of Prisoners (AVRED-Haiti) visited the Cap-Haïtien prison to assess the current state of the facilities and the living conditions of the inmates.

The findings are alarming and reflect a detention situation marked by a severe deterioration of both human and material conditions.

The prison currently holds 841 inmates : 30 women (5 of whom are convicted), 16 minors (1 of whom is convicted), and 795 men (122 of whom are convicted). These figures reveal a dramatic overcrowding situation (the prison is designed for 500 inmates) which significantly worsens the already precarious living conditions of the prisoners.

The overcrowded cells lack ventilation and light and emit foul odors due to the unsanitary conditions of the sanitary facilities. The association observed 20 people suffering from infectious, contagious, and skin diseases without receiving adequate care. The clinic, in a state of advanced disrepair, has only one doctor and one nurse for the entire prison population, a situation unworthy of a state governed by the rule of law.

Hygiene conditions are alarming: the kitchen is dirty and unsanitary, the toilets are overflowing, and the lack of a proper sanitation system exposes the inmates to serious health risks.

The main building is cracked and dilapidated, threatening to collapse, while the electricity shortage plunges the prison into near-permanent darkness.

Beyond the material aspects, AVRED-Haiti denounces a flagrant violation of fundamental human rights : lack of legal assistance (85% are in pretrial detention and have not been tried), deprivation of adequate healthcare, food insecurity, and lack of access to educational and reintegration programs. No framework exists to support detainees toward social and professional transformation, which is essential for reducing recidivism.

This outrageous and unacceptable situation calls upon the young people involved in the Association, as well as the entire civil society.

AVRED advocates for urgent intervention by the State and its partners to guarantee the human dignity of those deprived of their liberty, in accordance with national and international human rights standards.

The deprivation of liberty must in no way mean the deprivation of dignity.

HL/ HaitiLibre