Minister of Legal & Constitutional Affairs Marlene Malahoo Forte
.png)
00:00
00:00
00:00
Marlene Malahoo Forte
By Nakinskie Robinson
Minister of Legal & Constitutional Affairs Marlene Malahoo Forte says she will be working with the National Security Ministry to improve the infrastructure of local correctional institutions.
Her comment comes in response to the recent findings and concerns raised in a report by the advocacy group, Stand Up for Jamaica.
The report, which was released last Wednesday, details issues such as overcrowding and poor sanitary conditions inside correctional institutions, which they say are in breach of human rights.
But Minister Malahoo Forte, while speaking with Radio Jamaica News, said she has taken note of the concerns and is jointly working to improve the situation.
"I will speak with my colleague, Minister of National Security, to ensure that the work to improve prison conditions continue apace and that the cell blocks that have not yet been repaired, that the work be done as soon as possible to ensure that all persons are treated with a minimum dignity and respect," she vowed.
Information used in the Stand Up for Jamaica analysis was pulled from six inmates and two human rights lawyers interviewed six months ago.
As at 2021, there were 3,600 inmates in Jamaica's correctional facilities.
That figure includes more than 200 people with mental issues.
comments powered by Disqus
All feeds
