By Belize Live News Staff: The water washing the vegetables and meat at the Central Prison carried fecal bacteria. That is the finding, plain and cringe-inducing, from a Ministry of Health and Wellness inspection of the Kolbe Foundation facility, and it forced changes behind the prison walls.
The Ministry’s report, issued in mid-September last year, examined three separate water sources on the compound and cleared exactly one, the piped supply from Belize Water Services, as safe for human consumption.
The well water failed on multiple fronts. Principal Health Inspector John Bodden detailed the results, confirming the well water “tested positive of fecal coliform” and fell outside chemical limits as well, leading inspectors to rule it unsafe. The well supply was meant for hygienic duties only, toilets, washing, bathing, but even there, Bodden flagged a concern, warning that elevated chemical levels could cause skin irritation for the inmates bathing in it.
Most striking of all was where the contaminated water reached: the kitchen. The well water was being used for the pre-preparation of food, washing the vegetables, meat, and other items destined for inmates’ plates, a practice Bodden acknowledged continued for pre-washing even as the Ministry pressed its central recommendation, that BWS water alone serve drinking and cooking for inmates, staff, and the prison hospital.
The prison’s leadership says the report landed with immediate effect. Acting CEO Francis Woods stated that changes were made as soon as the findings came out, and that BWS water rations for inmates were increased to five gallons for drinking, washing clothes, and bathing.
Credit where due for the response, but the episode leaves its mark. The people inside Kolbe, whatever brought them there, depend entirely on the institution for the basics of safe living, and a water supply carrying fecal coliform anywhere near their food falls far below that mark. It is also worth noting the report has taken ten months to reach public light, surfacing amid a turbulent stretch for the prison that has included the sudden dismissal of its CEO, timing the public is free to ponder.
The fix, by the prison’s account, is in place. The follow-up question belongs to the inspectors: has anyone been back to check?
What do you think, Belize, should prison conditions get more public scrutiny? Let us know in the comments.
