Jamaican prisoners seek gov’t intervention
Published:Tuesday | June 24, 2008 | 11:00 AM
State Minister in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Dr Ronald Robinson, said he would be investigating claims of abuse by Jamaicans serving prison terms in Panama.
The inmates said the Panamanian prisons are dehumanising and it appears that the Jamaican authorities have forgotten them.
One prisoner claims they are being malnourished and that they have to drink unsafe river water.
The prisoners point to the frequent international condemnation of conditions in Panamanian prisons.
A 2007 United States Human Rights Report on Panama claimed that prison conditions remained harsh and in some cases, life-threatening.
The more than 40 Jamaicans now serving prison sentences in Panama are begging the Jamaican government to intervene so they can finish their sentences here.
Dr Robinson said he would be asking the Honorary Consul to examine the issue before making any further comments on the matter.