(JollofNews) – Sickening pictures have emerged from inside the Gambia’s notorious Mile Two Central Prison were thousands of prisoners including opponents of former president Yahya Jammeh were once held.
The first pictures of the prisons were posted on Facebook by pro-democracy activist Dr Amadou Scatterred Janneh following a surprised visit on Monday by the country’s newly appointed Interior Minister, Mai Ahmad Fatty and Justice Minister Ba Tambedou.
The stomach churning pictures confirmed early reports by rights groups that conditions in the prison and cells are overcrowded, damp, and poorly ventilated.
The pictures also showed poor sanitation and lack of beds and mattresses forcing prisoners to sleep on concrete floor.
Speaking to journalists after the visit, Interior Minister Fatty said he was sadde
ned at some of the things he saw in the detention centre.
“I am sure we can do better,” he said. “I know the officers are doing their best but there is room for improvement. I will make my general assessment after I have visited all the facilities throughout the country.”
Mr Fatty added that he will ensure that the rule of law particularly the protection of the fundamental rights of the citizen are at the very core of the prison and detention facilities in the country.
He added the Gambia is a signatory to many international conventions and protocols, which obliged the country not to engage in any dehumanising and degrading treatment of prisoners.W
“I’ve heard instances where prisoners said they were allegedly beaten,” he said. “I think this is a situation that we cannot accept. When a prisoner commits a crime, there is the Prisons Act and there are laws to exercise rights and authorities. I will declare here that we cannot accept such things. As at now, these are allegations but we will investigate.”
Mr Fatty said they are going to be critically looking at the circumstances of the prisoners so that they can improve it; not only to focus on the punishment element but also to see how they can be rehabilitated.
He added: “Our concept of penal servitude is going to change radically. We’re going to focus on given them skills training and education especially juvenile prisoners so that when they go out, they will have a profession or a type of decent life so that they will not resort to crime.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4GFvNwmMuw
What a nice guy, talking like that. He is right Rehab is the way to go! No need playing God with people’s lives. Dehumanising people is disrespectful of those peoples’s mothers labour pains, and there is no need for that. Its is harrowing to deliver a baby, and sometimes downright deadly, and to have some idiot trample on him, or her just because they can, is down right disrepectful of our women folks who have spent sleepless nights caring for that child, just to have a heartless soul (himself/herself also woman born, but obviously ignorant of the pain and deprivation involved in bringing a child into the world) trample on their birthright should, as Jesus recommended, be put to the sword.
By the way, model for the rehabilitation of offenders (NO MORE PRISIONERS please) could be found in within the Scottish Jail system. You could walk past one of these facilities and not realise that you are actually working past a prison. And no doubt, the Scottish government would only be too glad to aid the Gambia in that direction – if we ask nicely that is!
Moreover, all this torture in confinement is not only sadistic Jammeh at his best, but it also a wasted of opportunity, and lives and an insult to our women folks who have to go through the excruciating and life threatening even of bring a child into the world. Consider this. Where is a better place to drum sense into a recalcitrant’s head than to incentivise him/her to learn Maths, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Technology 12 hours of so a day, 5 days or more days a week, under incarceration. And if they score a tough A in any of these at O, A level, as appropriate, they can and you have earned themselves points that you can cash in for early release, and in the interim, can make a few bob tutoring etc.
Consider that Robert Mugabe, I think, earned his University of London law degree whilst serving time in a Rodeisian . There never is any need to try to destroy anyone just because they do not agree with you. After all God created Billions of people to populated this earth, each one is woman born, granted some are b***tards (Aka Jammeh), but society must stilll attempt to rehabilitate them and not humiliate, torture, or indeed disrespect them.
