Buimo prison on lockdown

By JIMMY KALEBE
BUIMO Prison in Lae, where 17 prisoners staged a breakout last Sunday, is on “lockdown for an indefinite period”, says Correctional Services Commissioner Stephen Pokanis.
“The lockdown is to facilitate internal administrative investigation,” he said.
One probationary prison officer and one of the 17 prisoners, died during the breakout.
Police and prison officers are looking for the 16 on the run and are appealing for public assistance to locate them.
Pokanis said they were doing all they could to restore normalcy in Buimo, and expected the inmates to co-operate.
He said they needed to find out first what caused the breakout because the prisoners had been well treated.
“CS officer and wardens at Buimo have given all the support the detainees needed,” he said.
“We take them to hospitals, take them to visit families and see to it that their needs are met.
“It is (therefore) unfortunate that some escaped, on the pretext of visiting families (who came into the prison compound during the visiting hours),” he said.
He also said he would look into the allegation raised by Lae Lord Mayor James Khay that the inmates who did not take part in the breakout were badly treated by warders after the incident.
Khay said he was told that the prisoners were not being provided meals. Pokanis said the priority right now was to find out how the young prison officer died, and to stop further escapes from Buimo.