Plan to build another prison

THE design for a 100-men dormitory at the Buimo Correctional Institution is expected to be approved this month and the plan to build a second prison in Morobe is underway, says Correctional Services (CS) Commissioner Stephen Pokanis.
Pokanis said the Government had given some money to the CS this year and it had been in dialogue with Lae MP and Minister of Lands and Physical Planning John Rosso to build a new dormitory to ease overcrowding at Buimo prison.
“We are also looking at building a second prison for Morobe province somewhere in Bulolo,” he said.
Pokanis said Buimo was of concern to the CS because it has been overpopulated since 2008.
“The buildings there can hold only 460 detainees (men, women and juveniles) but the police would take in new detainees today and maybe two or three are released the same day, so over 1,000 detainees are maintained daily year-in and year-out for 12 years now,” he said.
“A dormitory that is supposed to cater for only 30 people has about 50 detainees squeezing in.
“If someone gets sick, it could be passed around easily and the rate of friction amongst the prisoners, and even gangs, are very high too.
“And they (the detainees) also have all the time to plot out and organise escapes.
“Actually, the rations are under-budgeted.
“The budget to cater for the rations of all prisons would be about K18 million for a year but right now we are operating at K10 million.
“This K10 million is not only for food but incudes uniforms.”