Will Panamá name this building “The Tuffney Pavillion” after his fight for Human Rights?

What a surprise Panama! Out of all the prison buildings that exist in La Joya, only one out of fifteen had a makeover in 2019. Panama human rights think that international building Six was singled out because of the Rappeteure on torture’s investigation on building after Mr Tuffney’s case was brought before the human rights council in Geneva, and ruled that this building was inhumane. On the government’s website below no other building has been singled out or remodelled, just Building Six, and mostly paid for with foreign money. If Mr Tuffney had not brought his case to the human rights council many would still be suffering degrading and inhumane conditions which Mr Tuffney suffered.

Con un avance del 45% se encuentra la construcción del nuevo Pabellón N°6 del Centro Penitenciario La Joya, ubicado en Pacora, proyecto que realiza el Ministerio de Gobierno bajo una inversión de B/.5,035,667.00 y cuenta con la asistencia técnica de la Oficina de las Naciones Unidas de Servicios para Proyectos (UNOPS)

Panama June 20, 2019. - With an advance of 75%, is the construction of the new Pavilion No. 6 of the La Joya Prison Center, located in Pacora, a project carried out by the Ministry of Government, with an investment of B /.3,787,468.81 and which has the technical assistance of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS).

The Minister of Government, Carlos Eduardo Rubio, along with the director of the Penitentiary System, Armando Medina, the technical team UNOPS and UNDP toured this Thursday's facilities to verify the progress of the work that should be completed at the end of August next.

Rubio said that this new pavilion is a pilot plan to being able to modernize the infrastructure of the prisons, respecting the rules of Bangkok and Mandela, in addition to having all the tools required to be able to re-socialize the prisoners.

The Head of Government said that "this work can have a more dignified place, vandal-proof and anti-leakage system."

For his part, the general director of the Penitentiary System, Armando Medina, said that by August this work will be completed, duly enabled, which will improve the quality of life of people living in this center and it will allow providing better tools for custodians and persons deprived of liberty, so that they can be re-socialized effectively.

While Gregorio Montecer, project engineer for the MinGob-UNDP Program, explained that this building is a model of reinforced concrete to house 436 prisoners, distributed in 74 cells, which have adequate dimensions and furniture so that it is not vandalized.

It should be noted that this new pavilion includes a basic energy system, drinking water, toilets, a sewage treatment plant and storage of drinking water for the fire system, as well as an area for custodians, recreation, patio and a library.

These new facilities meet all the requirements to re-socialize and reintegrate persons deprived of liberty as well as the requirements and conditions established by the United Nations minimum rules for the Treatment of Inmates.

Treatment of Inmates part of the MINGOB-UNDP project, “Support for the MINGOB Reform Program,” through which the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) provides technical and operational assistance to the Ministry based on the commitment that the Government of The Republic of Panama and the Ministry of Government have assumed the democratic governance of the country.

Below are pictures of the infamous Building Six before construction took place, the British and American Embassy said they were not allowed access to see the true inhumane human rights violations that were taking place, well... that was a lie. Below is the consul from the Columbian Embassy walking out of building six with her team.

Pictures inside building six showing inmates living on top of cells in the attic space.