Panama’s National Bar Association Criticizes the Prison System After a Mass Escape
The president of the National Bar Association, Maritza Cedeño, stated that the current prison management has failed and that the implementation of measures is urgently needed.
The National Bar Association (CNA) strongly criticized the prison system following the escape of 195 inmates from La Joyita prison last Monday. CNA President Maritza Cedeño stated that the current prison management has failed and that urgent measures are needed. “We consider this a failure of the prison system. Look, the constitution is very clear. Article 28 of the constitution establishes that the prison system is based on principles of security, rehabilitation, and social defense,” he said. Cedeño questioned why the Penitentiary Policy Council had not been convened by this government in the midst of the crisis.
“There’s a protocol for everything, there’s a protocol for transferring detainees that we don’t know if it has been followed. We’ve seen in the media since day one of the situation that at first they talked about thirty-something detainees, then they talked about eighty-something, now we’re talking about almost two hundred,” he emphasized.
Regarding whether the Executive should make changes in the cabinet, the legal association avoided issuing an opinion, pointing to the power that President José Raúl Mulino has in this regard. “We’re not going to get involved in matters of resignation or non-resignation. I believe that anyone who assumes the responsibility of a position of this magnitude at any given time needs to know what they’re facing. That’s up to the President of the Republic,” Cedeño added.
There is also concern from the National Assembly about the weakness of the prison system. “This is a serious issue that must be examined closely because it reflects the major problem within the country’s governance. Security is one of the three most important issues for Panamanians today because they don’t feel safe, and if the system isn’t secure, then action must be taken,” stated Representative Grace Hernández. Security forces have made progress with recaptures, where those deprived of liberty have reached agreements with the Public Ministry regarding sentences with penalties exceeding 36 months in prison.
