Breakout proof Buimo needs help

The National Main Stories

PAPUA New Guinea’s first mass prison breakout in 2020 in Lae’s Buimo Prison on Sunday confirms the Correctional Services (CS) facility as the worst in the county – as far as frequency in breakouts is concerned.
One prison warden and an inmate, a convicted killer, died in the incident and a joint CS, police and soldiers posse has launched a round-the-clock manhunt for 16 fugitives comprising 15 convicts and a remandee.
Buimo’s infamous record of mass breakouts:

  • JULY 2018: Police shot dead four prison inmates, wounding two others and nine escaped;
  • DEC 2017: 16 prisoners held a prison warden hostage before fleeing from prison, only four were recaptured;
  • MAY 2017: Prison wardens shot dead 17 inmates in a mass breakout at Buimo, recapturing three alive and 57 escaped;
  • FEB 2016: Police shot and killed 11 of about 30 prisoners who attacked two prison wardens, wounding 17; and,
  • JUNE 2015: 55 prisoners escaped during a heavy downpour, only nine were recaptured.

In the May 2017, tragedy after 17 Buimo inmates were shot dead, Amnesty International’s Pacific researcher Kate Schuetze then told Reuters: “Unfortunately, these incidents, tragic as they are, happen all too frequently in PNG as there is poor accountability with police and security officers.”
In Oct 2018, Buimo commander Felix Namane told The National that chronic manpower shortage as well as the ageing workforce contributed to notorious mass jail breaks, epitomising what is happening at prisons nationwide.
Namane was blunt when addressing CS top brass at the second day an annual activity and implementation plan workshop in Port Moresby.
“For Buimo, the holding capacity is 436, but the prisoners we have now is 1,058,” he said.
“Our current manpower is around 85, of which seven are serving in Finschhafen rural lock-up, so it’s below 80 against 1,058 prisoners.
“Looking at the statistics of prisoners now, not only in Buimo but in other jails throughout the country, most of the prisoners are within the 20 to 35 age group.
“How can you expect a few ageing CS officers to guard a large number of young and energetic prisoners?
“In the event they flee, the ageing officers cannot be able to match the speed of the prisoners.
“This can be seen in the recent escape in Kimbe where prisoners attacked three CS officers, who guarded around 40 young and energetic prisoners on their way to a church service.”
Then acting CS commissioner Stephen Pokanis said according to international standards, the maximum number of inmates for a prison was 300 and the ratio was two prison wardens to one prisoner.
“That is the acceptable international standard but we never follow these standards,” he said, adding that most CS facilities were holding prisoners beyond capacity and were at the same time understaffed.