and office supplies. Haitian officials noted that the dire conditions of 

judicial facilities projected a bad image and did not inspire respect for their 

institutions, seriously undermining the confidence of the population in the 

judicial sector.

The judicial sector has limited capabilities to investigate and prosecute 

cases because judicial officials have received little professional training; 

have minimum resources to conduct investigations, prosecutions, and 

trials; receive limited support from specialized units, such as the judicial 

police and forensics unit; and do not have many incentives to solve major 

crimes, according to U.S. and Haitian officials. For instance, judicial 

officials emphasized that their limited training, lack of resources, and 

limited support had seriously hindered their ability to investigate and 

prosecute cases successfully. Judicial officials noted that many 

investigations conducted with the help of the police failed to satisfy 

minimum standards for evidence. As a result, they could not prosecute 

alleged criminals, and many cases had to be dismissed. These officials 

stated that, because they had little personal protection, they feared for their 

personal safety when dealing with high profile cases, such as drug 

trafficking and political assassinations. A prosecutor who was responsible 

for investigating and prosecuting cases within a large jurisdiction stated 

that he did not have transportation to visit crime scenes, that he received 

little support from the police in his investigations, that he had no personal 

protection when dealing with high profile cases, and, that, as a result, he 

and other judicial officials in similar positions had little incentive to do 

their jobs well.

The judicial sector also suffers from corruption and has limited internal 

oversight to monitor the behavior of judicial officials. For instance, despite 

recent pay increases, judicial officials noted that some officials are willing 

to accept bribes to advance cases through the cumbersome and lengthy 

proceedings that characterize the Haitian judicial sector. Also, according to 

these officials, the Ministry of Justice has a judicial inspection unit that has 

limited oversight capabilities and has done little to address corruption and 

other major problems of the judicial sector. Despite efforts to enhance this 

unit, it remains largely ineffective.

The judicial sector continues to provide limited access to justice for the 

majority of the Haitian population. For example, by not having a public 

defender's office, by not systematically providing legal assistance to the 

population, and by conducting most of its business through written 

procedures in French, the judicial sector remains unavailable to the 

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