HONDURAS: Administrative Segregation Update

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 000046 FOR INL/LP MAYRA AHERN FOR WHA POSTS - PASS to NAOs and Merida Coordinators USAID for Donnie Harrington SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SNAR KCRM KJUS EAID PREL HO SUBJECT: HONDURAS: Administrative Segregation Update REF: Tegucigalpa 41 ¶1. The following is an update of the remodeling of the Maquila into an Administrative Segregation Unit as of November 28, 2009. The Maquila project is part of Minister of Security Jorge Rodas's overall prisons reform plan, devised in 2008-2009 (Reftel). -------------- Complete Project: -------------- ¶3. This is the twenty- eighth week of the Project. The Project is 80-percent complete with some areas needing more work than others. The cement floor needs to be chemically finished in order to be 100-percent complete. The fabrication of windows and doors has begun. Original plans call for the entire facility to be painted. However, the contractor is awaiting a final decision on areas that may be omitted during value engineering. There are areas in the medical, showers and food service area that need ceramic wall tile to be put up. -------------- Infirmary: -------------- ¶4. The infirmary facility is 94-percent complete. As mentioned above, painting, windows, doors and wall tile need to be put in. The GOH will not have enough funds to fully equip the infirmary but will seek donations to help do so. -------------- Kitchen: -------------- ¶5. Currently 75 -percent of the kitchen is complete. The Contractor has submitted the plans to a manufacturer to provide -him with specifications for the equipment that is needed. As mentioned above painting, windows, doors and wall tile need to be completed. -------------- Sewer Renovation: -------------- ¶6. Sewer renovation and the connection of the new facility to the sewer line is 98_percent complete. This project was funded with assistance from the European Union. -------------- Electrical Systems: -------------- ¶7. The whole project is approximately 70_percent complete. It includes the installation of wiring, cameras and control panels. -------------- Financial Costs: -------------- ¶8. The total amount of the contract is 28.4 million Lempiras (approximately USD 1.5 million). To date, 13 million Lempiras (approximately USD 684,000) has been transferred to the contractor. -------------- Number of workers: -------------- ¶9. Currently 50 workers are on site working and there has been as high as 65 workers during different times of the project. -------------- Findings: -------------- ¶10. Technical support from the INL Regional Corrections Advisor and an INL-funded visit by the architect to correctional facilities in Colorado have led to 6,000,000 Lempiras (approximately USD 315,000, or almost 25_percent of the total project cost) in savings through design modifications and improvements. The Project is in its final stages of being completed. Original completion date was September of 2009. Tentative completion date, if all material is received in a timely manner, is approximately June 2010. Key reasons for project delays are: --The delivery of material has been delayed through procurement delays by the office of finance. --When materials were not delivered on time, the contractor reassigned personnel to other projects. --Still awaiting the purchase of the toilets and sinks for the cells. --Once the projected completion date moved past January 2010, final completion estimates were revised in anticipation of further delays during the transition to the new administration and potential revisions to the project. HENSHAW