Will Gang Bangers Be Allowed Visitation at the Central Prison

The state of public emergency which has been effected in the George Street and Mayflower neighborhoods waives certain constitutional rights enjoyed by the citizenry of those respective communities.  With the incarceration of almost sixty persons, will they also be denied privileges that have been extended to those on remand or convicted inmates?  Those freedoms include visitation and recreation on the prison compound.  We asked C.E.O. Virgilio Murillo if the purported gang members will be able to see their loved ones while on lockdown at the Belize Central Prison.

Isani Cayetano

“Do you think that with these seventy-five persons coming in today that they will be allowed any visitation rights given the fact that certain constitutional rights have been waived as a result of this emergency status?”

Virgilio Murillo

Virgilio Murillo, C.E.O., Kolbe Foundation

“Well, if we go by international standards and particularly the Nelson Mandela Rules which govern prisons and prisoners, I believe that they will be entitled to their visits and their recreation and whatever else that is available in a prison to them.  Like I said, I think there is a little glitch because I am still not certain what that order will look like.  I am not too sure that it is going to be a remanded order; I am not too sure that it’s going to be a convicted order or just a special order that was made for this particular situation.  I believe that, if we are to stick to international standards and norms, they will be entitled to their visits and their recreation and whatever else the prison has to offer.  Their basic needs: health, medical, feeding, housing, that kind of stuff.”