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Congestion in prisons irks Kikwete
2006-05-05 08:25:01
By Patrick Kisembo
President Jakaya Kikwete said yesterday that the government will strive to improve the living conditions in the country’s prisons to enable inmates live like human beings.
The President made the remarks when he visited three prisons Keko, Segerea and Ukonga in Dar es Salaam, the first such visit by the President of the United Republic of Tanzania, since independence.
He said the country’s prisons are overcrowded and concerted efforts must be made to expand the existing facilities.
The President said it was disheartening to learn that the majority of inmates are in remand.
’’The government will find a way of solving the problem,’’ he said.
On his part, Home Affairs Minister John Chiligati said congestion in prisons can be solved if the police and magistrates co-operated in expediting the cases before the courts.
’’It’s possible to decongest prisons if these two institutions co-operated,’’ Chiligati said. He added that co-operation would relieve the government of the burden of ’’hosting’’ the inmates.
He disclosed that the government spends 2,500/- to feed one inmate daily. The country has about 45,000 inmates.
Chiligati said congestion in prisons calls for immediate action to solve it because it is too costly to the government.
He said the police and the courts should help reduce the congestion in prisons by relaxing bail requirements for minor offences.
Chiligati said time had come to commute some of the convictions to non-custodial sentences to reduce overcrowding in prisons. He also proposed that suspended sentences should be applied as a means of improving conditions in prisons.
Commissioner of Prisons Nicas Banzi said the number of prisoners outstrips the capacity of existing facilities.
He said Keko Prison, which was built in 1957 to accommodate 340 inmates, now shelters 1,413 prisoners.
Segerea with the capacity to accommodate 1,200 prisoners has 1,535 while Ukongo built in 1951 to accommodate 735 prisoners now holds 2,350 inmates.
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