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| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| toubab1020 |
Posted - 22 Jan 2019 : 18:13:54
The visit to the Mile 2 Central Prisons by members of the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission last week revealed some harsh realities about life in prisons in The Gambia.
The condition of those cells is so terrible that one wonders how people can survive there for long. To say that it is inhumane to incarcerate people in such conditions is an understatement.
Most of the structures in that place look like they were built by the colonial government. This implies that since then none of the governments has done any major refurbishment of the prisons in this country.
It is said that if one wants to measure the level of empathy of a people, one can simply look at how they treat their prisoners. This is directly proportionate to their empathy for one another.
Prisons are meant to be places for reform and not just punishment. When someone breaks the law and is incarcerated, the person does not automatically lose his or her human rights. The person will still be entitled to the basic rights of a human being.
Thus, the government must seek solutions immediately to ensure that the prisons are reformed, refurbished and conditions there improved to meet international standards.
It will be prudent for the Government of The Gambia to set up a committee which will look into the state of the prisons and suggest ways and means by which it can be improved so that those people who are imprisoned will come out reformed, and ideally, with skills for survival.
https://standard.gm/?p=51798
See TRRC VISITS MILE 2 PRISON 18.01.19 on Youtube at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=do1PJAOU0NU
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| 2 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Momodou |
Posted - 23 Jan 2019 : 12:51:57
TRRC’s 8th witness explains deplorable condition of Mile 2
The Point: Wednesday, January 23, 2019
http://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/article/trrcs-8th-witness-explains-deplorable-condition-of-mile-2
Babucarr Jatta, commissioner of Prisons at Janjanbureh camp has called on the government of the Gambia to relocate Mile 2 Prisons in Banjul and institute other reforms relating to prison conditions across the country.
Commissioner Jatta made this declaration whilst giving evidence before Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) as part of his recommendation in institutional reform mechanism in the country.
Babucarr Jatta who testified as the 8th witness told the Commission that The Gambia Prison Service needs reformation, rehabilitation and reintegration.
He revealed that Mile 2 Prison is located in a swampy area highly infested with mosquitoes and rodents amongst others near a dumped site.
He lamented that Mile 2 Prison is not habitable and very inhumane, noting that he doesn’t pray for his animal to be tamed in the prison.
He charged the National Assembly to come up with a new Prison Act, noting that the current Prison Act is archaic and out of place.
He called on the authorities to condemn the present Mile 2 Prison and build an ultra-modern structure whilst stressing the need for both national and international partners to come to the aid of The Gambia Prison Service. He, however, expressed gratitude to Prison Fellowship as a good partner to the Gambia Prison Service.
The witness disclosed that there are three established prisons across the country namely; Mile 2 Central Prisons, Jeshwang Prison and the Janjanbureh Prison, but stressed the need for more satellite prisons.
He told the Commission that The Gambia Prison Service is faced with series of challenges namely; housing and welfare of prison officers, officers struggling to get to work on time, poorly paid, the need for educated people to join the Prison Service, training for prison officers and classification of prisoners.
He lamented the fact that some prison inmates are involved in homosexuality inside the prison.
The witness disclosed that as a prison medic, his duty was to treat prisoners whilst in prison and he was being supervised by one Dawda Manga from the Medical and Health Department.
The witness revealed that the general conditions of the prisons has been very poor since Jawara’s government, adding that prisoners used to suffer from beriberi health condition associated with swollen feet, swollen stomach resulting from consumption of poor diet.
He said after 1994, the condition of the prisons remained the same but the prison experienced overcrowding after the coup.
He said the normal procedures for the detention of prisoners were not followed; adding that many were detained unlawfully under the pretext of Executive Order.
On the 22nd July, 1994
The witness testified that on the 22nd July, 1994, he reported to work very early in the morning but upon arrival at Denton Bridge, he observed some movement of troops and he thought was as a result of the joint military exercise of Gambia National Army with the American Marine Unit.
The witness further testified that he was informed by some prison officers that whilst the soldiers were heading to the State house, they stopped at Mile 2 gate and said things will be better and that they should be on stand-by.
The witness disclosed that some days later, the juntas started arresting people and they were brought to Mile 2 Prisons, adding that majority of the detainees were soldiers.
He mentioned Ex-president Jawara’s former IG and AIG, Pa Sallah Jagne and Ebrima Chongan, Captain Mamat Cham, RSM Jeng, NSS, former director, Kebba Ceasay, Lt. Alagie Kanteh and Captain Sasideen Sarr, amongst others.
The witness revealed that he noticed that these detainees have bruises, wounds and injuries on their head, backs, legs and body that needed treatment.
Babucarr Jatta also revealed that some of them had deep laceration and in most time he had to go to their cells to treat them.
