Buimo holding too many inmates

BUIMO Jail in Lae is overcrowded and stretched to the limit, says commander Felix Namane.
He said they had 1051 detainees and the prison was struggling to feed them.
The jail was built to cater for a maximum of 500 inmates.
Having twice as many inmates was straining the 97 jail officers, creating increased security risks and the likelihood of disease outbreaks.
Namane said 20 staff houses were in a poor state and needed immediate refurbishments or dismantling.
He said the single barracks also required renovation and maintenance. The upsurge in inmates this month has been due to effective policing in Lae.
Namane said 50 per cent of the total operational budget was spent on food.
“We spend K205,000 for rations each month and will increase to K210,000 next month,” he said.
“Prisoners also run low on blankets and eating utensils. Six boilers cannot cook meals for 1051 detainees at once.
“Buimo is the highest-consuming prison in the country.”
Namane said police were doing a great job to weed out petty crimes in Lae, however, offenders could do community service in lieu of jail.