As part of its tour of prisons in northern Haiti in December 2025, the Association of Volunteers for the Reintegration of Prisoners in Haiti (AVRED), in its report #3 published on February 8, reveals several alarming findings at the Grande Rivière du Nord prison, illustrating the structural and humanitarian crisis plaguing the Haitian prison system.

Behind its dilapidated walls, this detention center currently operates under conditions that severely violate the fundamental rights of those deprived of their liberty, as well as the safety and public health of the surrounding community.

The Grande Rivière du Nord prison currently holds 82 inmates (60 men in pretrial detention, 16 convicted men, 3 women, 2 male minors in pretrial detention, and 1 convicted male minor). Despite a relatively small population, the conditions of detention are among the most concerning in the country, revealing a near-total abandonment by the state.

The prison has no electricity, and the walls are dilapidated, compromising the facility's security. There is no access to drinking water. Even more concerning, the prison lacks any functioning sanitation facilities. Inmates use an open septic tank, which emits persistent foul odors. This situation causes serious illnesses among the inmates and also affects the residents of the surrounding community, who are exposed to this unsanitary condition daily.

Inmates sleep without bedding, directly on the floor. Their uniforms are torn, worn, and inadequate, violating their dignity.

With no healthcare available, inmates suffer from tuberculosis, malaria, and skin diseases such as scabies, without adequate medical care or sufficient preventative measures. This situation constitutes not only a violation of the right to health but also a health threat to the entire local population. The facility has no doctor; only two nurses attempt, with meager resources, to meet the inmates' healthcare needs. There is no psychologist or social worker.

Inmates receive only two meals a day, consisting of unbalanced and nutritionally poor foods. Meal preparation relies solely on two cooks, without proper equipment or guaranteed hygiene standards. This inadequate diet further weakens already vulnerable individuals, exacerbating existing illnesses and contributing to malnutrition.

The facility has no service vehicles, neither for the prison warden, nor for transporting sick inmates, nor for ensuring their appearance in court. This deficiency blatantly violates the right to justice and the right to health, keeping some inmates in prolonged and arbitrary detention.

The prison suffers from a critical shortage of police personnel. The few officers on duty work in extremely difficult conditions, without adequate training or sufficient equipment, and are themselves subjected to mistreatment and constant pressure. There are no dormitories for the guards, further compromising their safety and well-being.

Adding to these realities are the absence of independent oversight mechanisms, the lack of adequate separation between adults and minors, the inadequacy of reliable detention records, and the absence of specific protection measures for female detainees and minors.

Faced with this alarming situation, AVRED is launching an urgent appeal to the relevant authorities and the international community for immediate intervention, particularly the Ministry of Justice, the Directorate of Penitentiary Administration, and the Ministry of Public Health.

Furthermore, an urgent appeal is being made to international organizations, technical and financial partners, human rights organizations, and humanitarian agencies to:

• Rehabilitate the prison infrastructure;

• Guarantee access to drinking water, electricity, and decent sanitation facilities;

• Ensure adequate medical and psychosocial care;

• Increase the prison staff; • Implement appropriate social reintegration programs.

HL/ HaitiLibre