The witness told the Commission that at the time they were strictly warned from taking them to the Royal Victoria Hospital (RVH), he usually conducts cell rounds to see the detainees and administer treatment to them.
Babucarr Jatta disclosed that though he wasn’t present but he received information from Chongan and prison officers that Sana Sabally and his elements came to the security wing firing gun shots; and that some of the detainees were tortured.
He told the Commission that he observed that Kebba Ceesay, Captain Samsideen Sarr and Pa Sallah Jagne had psychological trauma, noting that for sometime Samsideen Sarr refuses to eat.
The witness who disclosed that he was fondly called giving pain because he always gives the detainees pain killers and sometime gives counseling services to the detainees as a result of their state of mind.
The witness told the Commission that the detainees were restricted from going to the hospital until the doctor started seeing them.
He cited instances where prison officers had problem with Sana Sabally and were stripped and put on confinement.
The witness revealed that he also treated Sana Sabally and Sadibou Hydara when they were brought to the security wing by Edward Sighateh and his group.
The witness further revealed that he did not witness anyone being tortured by prison officers.
He told the Commission that Sana Sabally and Sadibou Hydara came with some health conditions, adding that Sadibou Hydara informed him that he had blood pressure and Sana Sabally told him that he had head-ache.
The witness disclosed that Alieu Bah was brought and kept at the confinement and when they saw his condition, Mr Manga advised that he be kept at the infirmary and medical doctors were brought in to assist him.
He pointed out that Alieu Bah was vomiting blood and that it was Alieu Bah’s narration that he was brought with Basirou Barrow to Mile 2 Prison and thereafter taken to the execution ground at Yundum Barracks and killed.
He revealed that Basirou Barrow lost his teeth as a result of beatings of gun butt.
The witness told the Commission that some soldiers like Malick Njai, Mafugi Sanneh, Lamin Baba E. Manneh and Abdou Trawally amongst others were brought to Mile 2 Prison with serious injuries, wounds and bruises.
He said Lamin E. Manneh was having unusual whitish discharge with blood from his ear, adding that his eardrum was damaged as a result of gun shots near his ear and beatings of the gun butt.
He told the Commission that most of the detainees had difficulties in walking and that when Yahya Drammeh Mballow Kanteh, Ensa Baldeh, Sulayman Sarr, Bamba Drammeh and host of others were brought to Mile 2 Prison, he observed that they had multiple injuries, citing Sulayman Sarr who had a gun shot in one of his legs.
He told the Commission that Yahya Drammeh was vomiting blood and he was kept at the headquarters with doctors attending to him but eventually died.
The witness revealed that he first treated Alieu Bah as a detainee on the 11 November 1994 attack and later as a detainee on the Kartong attackers.
He explained that Alieu Bah, Lamin F. Jammeh and Lamin Jarju were brought to the security wing and he found that they had pains and injuries.
He said Alieu Bah informed him that he once escaped from execution ground at Fajara Barracks and went to Casamance.
The witness said he never saw Lt. Basirou Barrow in Mile 2 Prison but was told by Alieu Bah that he was taken to Mile 2 Prison and then later taken to Yundum Barracks and executed.
Hearing continues today.
Author: Bruce Asemote |
| toubab1020 |
Posted - 23 Jan 2019 : 10:27:01
Ah Yes....."Technical problems" blamed for Inturruption of Testmony.
"Sittings resume today at 10 am."
"The Commissioner of Prisons Bubacar Jatta, on Monday January 21st January, commenced giving his own account of the 1994 coup d’etat before the Truth Reconciliation and Reparations Commission. However, Jatta’s testimony was interrupted owing to technical problems.
The Commission yesterday faced some technical problems they could not resolve, causing a delay in the start of proceedings. Reasons of the cause of the technical problems were not disclosed"
=====================================================================================================
By Yankuba Jallow
The Commissioner of Prisons Bubacar Jatta, on Monday January 21st January, commenced giving his own account of the 1994 coup d’etat before the Truth Reconciliation and Reparations Commission. However, Jatta’s testimony was interrupted owing to technical problems.
The Commission yesterday faced some technical problems they could not resolve, causing a delay in the start of proceedings. Reasons of the cause of the technical problems were not disclosed to the public.
However, in his short testimony, Jatta told Commissioners that he was born on the 12th of February in 1968, in Lamin; that he was enlisted in the Gambia Prisons Service on 1st September 1988. He added that he was third class in rank after completing his training, and got a steady rise in rank since.
The witness is expected to continue his testimony today as the 1st witness of the day. The Commission is expected to hear from two witnesses. The Lead Counsel also told Commissioners that the last two witnesses for this week, will be heard through video conference.
Sittings resume today at 10 am.
http://foroyaa.gm/at-the-trrc-technical-problems-arose-during-prisons-commissioners-testimony/ |
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