Prison Escape - Haiti Observer Blog

Thirty-four prisoners managed to break Nissage saget jail in the city of Saint Marc just in time to do their holyday shopping. The report stated that the inmates managed to dig a hole on the prison wall.

Others reported that the prisoners crawled through a window and fled into the darkness.

Fears in certain regions of Haiti escalated at the start of the last month of 2014 when 34 prisoners escaped from the Saint Marc prison and fled into the night. The escapees, 4 of which were quickly recaptured, reportedly cut through their bars with saws to flee the over-crowded jail. Of the escaped was one person awaiting trial for a murder charge.

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Haiti has been ranked 12th in the most corrupt countries across the world based on Transparency International, in part because, for many prisoners, the opportunity of getting their cases heard before the courts actually means waiting for several years. The end result of arrest, trail, conviction or release all boils down to money.

There are multiple reasons why cases often do not get processed according to Brian Concannon, director of the Institute for Justice and Democracy. One of the biggest problems is insufficient resources. Another is because of an outdated system. However, the biggest problem is the high rate of pre-trial detention which fuels the market for bribes.

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Is this a way of getting back at us for the issues about the eggs ban or the attempt of the Haitian government to rally the world against the recent decision of the Dominican court to...

Whatever it is, I smell a "Rat" in these latest finding coming from the Dominican Republic.

According to Dominican Police sources, at least one Haitian or a group of Haitians is involved in four of every five crimes committed in the Dominican Republic.

The report stated that the Police is actively seeking more than 1,000 Haitian fugitives who escaped from prison in Haiti following prison collapse during the January, 2010 earthquake. It was further reported that most of them are very dangerous criminals who have been convicted of murder, aggravated assault, and the kidnapping in Haiti.

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The Haitians are protesting in the Dominican Republic. Not for what you might think. They are not protesting against the Dominican Government for mistreatment. This time, they are protesting against one of their owns.

On January 22, 2013, a group of Haitians, including students, migrant workers and religious leaders, gathered in front of the Haitian Consulate in Santiago and forced the Consulate to close its doors for at least for part of the day. They were demanding the removal of Consul Ralph Hipolitte whom they have accused for being involvement in criminal activities such as selling fake identities to Haitian criminals.

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The Haitian government is currently in hiatus and conflict due to the emergence of a militant group claiming to be associated with the country's most powerful individual, the President. A group of fugitives who referred to themselves as "The Police" recently publicly claimed to have a connection with Haitian President Michel Martelly's political party. They have transformed themselves as the paramilitary force of Les Cayes' police department and are currently well-armed.

Les Cayes' government commissioner, Jean-Marie Salomon, announced that he has information on the identity of the group's members, mostly with criminal backgrounds and some having escaped from prison. With all the fuss on The Police's claim of being part of a strong political party, the Commissioner declined in confirming the group's political affiliation. This has worried the National Network for the Defense of Human Rights (RNDDH), especially in terms of the safety and security of Haiti's southern department. RNDDH's Executive Director Pierre Espérance believes that The Police belonged to Martelly's Tet Kale Party and was supposedly formed by Haiti's Minister of Justice Jean Renel Sanon in order to commit repression in the country.

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Were these Haitians inspired by the prison break following the earthquake of last January?

The "Haitian Joudalist" learned that two inmates from Haiti National Penitentiary had a clever idea and wanted to execute it last Sunday. They were trying to escape from the prison roof but instead shot dead.

What kind of planning is that? I guess Haiti National Penitentiary that was damaged by the January earthquake, offered them a golden opportunity to escape prison, and as it was done over nine months ago, many prisoners think this time they could escape as well.

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