Human rights advocates call for release of at-risk detainees amid COVID-19
Originally published by The Gleaner on 29/03/2020
Summary
Advocacy groups and individuals have teamed up and requested that the Government of Jamaica release at-risk groups, including children, from police lock-ups, remand centers and correctional centers to reduce the risk of COVID-19.The advocates are deeply concerned about the safety of detainees because of the conditions of Jamaican detention facilities, which are described as “not fit habitation in normal times” and during COVID-19, “these conditions are imminently life-threatening.”Release of the at-risk groups would arguably not only help the detainees but also those who work in the detention centers and the general public.