Buimo to get new dorm

ACTING Correctional Services commissioner Stephen Pokanis announced on Thursday in Lae that two more dormitories for detainees will be built at Buimo Prison.
Pokanis’ announcement came after the prison experienced overcrowding in cell blocks which lead to a recent outbreak of tuberculosis (TB).
“We will build two more dormitories for the detainees and also looking at rehabilitating rural lockups in Kabwum and Menyamya,” hesaid.
“The main purpose for this move is to relieve the jail of overcrowding.”
Pokanis said two rural lockups, including the one at Gagidu in Finschhafen, would take some prisoners to ease the overcrowding at Buimo.
He said the number of detainees at Buimo was over a thousand and that clearly showed there was overcrowding.
“If the capacity is to accommodate only 600 inmates than the extra 400 will put more pressure on the system– not just on the inmates themselves but on the officers as well.”he said.
Pokanis acknowledged the need for officers’ houses to be renovated, for some more houses to be built and to build a new barracks.
“Work is underway for a submission to be done and handed over to the National Government regarding those issues raised,” he said.
The commissioner said it all came back to the availability of funds to get the work going as planned.
He added that if funds were available, then they would start looking at bigger options like building new prisons with barracks, otherwise whatever resources the CS had would be used to address the most pressing needs.