BELIZE CITY – The Kolbe Foundation, which operates Belize Central Prison, is facing allegations of human rights violations regarding the treatment of inmate Jahreem Staine, a 22-year-old known by the street alias ’32’. Staine’s mother has publicly denounced prison conditions, claiming her son is being subjected to mistreatment while in custody.
Virgilio Murillo, CEO of the Kolbe Foundation, addressed these allegations in an exclusive interview with News Five on Wednesday. Murillo confirmed that Staine is currently held in a restrictive housing unit, a measure he described as necessary for institutional safety rather than punitive.
“We have what we call a restrictive housing unit for prisoners that we cannot manage in the general population,” Murillo stated. “For violent prisoners and that kind of prisoners, because you realize prison is about safe custody.”
The CEO revealed that Staine’s segregated confinement stems from credible threats he posed to other inmates. “He has his rivals here and he would have made after his rivals if we did not intervene,” Murillo explained. “He wanted to get another prisoner killed. What he does in society will not play out in prison.”
Regarding specific allegations of mistreatment, Murillo denied claims that Staine was pepper-sprayed without justification. Addressing complaints about inadequate sleeping arrangements, the CEO offered a stark perspective: “He is lucky to have a bed with a piece of sponge, unlike some people in Gungulung and other places in Belize City who may not have a bed or a piece of sponge.”
Murillo extended an invitation to Staine’s mother, indicating that special visitation arrangements could be made upon formal request. Staine was denied bail and remanded to prison in October, with court documents citing concerns for his personal safety amid ongoing gang rivalries as partial justification for his incarceration.