Speaking on the program Panel Magik on Friday, August 22, 2025, the head of FJKL painted an alarming picture of the situation of prisoners in particular and of the Directorate of Prison Administration (DAP) in general. In total, 10 prison facilities out of the 24 that make up the country’s 18 prison jurisdictions have become dysfunctional. They were either destroyed or decommissioned, reported Marie Yolène Gilles on Magik 9, citing as examples the civil prisons of Croix-des-Bouquets, Mirebalais, Arcahaie, and the National Penitentiary.

At the same time, spaces that were not built for this purpose are gradually becoming prisons, noted Ms. Gilles. In Port-au-Prince, the various police stations of the metropolitan region have been transformed into incarceration spaces, she pointed out. In Gonaïves, a space was converted into a prison following renovations and an intervention by the DAP. “Some prisoners are being held in VIP spaces at the DCPJ, in Vivy Mitchel and Canapé-Vert,” reported the FJKL representative, warning of a dangerous situation given that in these VIP spaces the supervising officer shares the same space with the prisoner.