Jose Raul Mulino Pulls Cops Out of Panama's Prisons

(Panama-Guide) - La Prensa -  By next July there will not be a single police officer in any of the country's prisons. The dramatic incident that occurred last Sunday in a juvenile detention facility prompted Panama's Security Minister Jose Raul Mulino to sign a memorandum yesterday, ordering the withdrawal of all of the members of the National Police from the nation's detention centers within six months. "Whether or not there are civilian civil guards," said the official. The police will continue to be responsible for the "outer perimeter security" as required by the legislation that has been in force since 2003, while the internal security is exercised by prison guards. There are currently 447 guards in the prison system, and 88 in juvenile facilities. On Tuesday night one of the seven young men who were hospitalized at the Santo Tomas hospital, after being burned in the fire that started in the Tocumen Compliance Center, died. The other six remain in critical condition.

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Original Source: Panama-Guide

Date Retrieved: January 14, 2011