“A committee should be set up by these institutions to look into causes of delay and provide solutions to the problem. Being on remand for 7 years, as was the case for an inmate in Janjanbureh Prison, is not compatible with section 19 of the 1997 Constitution,” stated the Ombudsman’s report read by Hon Bakary K. Sanyang before the Assembly’s Finance and Public Accounts Committee.
Hon Sanyang disclosed that during their visit to prison in 2022 they discovered that there were delays in court cases. “One of the inmates at Mile II had been on remand for 5 years and in Janjanbureh an inmate was on remand for 7 years. An inmate at Mile II had been attending court for eight months but there were no sittings. At Jeshwang, some inmates informed the visiting team that for one and half years there were no court proceedings for their cases.”
He added: “Some inmates at Mile II filed an appeal but had not been informed about what happened to their appeals. There were also eight inmates at Janjanbureh whose warrants had expired but were not taken to court by the police in Basse.”
He also stated that there was no separation of convicts and remand inmates in some areas of Mile II and Janjanbureh.
“Although there were remand cell and convict cell at Mile II, remand inmates and convicts were found together,” he said. “Two remand inmates were taken to the convict cell to live there due to lack of space. There was no barrier between the corridor for remand inmates and the one for convicts in Janjanbureh. There were 31 convicts and 12 remand inmates in cell number 5 at Janjanbureh.”
He also recommended that the Ministry of Interior should ensure that there are communication facilities in all prisons for inmates to speak direct to their families, friends and others.
“Assistance should be provided to foreign inmates to communicate with their embassies and international organisations that are concerned with their welfare. Convicts should be allowed to have visitors once a week instead of once a month,” he said. “Ministry of Interior should ensure that inmates are provided with adequate and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs.”
He further recommended that the Interior ministry should work with Ministry of Health to ensure that adequate drugs and equipment are provided to all the prisons.
“It should also ensure that an ambulance is given to Janjanbureh Prison,” he said, adding: “Director General of Prisons should ensure that enough furniture, computers, printers, photocopiers and other office equipment are provided to all prisons. Enough offices should also be created for staff in Janjangbureh and Jeshwang.”
