Riot in jail

By ELIAS LARI

TWENTY prisoners were injured, two warders were held hostage and properties valued at around K500,000 were destroyed during a riot by prisoners at Baisu jail in Western Highlands on Saturday.
Jail commander Superintendent Timbi Kaulga told The National that because of the damage to the prison compound, they were moving inmates to other jails in the Highlands region.
The riot began after the prison authorities did not allow visits from relatives on Saturday citing security reasons.
The riot began at around 3pm but was brought under control at around 6pm.
Prisoners broke through the brick wall and used stones to attack the prison officers.
Tear gas was fired into the jail to allow police officers and warders enter the area where the prisoners were.

Kaulga said 46 inmates had been transferred to other prisons while 300 remained at Baisu. They are accommodating the high-risk prisoners at the minimum security unit while those on remand were kept at the juvenile jail.“We will continue to transfer them out because the damages done in here is valued at more than K500,000,” he said.
“This is the first of its kind for me to witness and I do not know what to do because the jail is completely destroyed.”
He said the jail had the capacity to accommodate 350 inmates.
“The cells and walls are all destroyed, including cooking utensils and the kitchens, toilets, showers rooms, electricity supply and water sinks,” Kaulga said.
He said the riot could have been triggered by a decision not to allow any visits by relatives.
“It was for only one day but prisoners staged the riot,” he said.
CS Highlands regional commander Philip Eka said investigations had begun on the riot. He said the warders were overpowered and police reinforcement had to be called in from Mt Hagen. Eka said such incidents posed a threat to national security and something must be done to prevent it from recurring.
The two warders escaped when prison officers and police confronted the inmates.
A prison officer was also hit on the head by a prisoner while trying to escape.