Overcrowding in prisons becoming normal due to rise in inmate population: Pokanis

By MARJORIE FINKEO
OVERCROWDING is common in Correctional Services institutions in the country, acting commissioner Stephen Pokanis, pictured, says.
He was responding to a report in this newspaper about Bomana prison outside Port Moresby facing overcrowding in the women’s wing.
Pokanis said the inmate population continued to increase annually while the facilities remained the same so overcrowding would naturally occur.
The same dormitories are being used to accommodate all our detainees and more detainees go into prison.
They will have to live in a crammed and very limited space inside the dormitories, he said.
The prison accommodated 54 inmates, including five children, squeezed into a dormitory meant to hold 35.
“I have advised Bomana acting commanding officer Yelly Oiufa to assign technical officers to explore what options are available to address the ongoing overcrowding situation,” Pokanis said.
He said the budget this year has targeted only specific infrastructure projects which did not include costs to cater for additional dormitory at the Bomana female wing.
“If and when I get the cost, I will put in a budget for 2020,” he said.
According to reports, there are 31 convicted inmates, 18 on remand and five children under five years old – all living in the same dormitory.