Police commander calls for jail review

WESTERN Highlands police commander Chief Superintendent Martin Lakari says the condition of police cells and prisons in the province must be reviewed.
Lakari was reacting to a riot by prisoners at the Baisu jail last Saturday where prison facilities were damaged.
He said the police cells in Mt Hagen were designed to accommodate only up to 80 people but had to take in more. Lakari said the cells and jails were built in the colonial days when not too many people had to be detained at one time.
“We are keeping human beings here and we have to make sure that their health and safety are a priority,” he said.
“The cell blocks are not fit for human habitation. I’m appealing to the authorities to look into this matter.
“Under the human right laws, we are not supposed to treat prisoners like this.”
He said now that Baisu facilities had been damaged, the police cell in Mt Hagen would be overcrowded.
Lakari said some action needed to be taken to maintain or rebuild the cells and jails.
“Prisoners are human beings and we need to treat everyone fairly and allow them to live in a healthy environment,” he said.