Numerous inmates starve to death in Haiti prison due to overcrowding
At an overcrowded prison in Haiti that ran out of food two months ago at least eight inmates have starved to death, adding to dozens of similar deaths this year as the country’s institutions crumble. Hunger and oppressive heat contributed to the inmates’ deaths reported this week by the prison in the southwest city of Les Cayes, Ronald Richemond, the city’s government commissioner, said on Thursday. He said the prison houses 833 inmates, as reported by AP.
Due to insufficient government funds, the country’s overcrowded prison system has long struggled to provide food and water to inmates. Prisoners in Haiti have the right to be provided with water and two meals a day.
The United Nations security council released a report last week saying 54 prison deaths related to malnutrition were documented in Haiti between January and April alone. It urged Haiti’s government “to take the necessary measures to find a long-lasting solution to the prison food, water and medicine crisis”.
Michelle Karshan, co-founder of the non-profit Health Through Walls, which provides healthcare in Haiti’s prisons, told to The Guardian, “These deaths are very painful,” she said. “The internal organs start to fail one by one … It’s a horrible thing to witness.”
“The bottom line is the prison system has to take responsibility. They can’t sit back … They’re the government,” she added.
The cell occupancy rate in Haiti stands at more than 280% of capacity, with 83% of inmates stuck in pre-trial detentions that in some cases can drag on for more than a decade before an initial court appearance, according to the United Nations.
(with inputs from agencies)
