A guest on the program “Entre Periodistas,” Valentin maintained that this situation is a violation of international human rights standards, as observed in the prisons of La Victoria, Nagua, Samana, Cotui, La Vega, El Seibo, Higuey, Azua, Monte Cristi, Santiago Rodriguez, Pedernales, and Barahona, where inmates are forced to sleep in bathrooms and hallways.

Dampness, accumulated garbage, and lack of space prevent decent conditions, Valentin lamented.

He also described the situation in the punishment areas as critical, where inmates sleep on the floor and the lack of beds and ventilation exacerbates the problem.

Valentin, who explained that inspections have confirmed inhuman and degrading treatment by officers, denounced that the so-called “reflection cells” function as spaces for punishment and torture, housing up to five inmates in deplorable conditions, without drinking water or windows. Furthermore, sentences of up to 30 days in these cells are considered inhumane treatment.

The jurist, who also denounced the lack of dining halls, poor medical care, lack of hygiene, and food shortages, questioned the lack of infrastructure, medical care, and reintegration programs in juvenile centers, as well as the persistent cruel treatment despite recommendations to close them in places like La Vega.

He lamented that many inmates must eat in plastic bags due to a lack of utensils and adequate spaces, which constitutes another human rights violation, he stated.

jdt/jha/mpv