Muthomi Ireri
Inmates broke out of a prison in Saint-Marc, a coastal town in central Haiti, on Friday, amid ongoing struggles to control widespread gang violence.
Haiti’s National Police spokesman, Michel Ange Louis Jeune, reported that eleven of the escaped inmates were killed in shootouts with the police. However, he did not specify how many inmates had escaped or provide details about the prison’s population.
Local media reported hearing gunfire near the prison, though further details on the exact circumstances remain unclear.
This escape marks the third prison break in Haiti this year. In March, gangs orchestrated attacks on the country’s two largest prisons in Port-au-Prince, freeing thousands of inmates and contributing to the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry.
In a separate operation on Thursday, police arrested an inmate involved in an earlier escape, along with 14 other individuals, including three police officers. This operation was part of a broader anti-crime effort.
Haitian prisons are critically overcrowded, with pre-trial detentions often lasting years due to the dysfunctional judicial system. The facilities also face severe shortages of water and food, leading to malnutrition and deaths among inmates.
Police also displayed various weapons, including assault rifles, seized in unrelated operations.
Dj Vnyash
