a929: Haitian prison head: Operation to end National Penitentiarymutiny "positive" (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: JD Lemieux <lxhaiti@yahoo.com>


Haitian prison head: Operation to end National
Penitentiary mutiny "positive"
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; Feb 24, 2002



Clifford Larose, director of the National Penitentiary
Administration, Apena, yesterday presented an
assessment of the uprising that took place at the
National Penitentiary three months ago. The Apena
director described as positive the operation that was
carried out the night of 15 to 16 November in the
country's largest prison, when five people died and 17
others including two policemen were injured. The
following is a report by Luc Jean-Gerard:

[Jean-Gerard - recording] Three months after the
mutiny at the National Penitentiary, Apena director
Larose presented a positive assessment of the
operation that was carried out the night of 15 to 16
November 2001. This situation left five dead and 17
others, including prisoners and two policemen,
injured. However, as the Apena director says, the poor
living conditions of the prisoners and the
ill-treatment they experience in Haitian prisons did
not prevent Amnesty International from congratulating
them and supporting the efforts they are making to
consolidate respect for the rights of prisoners.

[Larose] Many sectors in Haiti and abroad, especially
the Association of Prison Doctors in the United States
who will come to visit us during the month of March,
acknowledge our efforts and praise our achievements.
[Words indistinct] says so in its congratulatory
letter to us.

[Jean-Gerard] Larose explains that the Haitian
government has already agreed to improve the living
conditions of the prisoners and much work will be done
to change the appearance of the National Penitentiary.
However, not only the external appearance should
change, but the ill treatment experienced by the
prisoners should also change... [End of recording]

Source: Signal FM Radio, Port-au-Prince, in Creole
1230 gmt 21 Feb 02



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