Prolonged Detention: Over Twenty Prisoners Released in Port-au-Prince for Christmas

PORT-AU-PRINCE.— For the Christmas holidays, the Government Commissioner at the Port-au-Prince Court of First Instance on Wednesday proceeded with the release of 23 detainees incarcerated for several years in connection with cases deemed minor.

This exceptional measure was announced during an official visit to the Center for the Re-education of Minors in Conflict with the Law (CERMICOL), in Delmas 33, in the presence of the Minister of Justice and Public Security, Me Patrick Pelissier, as well as the dean of the court. For several months, the establishment has been housing numerous prisoners transferred after the massive escape that occurred at the National Penitentiary.

Among the beneficiaries are 5 women, 13 male minors, and 4 adult men, detained since 2014 and 2020. According to judicial authorities, their situation no longer justified prolonged incarceration. The Minister of Justice specified that no detainee involved in cases of rape, kidnapping, or armed robbery is affected by this decision.

Me Patrick Pelissier emphasized that this release aims to promote the social reintegration of former detainees and to contribute to the decongestion of correctional facilities, in a context marked by serious dysfunctions of the judicial system and prolonged pre-trial detention that has become structural.

The Minister of Justice also announced the upcoming launch of a mobile initiative against prolonged detention, which will be deployed in the country's departments to identify and process cases of irregular detention more quickly. He also mentioned a project to build three new modern penitentiary centers, as well as the upcoming organization of judicial sessions across the country to accelerate case processing.