A picture showing inmates at the Juba Central Prison. Photo credit: Curtesy

Authorities at Juba Central Prison have warned that correctional facilities are not equipped to handle people with mental health conditions, urging families and health authorities to take greater responsibility for their care and treatment.

Speaking to Eye Radio, the Director of Juba Central Prison, Major General Anthony Oliver Legge, said the facility currently holds about 27 inmates suffering from mental health conditions, including one woman.

He said many of these individuals should ideally be receiving treatment in hospitals, but are instead brought into the prison system through court orders or family decisions, often for safety and security reasons.

According to the prison administration, some families believe the prison provides a safer environment for mentally ill relatives, despite officials warning that the facility is not designed for medical care.

General Legge said the prison has a dedicated ward for inmates with mental and psychological conditions and employs a doctor to support their basic needs.

However, he emphasized that treatment and medication remain the responsibility of the Ministry of Health.

“Currently, we have about 27 inmates in the facility suffering from mental health problems, including one woman. This group should ideally be in a hospital, not a prison, as they need to receive treatment there,” he said.

He also called on families to play a more active role in caring for their relatives, including visiting and supporting their treatment, rather than leaving them solely in the custody of the prison system.

The prison administration says it is currently constructing a fence and expanding separation facilities for inmates with mental health conditions, citing safety concerns and increasing numbers of such cases.

“We are currently working to build a fence and separate the section for mental and psychological illnesses. In most cases, patients with mental and psychological conditions are brought to the facility because they are sometimes violent in hospitals,” he said.

“They believe that prison is a safe place to keep and deal with them without support from the Ministry of Health. We in the prison cannot do much; we can provide for them, but supplying the facility with medication is the responsibility of the Ministry of Health,” he added.