Island prison proposal gets thumbs down

Panama’s version of a Devil’s Island or Alcatraz for serious offenders was rejected yesterday by The National Assembly's Commission of Government.

Marcos Gonzalez The man who originally came up with the proposal to create a maximum security prison on an island was not at the meeting but with a five to one vote against the idea, it would not have passed anyway.
Members considered that the proposal, would violate the human rights of detaineesFive members voted to reject the proposal, while one person supported it. There was also one abstention.

Committee Chariman Hernán Delgado acknowledged that there was opposition to the proposal from the outset, especially  from the President's Office and the Public Ministry, which oversees prisons. {jathumbnail off}