VOA新闻杂志2023--洪都拉斯计划在无人岛上建造高戒备监狱

Honduras Plans High Security Prison Build on Unpopulated Caribbean Island

Honduras has announced plans to build a high security prison on an unpopulated island in the Caribbean Sea off the country's eastern coast. The Swan Island project would become the Western Hemisphere's only island prison. Honduran officials say they plan to use the prison to house the country's most violent criminals.

In the past, Honduran President Xiomara Castro promised to solve gang violence through reforms to the government and criminal justice systems. Now, she plans to create an island prison capable of holding 2,000 people. The island is over 240 kilometers off the coast.

Island prisons used to be common in Latin America, with owner countries including Brazil, Chile and Colombia. However, riots, poor conditions and prison escapes led to their closing. In 2019, the final island prison closed, a property of Mexico.

Officials in Honduras say the new prison will help stop violence. But, critics say island prisons fail to deal with the root of the problem.

Tiziano Breda is a Latin America expert at Italy's Instituto Affari Internazionali. He said that new prisons are "...quite useless if you don't first regain¹ control of the others you already have."

Last month in Honduras, 46 women were killed in a prison fight that involved guns, knives and fire. It was one of the worst incidents in the history of women's prisons.

In answer, President Castro said she would "take drastic measures" and put an end to the gangs that have terrorized Honduras for years.

José Jorge Fortín, the head of Honduras' armed forces, told the Associated Press that the only way to communicate with the island prison is by satellite. He said the government thinks this will make it difficult for gangs inside the prison to organize crime and violence.

Fortín did not say how much it would cost or how long it will take to build the prison.

The neighboring country of El Salvador has already taken a strong position against gangs. One in every 100 people there is a prisoner. The nation's president says gang members represent 30 percent of the prison population in El Salvador.

Rights activists² have accused that country's government of abuses in its justice system. But, El Salvador has seen sharp drops in violence and citizens increasingly support the system.

"If another country has done something well, why not copy it?" Honduras' Fortín said.

But, Tiziano Breda says this way of thinking moves the country away from changing policies that could make long-term differences.

Honduras's security policy "has become even more reactive and short-sighted, mimicking⁴ what's going on in El Salvador to contain damage to their public image," Breda said.

However, these ideas are supported by many Hondurans, including scientist Said Santos. He said, "...ending the crime problem once and for all here in Honduras would be ideal for this country."

Others are expressing environmental concerns about the new prison plan. Scientists say they worry the project will damage the island's highly diverse ecosystem⁵. Last week, the Honduran Biologists Association called the prison a "threat" to nature.

Lucky Medina is Honduras' secretary of natural resources and the environment. He told the AP that the prison will be built in unity⁶ with nature. Officials will follow environmental protection measures, he said.

Words in This Story

gang – n. a group of persons working to unlawful or antisocial ends

drastic – adj. extreme in effect or action

mimic³ – v. to copy closely

ideal – adj. having no flaw; perfect

 

diverse – adj. differing from one another

1 regain   

vt.重新获得，收复，恢复

参考例句：

• He is making a bid to regain his World No.1 ranking.他正为重登世界排名第一位而努力。
• The government is desperate to regain credibility with the public.政府急于重新获取公众的信任。

2 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 mimic   

v.模仿，戏弄；n.模仿他人言行的人

参考例句：

• A parrot can mimic a person's voice.鹦鹉能学人的声音。
• He used to mimic speech peculiarities of another.他过去总是模仿别人讲话的特点。

4 mimicking   

v.（尤指为了逗乐而）模仿( mimic的现在分词 )；酷似

参考例句：

• She's always mimicking the teachers. 她总喜欢模仿老师的言谈举止。
• The boy made us all laugh by mimicking the teacher's voice. 这男孩模仿老师的声音，逗得我们大家都笑了。 来自辞典例句

5 ecosystem   

n.生态系统

参考例句：

• This destroyed the ecosystem of the island.这样破坏了岛上的生态系统。
• We all have an interest in maintaining the integrity of the ecosystem.维持生态系统的完整是我们共同的利益。

6 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。