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Protecting the rights of prisoners and detainees in Honduras
10.9%
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In 2019, 10.9% of young people were unemployed in Honduras.3
Murder rates have dropped 13% in 2020 from 2019 to 10 per day.4
13%
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020, it presented an acute threat to the health of people in detention. Overcrowded penitentiaries and the resulting proximity to others in a jail setting exposed at-risk prisoners to the virus including those with pre-existing health conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular illnesses, those older than the age of 60 and people living with HIV/AIDS.
In March 2020, the National Committee to Prevent Torture and Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment in Honduras petitioned the Supreme Court of Justice to consider early release for those who are particularly vulnerable.
IDLO has been working with the National Committee to Prevent Torture and Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment in Honduras to promote the rights of prisoners and detainees since 2015, by providing technical assistance to national and local authorities, including the National Penitentiary Institute, in assessing prison conditions and advising the government on how to improve them. The aim of the support is to promote a criminal justice system anchored in human rights, in line with international standards, and to shift the approach from punitive to rehabilitative.
This technical support paved the way for the National Committee’s action on behalf of detainees. In 2020, IDLO established a working group made up of court staff, prosecutors and representatives of the National Committee, the National Penitentiary Institute, the National Commission for Human Rights and the country office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. The working group was tasked with designing a roadmap and guidelines to improve institutional coordination and strengthen access to justice for prisoners, aligned with international and regional human rights standards.
As the National Committee continued to monitor penitentiaries, detention centers and police posts, IDLO donated personal protection equipment to allow the National Committee’s staff to continue its work safely.
IDLO’s continued technical assistance to justice institutions has resulted in a series of administrative recommendations and regulations for the National Penitentiary System, enhanced capacity of judges and staff of the criminal justice sector, progress in the implementation of rehabilitation and social reintegration measures, the creation of the first center for social reintegration of former prisoners in the country, and increased institutional coordination that are helping to enhance preventive measures.
@ Conaprev - Mecanismo Nacional de Prevención Honduras
© Michael Owen Rivera Murillo
IDLO IN HONDURAS
IDLO’s work in Honduras focuses on reducing homicide through access to justice. The program supports legal services, support centers and seeks to build the capacity of justice sector officials. It also includes community-based initiatives targeting support for vulnerable groups including women, older people, people living with disabilities and young people. The activities seek to engage with marginalized populations and young people to enhance their knowledge about their rights and promote inclusion. In one of the program’s flagship initiatives, Pixels of Life, IDLO empowers young people to express themselves through photography and promotes art as a tool to bring about change in communities that lack opportunities and access to justice. Pixels of Life also provides participants with life coaching, technical skills, professional competencies and helps young people start their own companies.
