By Charilien Jeanvil, Alterpresse, March 10, 2026
Deprived of water for more than a month, inmates at the Morne Casse prison in Fort-Liberté (Northeast) are living in alarmingly poor sanitary conditions.
The Association of Volunteers for the Reintegration of Prisoners in Haiti (Avred-Haiti) is raising the alarm about this critical situation, which reflects the structural problems of the Haitian prison system.
The poor conditions in Haiti's prisons have persisted for many years. The conditions incarcerated individuals endure violate basic fundamental rights.
Speaking on the FwoteLide program, broadcast on AlterRadio (106.1 FM and online), Jude Chéry, president of Avred-Haïti, drew attention to the situation of the Morne Casse prison center, which exclusively houses people who have already been convicted.
The facility is facing a serious water supply problem. For over a month, inmates have had no access to drinking water due to a failure in the water system. The prison has neither an artesian well, nor a generator or pump to bring water to the building's reservoir.
This situation represents a major health risk for prisoners, who are sometimes forced to spend one to two weeks without being able to wash.
Chéry also deplores the limited budget and insufficient logistical resources available to prison staff.
An infrastructure, however, presented as modern
Inaugurated in August 2016 on National Route 6, approximately five kilometers from the center of Fort-Liberté, the Morne Casse Civil Prison was presented as one of the most modern penitentiary facilities in the country. Built on an area of 2,852 square meters, it has an estimated capacity of between 500 and 600 inmates.
The facility was designed with cells equipped with sanitary blocks and wire mesh to promote ventilation.
Its construction was carried out as part of a partnership between the Haitian government and the United States government, through the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), at a cost of approximately eight million US dollars.
A widespread problem in the country's prisons
The situation observed in Morne Casse is not, however, an isolated case. It reflects a reality common to the majority of the country's prisons, marked by overcrowding, insufficient food, a lack of adequate medical care, and precarious detention conditions.
Following several visits to various detention centers, including Fort-Liberté, Grande-Rivière du Nord, Cap-Haïtien, Jérémie and Delmas 33 (Port-au-Prince metropolitan area), Jude Chéry makes an alarming observation.
He cited inadequate infrastructure, insufficient prison staff, and extreme overcrowding among inmates. In some facilities, adults and minors are even locked up in the same spaces. Prisons also lack medical care, despite the fact that certain diseases circulate in prisons.
The burden of prolonged pre-trial detention
Another major problem, identified by Avred-Haiti, concerns prolonged pretrial detention. Many detainees wait for long periods while their legal cases are reviewed.
Many are simply demanding the opportunity to appear before a judge so that the length of their sentence can be clearly established. This uncertainty weighs heavily on their personal situation and jeopardizes any prospects for social reintegration.
According to Jude Chéry, the lack of educational programs and support also constitutes a risk factor for society.
"Prisoners are generally not trained. They leave the facilities without any supervision. This situation increases the likelihood that they will fall back into delinquency," he explained.
The multidimensional crisis that Haiti is going through is further aggravating the situation in prison facilities.
The delivery of food and essential supplies often becomes difficult, or even impossible, due to insecurity and the inaccessibility of certain roads. Under these conditions, detainees can go several days without receiving a single meal.
Changing the daily lives of prisoners
Faced with this worrying situation, Avred-Haiti makes several recommendations.
The organization advocates the construction of new prisons that meet international standards and are located away from residential areas. The presence of prisons in the heart of residential neighborhoods poses public health problems due to poorly maintained septic tanks.
For example, the Cap-Haïtien civil prison regularly emits foul odors, which can represent a health risk for local residents, Chéry said.
The organization also recommends the installation of adequate lighting systems in certain detention centers.
In Grande-Rivière du Nord, for example, the prison is plunged into total darkness at night, which facilitates escape attempts. Two years ago, about thirty inmates managed to escape during an incident that occurred one evening.
Jude Chéry emphasizes the urgent need to reduce the number of prisoners and resolve the problem of prolonged pretrial detention. He also advocates for the implementation of genuine social reintegration programs and calls on the public to adopt a more humane view of incarcerated individuals.
Posted May 6, 2026