the interior minister stop asking only the prisoners only what about officers we have many problems we too warking in bad conditions we need helps over we the officer educated peoples are here but lack of helps an he have to return to mille two again ask officer too we got problems transport and. salary too and welfare let them help us the medical Clinic too even me am having my papers I want to learn but no I apply but they don’t put their we have lot to say we the officers
kpis, the minister’s visit was to see for himself the conditions of the prisoners. I bet if he had informed you guys about his visit you would have made the prisoners clean the place spotless. You were all taken by surprise and the candour of the his discussions with the prisoners is something we should all applaud. You and your bosses would have gloss over the truth if the minister has asked for a report and not made a surprise visit. You were all caught with your pants down. You are complaining of poor working conditions, low wages and lack of transport. Low wages is not unique to the prison officers, most sectors of both the security and civil service have the same problem. Your working condition may be poor but don’t forget that at the end of your shift you have a nice comfortable bed to go to. The prisoners you left behind sleep in terrible conditions. Irrespective of the crimes they may have committed they are human beings and as such deserve basic human dignity. On the issue of transportation I am assuming that you are referring to lack of vehicles to transport prisoners. Hitch hiking or taking the public commuter transport I know can be very inconvenient for you. But that is all what it is, an inconvenience. Did you ever stop to think how humiliating that must be for the prisoner? I know some people will say the prisoners deserve whatever they get. To such people I will say go and ask Ousainou Darboe, Amadou Sanneh, Jesus Badjie, Lang Tombong Tamba and many other Gambians who have been model citizens until the day their lives changed forever. Listen to them narrate their nightmare and you will realise how easily anyone can find themselves on the wrong side of the law. kpis, instead of throwing your toys out of the pram and complaining of the minister not talking to you the officers, all of you officers should use this opportunity to ask for immediate improvement of the conditions in mile 2 for the prisoners. Because in order to improve conditions for the prisoners the government will have to do certain things (a) improve sanitary conditions (b) provide vehicles for prisoner transport (c) improve access to health care and (d) provide training to prison officers in order to equip them with the knowledge and tools they need to effectively rehabilitate convicts. High quality training will lead to increase responsibilities and increase responsibilities usually comes with increase remuneration. Can you see how all your issues can be solved through advocating for improvements for the prisoners? Be smart and play your cards right. Every employee wants a pay rise, ministers have to justify in cabinet why their staff should get a pay rise at the expense of others and the things I listed above can form the basis of a very strong and convincing argument.
A SENEGALESE VASAL STATE OR AN INDEPENDENT SOVEREIGN STATE? PATRIOTIC GAMBIANS NEED ANSWERS FROM THE CURRENT GOVERNMENT:
The Adama Barrow, Mai Fatty, Ousainou Darbo Regime of the Current Era (CE), are in a Pickle of Hot dogs, Sausage, Animal intestines and a good doze of Stink. The Stink comes from the fact that the Adama Barrow, Mai Fatty and Ousainou Darbo Regime Reflexsively, Amateurishly And Opportunistly, with Contempt toward The National Interest and Security of the Gambia, bargained and Contracted away the Economic and Political Sovereignty of the Gambia to their Benefactor “Uncle” Macky Sall of Senegal. The ECOWAS/ECOMIG FORCE which is in Reality is a Senegalese Government Conceived, Pushed forward, Implemented, Controlled and Led by Senegal’s Macky Sall and his Clique of Francophone Hegemonist, hell bent on Proscribing and Totally Colonizing the Gambia. It is No secret within Successive Senegalese Presidents and Governments’ that, their Long Term Day time and Nocturnal Dreams have been the Subjugation, and even Forceful Annexation of the Gambia to exploit its Natural Resources and Geo-political Position. The Senegalese Government and Officials have always harboured a Marriage between Senegal and the Gambia and Failing to gain a Reciprocal RESPONSE from the Gambia, any Means to Achieve this Objective and Goal is Welcomed and would be Appreciated Appreciated. The Insidious and Cynical goal and objective is for Senegal to Use the Gambia like they have done with Cassamance for Decades on as an Economic Colony to Exploit to the Maximum for the Benefit and Enjoyment of the Northern part of SENEGALESE Establishment. The Current Occupation of the Gambia by the Senegalese Government through the Cover of ECOWAS and its Military Intervention Force, ECOMIG FORCE, is the repeat of the 1981 Joof-Jawara