Despite the efforts of the judiciary in the region, the living conditions of the detainees at the Jacmel Civil Prison are becoming more critical day by day. At present the prison population is over 500 inmates, 487 of whom are in prolonged pretrial detention. Several human rights institutions are concerned about this situation.

Colin Rameau, Head of the Human Rights Section of the Youth Organization for South-East Development (OJEDESE), denounces the "sub-human" situation in which detainees are held and the fact that many are in pre-trial detention extended. He describes this situation as a violation of the rights of these people and hopes that interventions will be made in this matter. Moreover, he deplores the fact that several detainees are still incarcerated despite the fact that they have finished their sentence "For lack of means to pay the penalty fee required by law, according to their case between 500 to 1000 Gourdes, they are still kept in jail" inviting the judicial authorities to act in order to to release these prisoners.

For his part, Jean Jeudi, the human rights defender of the Macaya Society (SOMA), an institution working to promote and defend human rights in the region, criticizes the laxity of the Ministry of Justice and has showed great concern about the situation of the hundreds of detainees held in prolonged pretrial detention awaiting their fate. He took the opportunity to denounce the inhuman conditions in which these prisoners are piled up. "Gouvènman ap gaspiye kòb nan karavan, epi anseyan, medsen ak pèsonèl lajistis ap fè grèv pou mande touche" condemns human rights defender of SOMA.

In spite of everything, Me Moraille, the Government Commissioner at the Jacmel public prosecutor's office, drew up a satisfactory assessment of the work carried out by the prosecutor's office during the 2017 judicial year, stating that "out of 2,685 criminal cases from the courts, from the PNH and complaints brought directly by litigants, 428 only have been dismissed. Also, 134 civil declarations were made, 824 indictments of signed surveys. In criminal hearings, with or without jury assistance, 48 defendants were sentenced and 42 acquitted," adding that for correctional hearings there were 42 convictions and 15 releases.

HL/ HaitiLibre / Pierre Myrthel Esther (Correspondante Jacmel)