The United States (US) State Department has released another report to which the Jamaican government will again have to mount a defense.

In its annual report on Human Rights practices in countries around the world, Jamaica came in for particularly harsh review. The report said while the government generally respected the human rights of its citizens, there were serious problems in some areas. It listed unlawful killings by the security forces, abuse of detainees and prisoners by police and prison guards, poor prison and jail conditions as well as impunity for police who committed crimes. The US State Department also highlighted the overburdened judicial system and frequent lengthy delays in trials, violence and discrimination against women, trafficking in persons, and violence against individuals based on their suspected or known sexual orientation. According to the State Department, there were more than 200 shooting cases involving the police last year resulting in 241 fatalities. It said sources indicated that many police killings were unreported, with police meting out the justice they see as unavailable through the judicial system.