Regimes Opportunistic Marriage which in turn Ushered in or Forced upoin the Gambia, the Defunct Senegambia Confederation. Apologists who would portray themselves as “Critics” would say, wait a minute Sidi, “the Timber in question or in “Limbo” is allegedly from Senegal, therefore, Senegal is the one being “exploited” and not the Gambia. To this uninformed Kneejerk and Reflexsive need to Defend President Adama Barrow and his Clique’s “Contract” of the Gambian Sovereignty and Independence to the Senegalese Government, is the Potential, Salient and Relevant Major Real Crimes and Misdeminors Committed by Adama Barrow and his Clique of Mai Fatty and Ousainou Darbo Regime. The Origin, Destination and Determination of the Chain of Custody of the SAIDTimber would not have been in the hands of the Senegalese ECOMIG FORCE General’s Responsibility who Does Not have a Mandate to Impound, Cease and Detain Legal Business Transactions within the Boundaries of the Gambia, even if the Commodities or Goods are Suspected to have been dispatched from Cassamance. This is a Role the Gambia Police Force are Authorized and Mandated to Carry out within the Boundaries of the Gambia. It is Not the Job or Mandate of a Foreign Military Intervention Force/ECOMIG’S SENEGALESE General or his Henchmen, Aided and Abetted by the Lack luster record, the Irresponsible Behavior and Actions or Inaction of Adama Barrow and his Clique’s Behind Closed Hotel Doors Contract and Selling of the Gambia and its Sovereignty to Senegal and Macky Sall. The results of the Blind Hatred, the Vile Vitriol and the Irational Cowardly the Fear of the SECOND REPUBLIC’S by “Men” and Women GAMBIANS Voted for to Lead and with all Truth and Reality, have not been Competent nor Reassuring in their Execution of the Gambian People’s Work. While Adama Barrow and his Clique Behind Closed Hotel Doors Spending Millions of Dalasis’ Contracts with Hotels both in Senegal and Now in the Gambia, Should be of grave Concern to all GAMBIANS regardless and despite their Party Politics. As I write this piece, the National Security Adviser to President Trump has Retired due to the issues of Contravening of the established Constitutional Democracy. There are Salient Questions to ask the newly minted Minister of Interior, Mai Fatty. His Portfolio and Office is incharge of the Boundaries, Internal Security and Safety of the Gambian people, Legal affairs of the Gambia and Local Governments, as well as the Law Enforcement Units and or Departments Operating within the Boundaries of the Gambia, Should be held accountable and Encouraged to Hold a Press Conference Now, to inform and explain who gave the Authorization for the Senegalese ECOMIG FORCE General to Interdict, Cease and Detain iligally Gambian Citizens/People and their reportedly legal Property, in this case Timber. This is and Should be the role of the Gambia Police Force, Customs Officials and other associated Law Enforcement Units of the Gambia and Not Senegalese General under the Cover of ECOWAS/ECOMIG FORCE in the Gambia. I am not Belittling the need for Mai Fatty to “Trot” about at the Mile 2 Prison Complex for a Tour and at the same time engage in Self-service, Self-promotion Photo-Up Pre- packaged Event. He should Now follow up with that and make Tangible Sustained Reform and Improvements he louded to the Press. If this a SHOW for it and in itself, then I will be right to point out that, while Mai Fatty was busy perfecting his Potential Circus Maximus SHOW for the Press at the Mile 2 Prison Complex, and Adama Barrow and his Clique were busy Stuffing themselves with all the Hotel Kitchen can Dish out, the Real and True Rulers of the Current Era Gambia under the Decree of the Senegalese Government’s “Governor General” who Interdicted, Stopped, Detained and Confiscated Gambian Property and Citizens without apparent reason or Cause. Yet, the President, Adama Barrow, nor his Designated Authorities authorized to be in Charge of the Gambia’s Interior, Minister of the Interior Mai Fatty has been Silent on the Matter. Either Gambia is an Independent Sovereign State, or it is Not. If it is an Independent And a Constitutional Democractic Sovereign State, then it Must Reprimand the Unlawful Act of the Senegalese ECOMIG FORCE General with reference to the Timber Case which some might be tempted to Call “Timber Gate”. GAMBIANS would Not Accept, Nor Sit Helplessly while Adama Barrow and his Clique’s Bargain and Contract Away Gambian Citizens’ Civil and Individual Rights Derived from the 1997 Constitution as well as their Entitlement to the Benefits and Rights Reserved to them by Birth or Naturalization. This issue should Not be Approached, Nor Seen as a Party Politics or Ethnic driven attempt to Divide and Silence those who dare Raise Salient Questions and Constructive Engagement and Criticism. Mr. PRESIDENT and Mai Fatty, please come out from the Hotel Doors and Clarify what the Current Era Gambian Political Dispensation is? Are we a Vasal and Colonized State Under Uncle Macky Sall and Senegal?
The Majority Patriotic Gambians Need and Want Answers