The Gambia’s Human Rights Commission is leading calls for the country’s prisons to be decongested to prevent the spread of coronavirus amongst prisoners.
The Gambia is experiencing an alarming surge of cases in all parts of the country.
Nearly 20 people have died and over a 1000 people have contracted the disease in recent weeks forcing the government to introduce restrictions on movements, and public gatherings and make the wearing of face masks in public places compulsory.
To prevent the disease for hitting the overcrowded prison population, the rights commission has called on the Ministry of Justice to urge the president to again exercise his powers prerogative of mercy especially towards convicts serving time for offences that are nonviolent or not of a sexual nature.
It added: “Inmates who have committed nonviolent crimes and crimes that are not of a sexual nature and have served three-forth /75 percent of their sentences be eligible/considered for immediate released to reduce over congestion in prisons to curb the spread of the virus.”
It also wants suspects charged with nonviolent offences and/or crimes that are not of a sexual nature who are already in remand and awaiting trial be released on bail on lenient conditions.
The commission further calls ventilation in all police cells and detention centres be greatly improved as the existing ones are extremely poor. It also calls for face masks be provided to all detainees, remanded and convicted prisoners, police officers, prison officers and all those who come into contact with detainees.
It calls for the authorities to to test suspects for coronavirus before booking them into the remand wings of Mile Two, Jeshwang and Janjangbureh Prisons. It also calls for prisoners to be tested and those found to be positive to be put in isolation.
To minimise prolong detentions and in the interest of fair and speedy trial, the commission calls on the government to consider setting up mobile courts within the premises of Mile Two Central, Jeshwang and Janjangbureh Prisons to effectively expedite criminal trials and consequently decongest prisons in some jurisdictions.
The commission said it strongly believe that if its recommendations are implemented, it would help to assist in curtailing the high rise in COVID-19 cases, and decongest the prisons as well as ensure speedy and fair trial for prisoners awaiting trial and or awaiting the outcome of their appeals.
It’s encouraging to hear and see the human rights commission in action. Will the Luke luster government of Adama Barrow take heed and swiftly act in the interest of the nation and its people? The jury is out on that one for now.
The verdict of the jury however, on the utterances of the lazy and charlatan president is in. Whenever I think of the mile two central prisons, Mai Fatty comes to my mind. When he was interior minister and he visited that facility immediately after Yaya took to his heels, he promised an overhauling reform of the prison systems of the country. He said the conditions in the prison are sub human, that the living conditions inside are not even fit for animals. That is now four years ago. He Mai promised a new and modern prison complex, the location of which he did not divulge. I wrote an opinion piece calling his announcement myopic and decadent. I suggested the building of a multi purpose sports complex to engage our youthful population in all sports disciplines. I forwarded that mile two needs a skills training section to rehabilitate and train our compatriots.
Nothing came out of his announcement and nothing came out of my propositions.
That’s why we are where we are today. In shambles and in a bus heading towards destination dictatorship. This government is just callous and pathetic! Smdh