Relocate prison

IT is disheartening to see and hear the continuous prison breakout and deaths from Buimo prison.
Much assistance were given to the prison’s rehabilitation programme by the Morobe Provincial Government and respective non-government organisations such as churches and individuals who were concerned to change the lives of prisoners both the convicts and remands.
Both categories of detainees are accommodated in one prison facilities.
Buimo is an old prison built during the pre-colonial days.
The facilities are in a rundown state despite improvements of the security fences.
The barb wire and razor sharp wire still do not prevent break outs.
The prison is built on the flood plain and extended to the hill side that do not give leeway for expansion to accommodate detainees according to their classification.
Furthermore the prison is surrounded by settlements that create security problems for the prison management and the community around it.
Therefore, it is about time the Correctional Service Minister Chris Nangoi and the CS commissioner Stephen Pokanis seriously consider relocating Buimo prison from its present location to the state land at Erap near Boys town.
Erap has sufficient land to build separate prison facilities that would cater for both remand and low risk detainees and would also provide an avenue to conduct effective detainee training and rehabilitation programmes.
It would help to prevent prison overcrowding and costly break outs to reduce the law and order that the country is facing.

Retiree,
Ex CS