As part of its program of monitoring and visits to prison centers in Haiti, members of the Citizens' Initiative for Human Rights (ICDH) have made a visit to the Rehabilitation Center for Minors in Conflict with the Law (CERMICOL) located at Delmas 33 to observe the conditions in which children are incarcerated and to distribute hygiene kits.

The Center has 101 children in 5 cells housed in two pavilions. The first pavilion contains 4 cells (2 of 18 children each and 2 of 19 children). The second pavilion includes a cell that accommodates 27 children. The Center has a school, offers courses at the professional level, has a dispensary, a reading room and leisure with a library and a TV.

During the interviews, children in the cells told ICDH that they had very limited access to leisure, leaving their cells only twice a week.

Most children report being incarcerated for 3 to 4 years, without ever having the opportunity to go before a juvenile judge. Some, according to the statements of the young detainees, have committed minor petty theft. One of the children claimed to have been incarcerated for 3 years without being tried for stealing "3 ti rhum plat" (3 small bottles of Barbancourt rum).

According to children's testimonies and observations made by members of the ICDH, CERMICOL would rather be a Detention Center to be a Rehabilitation Center. In this sense, the ICDH believes that much work remains to be done to seriously address the problematic of the Center.

In addition, during her visit, ICDH noted the absence of a nurse in the clinic.

ICDH recommends that the authorities provide the Center with the necessary services that can effectively rehabilitate children in conflict with the law and reduce the number of prolonged pretrial detention, transform CERMICOL effectively into a rehabilitation center and finally provide it with clearly defined legal assistance service.

See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-14340-haiti-justice-the-promises-of-casimir-for-cermicol.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-21979-haiti-politic-school-visit-of-pm-to-the-cabaret-prison-and-cermicol.html

HL/ HaitiLibre