By: Kebba AF Touray
The 2022 activity report and financial statements of the Office of the Ombudsman has unraveled alleged maltreatment of prisoners in Mile Two and Jeshwang prisons.
The report, which was adopted by the Finance and Public Accounts Committee of the National Assembly (FPAC), was presented to the Committee last week, but was considered on Wednesday, 8May 2024 by the said Committee.
Presenting the report before members of FPAC, officials of the Office of the Ombudsman reported that during the period under review, they visited prison centers such as Mile Two, Jeshwang and Janjanbureh Prisons.
“In both Mile Two and Jeshwang prisons, some of the inmates complained of being beaten by prison officers. Several inmates at the remand wing of Mile Two said they were kicked, handcuffed and beaten with batons or hosepipes, when they had a fight or confrontation with their cell inmate, or when they did not give information to officers about what happened in a particular cell,” the Ombudsman’s report disclosed.
The report also indicated that an inmate at Mile Two’s remand wing alleged that he was put in a condemned cell for one month and in confinement for two weeks, without a mattress, blanket, mosquito net and a shirt, and slept on the bare floor.
“The nurse in charge of the clinic said the concerned inmate had complained to him about the beatings by the officers and said he was the one who had wounded another inmate with a blade. The nurse also said that other inmates informed him after their attempt to escape that they had been beaten,” the Ombudsman report indicated.
The report added that an inmate in cell number 3 within the confinement area of Jeshwang Prison, also alleged that he was beaten by three officers for attempting to escape, noting that the visiting team vividly saw marks on his back.
On food and water for the inmates, the Ombudsman’s report also alleged that the food given to inmates did not have necessary ingredients or vegetables such as cabbage and potatoes, as many inmates complained about being given only plain rice.
On access to justice, the Ombudsman’s report further unraveled the delay in court cases, adding that one of the inmates at Mile Two has been on remand for 5 years now.
It further revealed that in Janjangbureh Prisons, an inmate was on remand for 7 years, and that an inmate at Mile Two Prisons has been going to court for 8 months now without any sitting on his case.
On the separation of convicts from remand inmates, the Ombudsman’s report alleged that there was no separation between the two in some areas of Mile Two and Janjnagbureh Prisons.
“Although there are remands and convict cells at Mile Two, remand inmates and convicts were found together. Two remand inmates were taken to a convict cell to live due to lack of space,” the Ombudsman Offfice reported.
“Regarding communication with family members and others, remand inmates said they were allowed to have visitors every day except on Sundays. However, convicts are allowed to be visited only once a month, while many inmates could not speak to their people on telephone,” the Ombudsman’s report alleged.
On education and vocational training, the Ombudsman’s report also alleged that there were no basic education classes for adult inmates in any of the prisons, and said classes were conducted only for juveniles at the Jeshwang Prison.The report said that there was also no vocational training at Jeshwang and Janjanbureh prisons, whereas only Mile Two Prisons provided sewing, IT, solar installation and other skills training areas for a limited number of inmates.
On health care, the Ombudsman’s report further alleged that there was shortage of medicines at the prisons as mentioned by nurses at Mile Two Prison clinic and inmates in other prisons.
“Inmates at Jeshwang Prisons said whenever they went to the infirmary, they were told that there were no drugs and the ones at Janjanbureh Prisons said only paracetamol was given to them. They added that they were usually given prescriptions to buy drugs, which many of them could not afford,” the Ombudsman’s report alleged.
