Magistrate advises authorities to address overcrowding

By JIMMY KALEBE
A MAGISTRATE has advised prison authorities to address the overcrowding problem in prisons after the matter was raised in court by inmates.
Magistrate Edward Kupo of the Lae District Court said inmates were “human beings who have rights”.
“Addressing such issue is of paramount importance as people living there are human beings who have rights that must be considered and addressed,” Kupo said.
He made the remarks after suspects appearing in court from the Buimo jail raised their concerns about the overcrowding and health situation they were facing.
They claimed that Buimo was unfit for human habitation, posing a high risk of a disease outbreak.
Kupo said overcrowding was a common problem in most of the country’s prisons.
He urged prison authorities to maintain hygiene at a reasonable level to make inmates healthy “just like anyone of us”.
He warned that failing to do so could lead to “serious issues if not addressed properly”.
Kupo said he was concerned that people, regardless of their status, were being mistreated. “I will have to go and visit the jail at Buimo to verify these claims,” Kupo said.
Kupo will recommend that inmates be sent to other jails if he finds that the conditions at Buimo are unfit for human habitation.
He said some cases coming before him had to be dismissed because prosecutors were taking too long to complete investigations and prepare files.