Officials Raise Alarm Over Poor Prison Conditions In Aweil
The Northern Bahr el Ghazal Prisons Service Officials have raised alarm on the poor conditions at the correction facility calling for government to expand the prison due to a high influx of inmates just three months after three inmates died at the Aweil Main Prison. 18 May 2013 Inmates at the Rumbek Central Prison. Northern Bahr el Ghazal Prisons Service Acting Director, Samuel Nhial Akot disclosed that the prison services in the state are committed to fair and humanly approach. [Gurtong | File ] By Abraham Agoth AWEIL, 18 May 2013 [Gurtong] - The Northern Bahr el Ghazal Prisons Service Acting Director, Samuel Nhial Akot has revealed that despite concerted efforts on improving the general condition, there are unwavering challenges facing the department in handling the humanitarian overview within the prisons. “The general conditions of the rooms are in worrying conditions. The rooms are becoming too small to accommodate large number of prisoners,” he said. He said that the rooms were made long time during the colonial rule purposely to accommodate small number of criminals as part of the regional branch by then but there is no extension that has been made since. Three inmates died at the Aweil Main Prison in January following a disease outbreak. “This is the same place being used for accommodating over 25 inmates in a given room which is just meant for 10 or less. There are always lots of congestions of rooms every year which need to be taken good care of,” Nhial warns. Nhial noted that the rooms are so squeezed to accommodate more prisoners on arrival because of daily high influx of crime. The prison was meant to accommodate 250 prisoners but is estimated to host over 500 prisoners with congestion affecting hygiene standards at the facility. Regardless of these numerous challenges, Nhial discloses that prison services in the state are committed to fair and humanly approach. “We are being seen as servants but that is our duty to treat everybody with due care needed as part of our obligation in this department. We always ensure that these inmates are treated humanely despites uncontrollable challenges which they also see on their own,” he said. In what he termed as lack of civilization in the country, Nhial blamed the civilians for complicating their court judgments especially those who travel some away in counties to come and open cases in the town leaving the county, payam and even boma judges. “Some people feel comfortable when their cases are being ruled in the counties or payams, I don’t know why they travel some miles to come to town and open cases against their defendants whom they left in the same county residence. Why not opening cases in the county so that their cases are ruled and handled outside there if there is slight imprisonment then it is worked out there at the county level rather than complicating and increasing number of inmates on smaller crimes,” he asked. He further underscored the tireless communications they have had between their national office in Juba for improving the sector and as well as the state government in addressing the number of challenges but have not been fruitful. Nhial urged both governments to double their efforts in improving the services for the prisons. “Prisons department is the backbone of the country and government, without improved prisons services there is no government and a country. Prisons services must be improved,” he said. In 2012, the Human Rights Watch launched an investigative report depicting the status of human rights in South Sudan prisons. The 105-page report titled “Prison Is Not for Me: Arbitrary Detention in South Sudan", documents violations of due process rights, patterns of wrongful deprivation of liberty, and the harsh, unacceptable prison conditions in which detainees live. During the launch, South Sudan Vice President Dr Riek Machar said that the report will help his government in soliciting for suitable solutions to address the challenges facing the prisons department. The research was carried out in twelve of the country’s 79 prisons during a 10-month period before and after South Sudan’s independence in areas with the largest prison populations. It revealed that, a third of South Sudan's prison population of approximately 6,000 has not been convicted of any offense or in some cases even charged with one, but are detained, often for long periods, waiting for police, prosecutors, and judges to process their cases. The vast majority of detainees have no legal representation, because they cannot afford a lawyer and South Sudan has no functioning legal aid system, adding that Judges pass long sentences and even condemn to death people who, without legal assistance, were unable to understand the nature of charges against them or to call and prepare witnesses in their defense. The government pointed out infrastructural challenges, insecurity, budget constraints and other political problems that hinder government’s efforts to prioritise the improvement of the prisons in the country. Human Rights Watch interviewed more than 250 inmates and a range of justice officials, correctional officers, police, prosecutors, and traditional authorities. Posted in: Home, Governance, Humanitarian -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "South Sudan Info - The Kob" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. 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