Baisu jail stops accepting prisoners from SHP, Enga

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By ELIAS LARI
THE jail at Baisu, in Mt Hagen, is full and will not accept any prisoners from Enga and Southern Highlands, says prison commander Superintendent Timbi Kaulga.
He urged Enga Governor Sir Peter Ipatas and Southern Highlands Governor William Powi to enlarge their own provincial jails at Mukurumanda (Enga) and Bueibi (Southern Highlands). Kaulga said Sir Peter should fund the upgrade and maintenance of Mukurumanda jail and stop sending Engan prisoners to Baisu in Mt Hagen.
He said Powi should do the same at Bueibi jail for prisoners in Southern Highlands and parts of Hela.
He said Baisu jail was built in the ’70s and was not meant to accommodate such a big number of people. It can only accommodate 250 but is holding more than 400.
“It is too much and it cannot continue like that,” Kaulga said.
Kaulga said it was hard for prisoners to sleep because of the lack of space.
“We will refuse to accept more prisoners or remandees from Enga and Southern Highlands as this jail full,” he said.
He said law and order was a priority and urged MPs to allocate money and resources there.
“This is a serious problem the jail is facing and I’m appealing to the Governors of the Highlands provinces, Enga, Southern Highlands and even Hela to start helping to maintain their jails so Baisu can be relieved of the daily pressure,” Kaulga said.