Aweil Prison inmates assembled during a visit of NBGS governor. (Photo: Courtesy).

The Director of Aweil Prison in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State has decried serious overcrowding at the facility, adding that inmates are now forced to sleep in shifts.

Captain Philip Tong said the prison capacity is 150 inmates, while its current inmates population is 800 including about 100 women and children.

Mr. Tong made the remarks during a visit of Governor Simon Uber Mawut to the prison on Saturday – where he assessed the living conditions of the inmates.

The prison official said the lack of space has compelled prisoners to sleep in shifts – amid an outbreak of malaria and dire lack of drugs to treat the sick.

“This prison was designed for 150 people, but now we have 800 people, and they are sleeping by shifting,” he said, during remarks to the governor.

Mr. Tong revealed that 56 minors including 44 juvenile offenders and 13 infants living with their imprisoned mothers face the same fate amid lack of mosquito nets.

“We have an issue of lights at night. Light is not there. We have a lot of Malaria sickness, but the governor brought us some drugs, and at night when there’s an emergency, we have no transport.”

“That why prisoners are asking if there any Raksha that can help will be better. This is what we are facing in Aweil prison.”

On her part, the Director of Aweil Women’s Prison, Captain Akuol John echoed Mr. Tong’s concerns about the plight of the inmates.

“Today, the women’s prison opened with the number of 59 and convicted are 35 and remains are 24 plus 13 kids and those kids came together with their mothers,” she said.

“There no any crime that they have committed m but they mothers are the once committed crimes. We have a big number in this prison now for the prisoners to sleep they have to shift themselves.”

Meanwhile, Northern Bahr el Ghazel State Minister of Information Garang Zachariah confirmed the dire situation of prisoners in Aweil prison.

“Some of the problems that are facing the prisoners are sicknesses and lack of enough space, the space is too small, the prison was built for only 100 inmates but now it’s accommodating about 800 inmates, so one of the biggest problems is about the space, the space is not enough for the inmates.”

Prison overcrowding is a common phenomenon affecting three of the main prison facilities across the country.

In June, the Human Rights Committee of the National Legislative Assembly saw first hand an appalling situation of overcrowded Juba Central Prison during their inspection visit.

Originally built to accommodate only 500 prisoners, Juba Prison is now housing 2,626 individuals, with an additional 16,310 awaiting trial.

The committee found prisoners facing severe overcrowding, insufficient sleeping space, and a critical shortage of medicine, hygiene tools, and food.

On 31st May 2024, directors from several police stations in Juba accused prosecutors of being behind the prolonged detention of suspects without trial, following an assessment of lawmakers to the stations, which found detainees in crowded and squalid conditions.

During the tour, the lawmakers observed overcrowding in the facilities, where majority of suspects have been charged with minor criminal cases such as theft and social disputes.

At the UNMISS-built police station in New Site, the committee found 21 suspects, mostly juveniles charged with minor offenses.

The station director informed the Human Rights Committee that some of the detainees had spent two to three weeks awaiting trial due to delays in prosecution and lack of mobility to transport them for court trail.

Similarly, at Munuki Police Station, the local director reported detention of 51 suspects including juveniles aged 15 to 17 who were accused of various crimes.